Tag: race and racism

REVIEW: Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

REVIEW: Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are on the scene when Superman takes down The Atom Man. No one seems to really notice his sickly reaction to the green crystal that powered the villain’s transformation.

Roberta’s family is moving from Chinatown to Metropolis proper. Her dad has a new job which comes with a new house, more money – and hostility from one of his colleagues. Jimmy Olsen lives nearby. On the day they move in, Roberta even gets to see Superman run across the telephone wires above the neighborhood.

Not everyone in the neighborhood is as nice as Jimmy. Roberta and her brother Tommy run into trouble with a bigot on the youth baseball team. But the racist teen is small time compared to the hate rising in Metropolis.

The Lee family is targeted by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. Time and time again they are attacked. The places important to them are in the line of fire. Thankfully Superman is always there to lend a hand.

But while Superman helps the Lees, he has problems of his own. Ever since he encountered that green crystal he’s been hearing a strange language and seeing beings no one else can see. What is happening to Metropolis’ hero?

Review

This was excellent! It’s a meaty story with a TON of things going on. Roberta and Superman tell most of the story. Between the two of them they wrestle with the obvious racism, Roberta tries to fit in with the kids in their new neighborhood, Clark remembers parts of his childhood, and then deals with his new visions. Both Roberta and Clark are dealing with identity issues and questions. I loved that Superman wasn’t just the guy swooping in to save the day – he had a character development arc, too. I definitely got my “money’s worth” out of this book. There’s so much to this story! It’s excellent.

I got to see about 60% of the artwork, and I loved it. The art style is one I enjoy, and the color was beautiful. The story was so easy to follow.

Stories about racism are hard to read – the hate, the duplicity, the name calling. But I think it’s good for readers – kids, teens, and adults – to wrestle with the issues, the language, and the hate. And to try to recognize the fear that runs underneath those other things. It’s subtle, but the feeling of desperately grasping for power and security is definitely there in the bigoted characters. There are even moments of racial tension between minorities, like when the Lee family resists interacting with some African American men who try to help them. Those more subtle pieces in the story add to the richness of the graphic novel. I feel like I could read this again and again and discover more depth each time.

I can’t recommend this highly enough. There’s great historical context in the back matter – for Superman the character as well as for racism in America and also personal stories from the author. The story is enjoyable, but readers who are willing to go deeper will find lots to think about here.

DC has graciously shared some of the interior art from this book. You can check it out here:

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

REVIEW: What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Muiriel is 17. One more year and she ages out of the foster care system. She’s learned to pack light – to LIVE light – with the goal of getting to 18, beating the odds, and living healthy and free on her own.

Her social worker begs her to settle in for this final year of high school. Her eyes are on college for Muiriel, and she knows a strong senior year is important. Joellen has always been there for her, and her request seems simple enough for Muir to agree.

Muir’s new home across the Sound from Seattle seems too perfect. Too many signs of the few things she anchors her life to – her namesake John Muir, the wilderness, and independence. But it’s also all wrong. She’s the only placement in the house, so she can’t hide in the chaos of other kids. Her foster mom, Francine, lives on five acres of land out in the middle of nowhere, so there’s no city noise but tons of quiet. And Joellen is a ferry-ride away, so she can’t call for a quick escape. Even if she did, there were no other placements that would take her.

But maybe this last placement will give Muir something she’s refused to let herself hope for – a sense of home.

Review

“Not being perfect is for people who have families; you can screw up and they still keep you.”

This book was amazing! Excellent! Stupendous! I don’t know that I have an adjective for how much I loved this book. I’ve always had a soft spot for foster care stories, but this is so much more than that!

Muir is one of the best characters I’ve read in awhile. There’s a thread of her “packing light” philosophy that runs through the whole book and is brilliant. Her gradual shift from living out of her suitcase to setting things ON the dresser before putting something IN the dresser was a glorious way to SHOW how she’s feeling about her placement. The trinkets she carries from foster home to foster home illustrate her experiences and show why she has built these protective walls around herself.

The other characters are just as amazing. And there are fantastic tidbits about John Muir, as well as a sweet romance, and a skewering commentary about racism woven into this bigger story that is fantastic.

When I step back from the story I loved and think about how the author built it – her understanding of the out-of-home care system, her excellence in conveying Muir’s thoughts and feelings, the layers to the story itself and the characters – I appreciate the book even more. Do not miss this AMAZING story! (Language, off-page sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

REVIEW: Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The author, a Black Muslim writer, speaker, and teacher, created a free 28-day Instagram challenge about white supremacy. That turned into a free pdf workbook which was then updated and expanded into this traditionally published book. It begins with a forward by Robin DiAngela, a white anti-racist educator. Then Ms. Saad gives the history of the book and a bit of her personal story. Then she very clearly outlines the WORK the reader will be doing if they are serious about digging into their own relationship with white supremacy.

This is not supposed to be easy work. And it’s not one-and-done work. Readers will get out of the process what they put in. They’ll benefit even more if they revisit it and keep learning and growing.

The writing style for this is great. It’s conversational while also being honest and direct. The daily work tends to be five or so pages of reading with five to eight reflection questions for the reader to consider and journal about. And these questions aren’t about generic “white people.” They are personal, about you, the reader. The questions will require self-examination and significant self-awareness. This is why this can’t be a one-and-done sort of exercise. As awareness grows, there is value in revisiting these principles and questions.

Review

I was challenged by what I read in this book. I know there are things in the world, and in myself, that I am blind to. And this book inspired me to want to do the work and dig into these things. I know it will be difficult and not really “fun,” but it will be worthwhile. As soon as I finished reading through my review copy, I ordered an official copy that will be here later this week. My plan is to spend February, Black History Month, working through this 28-day exercise. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.

So, I can’t say what the process of completing this book/workbook will be like in this review. I can’t really know until I dig in and do the work. I can say that I was drawn in and challenged by the opening pages of this. And I feel this is the next step in my journey of seeing myself and the world around me more honestly in terms of race and racism and white supremacy. I can tell this will require a lot of prayer – to see and reflect on my own white privilege, white fragility, etc. If I am afraid to see it, I can’t root it out and replace it with things that honor BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) the way God intended.

I encourage readers to pick this up and begin your own journey with the material. I don’t feel like I can give this five stars without having actually done the work of the book, but everything I have read so far is excellent. Be sure to pick this one up!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½