Name: Ashley Wendt's review of Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Item: Black Brother, Black Brother
Rating: 3
Author: Ashley Wendt

Jewell Parker Rhodes

From award-winning and bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition -- now in paperback! Framed. Bullied. Disliked. But I know I can still be the best. Sometimes, 12-year-old Donte wishes he were invisible. As one of the few black boys at Middlefield Prep, most of the students don't look like him. They don't like him either. Dubbing him "Black Brother," Donte's teachers and classmates make it clear they wish he were more like his lighter-skinned brother, Trey. When he's bullied and framed by the captain of the fencing team, "King" Alan, he's suspended from school and arrested for something he didn't do. Terrified, searching for a place where he belongs, Donte joins a local youth center and meets former Olympic fencer Arden Jones. With Arden's help, he begins training as a competitive fencer, setting his sights on taking down the fencing team captain, no matter what. As Donte hones his fencing skills and grows closer to achieving his goal, he learns the fight for justice is far from over. Now Donte must confront his bullies, racism, and the corrupt systems of power that led to his arrest. Powerful and emotionally gripping, Black Brother, Black Brother is a careful examination of the school-to-prison pipeline and follows one boy's fight against racism and his empowering path to finding his voice.

Black Brother, Black Brother

Nohemi Reale

From award-winning and bestselling author, Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition. Donte wishes he were invisible. As one of the few black boys at Middlefield Prep, he feels as if he is constantly swimming in whiteness. Most of the students don't look like him. They don't like him either. Dubbed the "Black Brother," Donte's teachers and classmates make it clear they wish he were more like his lighter skinned brother, Trey. Quiet, obedient. When an incident with "King" Alan leads to Donte's arrest and suspension, he knows the only way to get even is to beat the king of the school at his own game: fencing. With the help of a former Olympic fencer, Donte embarks on a journey to carve out a spot on Middlefield Prep's fencing team and maybe learn something about himself along the way.

Ashley Wendt

Overall, this was a decent book. It took a bit to get used to the writing style. It was a bit choppy & short, especially in the beginning. It maybe would’ve been better as a novel-in-verse. I did really enjoy the fencing story line and the relationships between the brothers and their fencing team. But I think because of the writing style, there was a lack of certain plot and character development. It was all so short. I will say, the overall message was really important.

A powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers - one who presents as white, the other as Black - and the ways they are forced to navigate a world that doesn't treat them equally. Donte wishes he were invisible. As one of the few black boys at his school, he feels as if he is constantly swimming in whiteness. Most of the students don't look like him. They don't like him either. Dubbed the 'Black Brother', Donte's teachers and classmates make it clear they wish he were more like his lighter skinned brother, Dre. When an incident with a white student leads to Donte's arrest and suspension, he's sure the only way to get even is to beat the student at the school's most valued game: fencing. With the help of a former Olympic fencer, Donte embarks on a journey to carve out a spot on the school's fencing team and to find a way to make people at school see past the colour of his skin to who he really is. From NYT bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes, another poignant and gripping story about how children and families face the complexities of race and racism in today's world.

Jeni Enjaian

When I first started reading this book, I had to take a step back to adjust to the flow of Rhodes' prose. I remember getting mildly bent out of shape about a semicolon in a sentence that should not have been there according to standard grammar rules. As I kept reading, I picked up on Rhodes' narrative style and realized how quick I had been to judge. Language is flexible. Holding to these standard grammar rules set by old, rich, white men years ago leaves no room to acknowledge the changes that come naturally as people speak the language, the diverse changes inspired by all the different cultures that interact with the language.
I also found myself intellectually struggling with the seemingly exaggerated response of the school officials to Donte's behavior, the behavior of a wounded and beat down 7th grade kid. As an educator in public schools, I intellectually know that I, and all the administrators I have worked with, would have responded to that situation differently. I had to step out of the box I knew and look through the lens of the situation in which Donte found himself. I remembered an incident from back in 4th grade at my private, conservative Christian elementary school where a student punched another student. One punch. That student got expelled immediately. I asked myself how the administrators of my school would have responded had that student also been black. 
This book taught me so much. I did not know how much I loved this book until I wrote this review. My words fail me at this point.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Nohemi Reale &
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Reviews

Join the club

Nohemi Reale &Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Reviews

Join the club

Nohemi Reale &
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes