Radiant is beautifully written, emotionally captivating and an all around important work of historical fiction. I loved how so many of the verses were about Cooper’s emotions and how those emotions evolved throughout the story. It is incredible to me how much power can be contained in so few words. Vaunda Micheaux Nelson does an amazing job crafting such a significant novel in verse that kids and adults will love to read.

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux. Radiant. Dutton Books For Young Readers, 2025, 9780593855782. $18.99. 320p. Grades 5-9
Description: At the beginning of the 1963 school year, Cooper Dale is really struggling with being a Black girl in a vastly White community in Pittsburgh, PA. With references to historical events like the Birmingham church bombing, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the rising fame of The Beatles, readers get to see some of the realities of being a Black family in a predominantly White community in the 1960’s. While Cooper tries to navigate fifth grade being bullied by a well-off student in her class and having a very strict teacher, she also starts to see the world differently than she had before.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this middle grade novel in verse. I think seeing the empathy that Cooper has for her classmate Wade was really refreshing. This would make a solid addition to any middle level library!
Historical Fiction
Tags: Civil Rights Era, Pennsylvania, Discrimination and Prejudice, Racial Discrimination, Adversity, Social Awareness, Novel-In-Verse, Bullying

Thank you to NetGalley for the free arc!

Radiant is a well-written novel in verse about a fifth grade black girl (Cooper), growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1960s. The author does a great job portraying Cooper’s feelings about being the only “colored” person in her class and how that changes with the arrival of Hakim, the second black student. The author does a good job describing how Cooper navigates through historical events of the decade (the assassination of JFK, the Beatles’ TV performances, Malcolm X, etc.). Another storyline weaved throughout the book is her complicated feelings toward Wade, a white classmate who is first introduced as her bully. However, when his mom becomes sick, Cooper turns to her religion to navigate her feelings around this situation.

Secretly, Cooper Dale wishes she were white. Maybe then her otherwise white fifth grade classmates would treat her like everyone else. But growing up Black in 1960s America is not easy at the best of times, and Cooper does whatever she can to avoid standing out. Despite the difficulties she faces, however, Cooper knows she can be radiant, even though accomplishing this goal is more challenging than she expects. And when she begins learning more about an unkind classmate’s life, Cooper finds that there is more than one way to shine bright. This middle grade novel in verse is told from Cooper’s perspective through brief but profound passages of text. The limited word choice and ample white space make the book highly accessible to a wide range of readers, and the poetry within the text makes the emotions Cooper feels remarkably palpable. From historical moments like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to the daily microaggressions Cooper encounters at school, the narrative feels both honest and tangible for readers of all backgrounds. Cooper’s tenacity stands out throughout the novel, and the book serves as both a window and a mirror for readers depending on their own backgrounds and life experiences. Poignant and memorable, this is a positive addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

Cooper is navigating 5th grade in this lovely novel in verse. Set in Pittsburgh in the early 1960’s, Cooper deals with school and family drama surrounded by people who love her through all of it. Recommended!

Radiant is the story of a young Black girl growing up in the 60s coming to terms with the inequalities she faces due to her skin color. A story that tugs at your heart strings as we all can relate to trying to find our place in the world. Cooler Dale wrestles with why it matters what color your skin in and she is determined to shine and be radiant no matter what. Along the way she learns to look past people’s actions and see the deeper reasons for the way they behave underneath as well as discovering first impressions aren’t always what they seem and we shouldn’t rely on other people’s opinions to judge others. Bringing in historical events like the assassination of John F Kennedy and the Beatles coming to America, the story feels like a snippet out of a girl’s diary during that time in history. I really enjoyed it and think it’s a timely book with many issues and questions we are still struggling with today. With Wicked being so popular, I loved the tie ins with the Wizard of Oz and how Cooper asked some of the same questions about the Wicked Witch that people are asking about Elphaba regarding how her skin color truly affects her life and her choices.

Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson is a novel in verse set in 1963. As Cooper Dale starts 5th grade, she feels that she's in for a rough year because her teacher has a reputation for sternness. Cooper just wants to shine in everything she does, but will this teacher thwart her efforts? Will the class bully continue to taunt her? It's hard enough being one of the only Black kids in the whole school without these issues to contend with. Radiant is a quick and delightful read about learning to shine through adversity.

Big thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group, Dutton Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for a review copy of this wonderful book.

What a fantastic novel in verse!
Cooper Dale is such a likeable character, and I think we can all find ourselves in her. Whether it's our race or the shape of our bodies or our joy over boy bands, we can all learn from how Cooper deals with the bullying at school, her family's race, and her personal convictions. I'll be recommending this one to all my readers.

This was a sweet novel in verse that looks at the experience of being black in America in the 60s through a little girl's eyes. I like these style of books because 1) the verse makes the story move along but it also invites the reader to stop and consider what is not said in addition to what is said. Because the narrator is a child and she is living these experiences, sometimes she shows emotion over the unfairness of things, but often she just accepts things as being what they are. I think this invites some meaningful discussions for youth book clubs or classrooms to consider how Wade's words would be received today. And what they think of Cooper finding forgiveness and redemption even when (to me) it felt like Wade hadn't asked for forgiveness or had a lot more work to do to make reparations.

It also showed how big some problems can feel to children and how they might be right but sometimes those in power can't or won't see their side of things.

Radiant is a beautifully written novel in verse. All Cooper wants is to shine, But she finds herself encountering obstacle after obstacle...being the only non-white student in her class, her classmate Wade who bullies her relentlessly, having the teacher of her nightmares and wishing she could skip to 6th grade. But there are bright moments for Cooper, as well. She, along with her sister, discovers the newest musical sensation, The Beatles. She helps Pap raise new pointer puppies. Cooper learns about family, about herself, and about giving grace to others as she navigates her way through this story. The brevity of text will appeal to reluctant readers, while the story will appeal to all.

Wow! Such an amazing book! Thank you NetGalley & penguin group for an arc of this book. Reading middle grade verse was new for me and I enjoyed it very much! No notes! Highly recommend for young readers.

In this middle grade historical novel in verse, Cooper Dale is in fifth grade in 1963, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She lives with her father, who is a baker, her mother, who cleans houses, and her older sibling Fred and Maxine. She has the "meanest" teacher, Mrs. Keating, and often experiences horrible treatment by classmate Wade Carter, who is very racist towards her, calling her names like "Mud Face" and "Pooper". The only black student in class. It's a great novel for introducing middle-grade readers to 1960’s history and pop culture.

This is an introspective middle grade novel written in verse. Set in 1963, there are plenty of historical details and pop culture references. It would be a good book to introduce kids to historical fiction.

Good historical fiction, written in verse form. This one would be great for introducing middle-grade readers to 1960’s history and pop culture.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

This was a really quick read and I really enjoyed the historical elements. I do kinda wish more of the sociocultural stuff was focused on, but the focus on Cooper and her interpersonal dynamics was really good and gave me lots of good feelings.

It is 1963. The Beatles have just come to America, and Cooper Dale is in the 5th grade with a teacher she had heard horrible things about. She is the only Black child in class, and although she is told to be color blind about race, it doesn’t work quite the way the white people think it will.
Wade, the class bully, has taken it on himself to make her miserable, but is always she who gets in trouble if she does anything, such as stick her tongue out at him.

Told in blank verse, sparsely, but with enough details that was know what is going on, and how Cooper feels, about all things.

A beautiful look at what life was like, in 1963-64. So much happened. The book feels well researched, and reflects the feelings of that time, including the assassination of JFK.

The book is named Radiant, because Cooper doesn't want to just Shine, because that can mean other things, but wants to radiate like a star.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published the 7th of January 2025.