#CHRISTINA HAMMONDS-REED

[slaughter-books]

Day 26: JOMPBPC: Power To The Oppressed

[literaryspinster]

Fancasting The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

This is maybe the first YA book I've read where the Black girl protagonist was actually allowed to be deeply flawed (not saying others don't exist, I just don't read a whole lot of YA). I got through it quickly and thought the writing was really strong. Here's who I pictured while reading.

Ashley- Demi Singleton

Jo- Diamond White

LaShawn- Jabari Banks

Ashley's Mom- Amanda Warren

Ashley's Dad- Laz Alonso

Lucia- Melonie Diaz

Kimberly- Lulu Wilson

Michael- Asher Angel

Harrison- Alexander Ludwig

Morgan- Storm Reid

Uncle Ronnie- Mike Epps

Heather- Stefania Lavie Owen

Courtney- Amybeth McNulty

Lana- Rowan Blanchard

[bookstothrivecom]

The Black Kids Summary: A Powerful Tale of Race and Privilege

Introduction: The Black Kids Summary: A Powerful Tale of Race and Privilege In The Black Kids, Christina Hammonds Reed provides readers with a compelling and thought-provoking coming-of-age narrative set during the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict. Told from the perspective of Ashley Bennett, a privileged Black teenager, the novel explores complex themes of race, identity,…

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Black Kids | Author: Christina Hammonds Reed | Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2020)

[bluedalahorse]

Deservingness and morally complex stories, a follow up

I want to lift up and respond to an awesome comment made by @othervee on my post about the fandom and the word “deserve.” I’ll screen cap the comment first for context:

This comment intersects with some of the ideas I talk about in my MFA thesis. I’m looking at how the philosophy of restorative justice can inform writers of youth literature, and one of the central RJ principles is that every human being has worth and dignity. Innately. This idea of the “deserving poor” suggests that a select, often very wealthy few are allowed to decide who is worthy and who isn’t. It makes “worth” something that must be earned at the arbitrary whims. We all know that this can go downhill pretty quickly, playing out in austere (or worse!) political policies.

To take this into the realm of literature, the notion of characters being “deserving” sort of positions us, the readers, in the place where we are deciding who is worthy and who is not. And I don’t want to reject that instinct entirely, because I do think many writers invite us to do moral reasoning prompted by the stories they tell us. But I do think there is a marked difference between writers who build worth and dignity into the baseline of every character, versus writers who don’t.

We’ve all read stories where some characters are Worthy and some characters are Not Worthy, and the story’s moral lesson is to emulate the Worthy characters while avoiding anything connected with the Not Worthy characters. We’ve also seen stories that are perhaps less binary and a bit more nuanced, but still have an ultimate, inherently evil character to defeat as part of the third-act climax. I think these stories can be instructive up to a point—it can help readers to have a basic list of Dos and Don’ts—but they don’t always meet every need a reader can have.

I think it’s rarer to have stories where every character, be they protagonist or antagonist or sympathetic villain or antihero, is crafted with worth and dignity at their core. Nonetheless, these stories are incredibly needed, because even with lists of Dos and Don’ts on hand, people fuck up sometimes. Sometimes people fuck up spectacularly. Or, someone close to them has fucked up spectacularly and the image they had of that person is altered forever. It can hard to see a path forward in these kinds of moments, and often people want to hide instead of taking action or holding someone accountable. Seeing characters actually work through problems—not actually cleanly or perfectly, but in a way that has momentum and realness—is so important.

Here’s a small paragraph from my thesis, where I’m talking about The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed, and its protagonist Ashley Bennet:

[This kind of writing] empowers [teenagers] to make restitution to those they have harmed in their own lives. Interpersonal conflict is almost never clear-cut and easily resolved. Because Ashley's journey is neither simple nor perfectly executed, it validates the emotions of readers who may be reluctant to address their own difficult situations with friends and loved ones, while still inspiring them to action. By engaging with restitution as a complex, yet wholly possible, emotional journey, writers avoid talking down to their young readers and meet them where they are. Finally, writers who invest effort in this sort of character arc reassure their readers of a key cornerstone of restorative justice belief that they are worthy (Evans and Vaanderling 31). Restorative justice professes the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings, and in part this means that people are worthy of the chance to do better and make amends for times that they did harm.

That tells you where I’m coming from with these thoughts, and why they matter to me. I work with young people, and they fuck up. A lot. But a lot of them also struggle with the idea of restitution, because it can feel so impossible, especially in a world that’s become so polarized and puritanical, and so scrutinized by social media, and where it can feel like you have to be good and stay good 24/7, or there’s no point. You know? We want to be the heroes in our own stories, but every single one of us has been someone’s villain once in a while, too. And we need characters who help us confront this.

Naturally, my research was inspired by Young Royals, because I do think Lisa imbues worth and dignity into every single character as she creates them. Wilhelm isn’t worthy because he’s a prince, and Simon isn’t worthy because he’s a talented singer. Rather, their worth lies in their humanity itself, and when they tap into their human vulnerability, they can make progress with one another and better understand their impact on the world. Likewise, August’s tragedy as a character is that he does have inherent worth, but he fails to see it. He mistakes his status and wealth for worth instead, and ends up leaning into power games that harm others instead of acknowledging his humanity and capacity to connect. That hits harder than like, Lisa just writing him as a Vortex Of Posh Boy Evil Who Must Be Banished To The Outer Realms, you know? I know I say this a lot, and I know a lot of people will not along and go “yeah of course he’s complex.” It’s the craft reasons why he’s complex that I actually wanna break down and analyze, though, because those matter to me.

There are other stories out there that handle this kind of complexity well. ATLA is like the textbook example in animation. YA books are where I’m seeing some of the best ideas thrown around… Randy Ribay’s Patron Saints of Nothing is forever a mentor text to me for how it approaches the dynamics of a grieving family living under a dictatorship. Adib Khorram’s Darius books have some of the best, most human parent-child relationships I’ve ever seen. Malinda Lo writes messy queers and I’m honestly in awe of how she does it. Joy McCullough’s verse novels make me cry like no one else. And Zach Smedley’s Deposing Nathan, while a very difficult book to read, is such a shining example of how you can tell these kinds of stories where every character is inherently worthy, but you don’t have to end it with like, group hugs and rainbows and forgiveness everyone being on wonderful terms. Because that’s another thing about this area of research. Sometimes you talk about it and people are like “oh so you just want stories to apologize for toxic people and abusers?” And no, that’s not it at all. Not everyone does get forgiven in the stories I mentioned above, or gets away free from consequences. But for me, the resolution and catharsis in those stories has always hit harder, and helped me make meaning out of trauma from my own life better, than stories where things play out as a simple tale of good and evil, where the good triumphs in a happily ever after and the evil is summarily punished and whisked away forever.

This is getting alarmingly personal, and I have grocery shopping to do this morning, so I think I’m going to cut myself off for now. Fellow writers, where do you see the worth in your characters? What techniques do you use to approach that worth?

[wplteentalk]

Happy Juneteenth!

Although chattel slavery was legally ended in the United States with the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, it took many more years for all enslaved people to be freed. The books on this list spotlight diverse, complex, and intersectional experiences, examining the ways that colonization and racism are built into American institutions, and the way they’ve impacted Black lives in the past and in the present.

Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pinks

In the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921, Isaiah Wilson is the town troublemaker and a secret poet. He’s a follower of the philosophy of W.E.B. Du Bois, believing that Black communities should rise up to claim their place as equals in society. Angel Hill, meanwhile, is a well-behaved loner, believing in Booker T. Washington’s ideas that Black people should rise slowly in society through education and tolerance. The two teens accept a job in their English teacher’s mobile library, developing a friendship that begins to turn into something more. But when a white mob storms the neighborhood of Greenwood in the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, their town is destroyed and thousands of residents are displaced. Isaiah, Angel, and their peers realize who the real enemies are.

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Ashley Bennett is the younger daughter of a wealthy Black family in 1992 in LA. One of a handful of Black students at a predominantly white private school, Ashley has always thought of herself as just one of the girls. But when four LAPD officers are acquitted of beating a Black man named Rodney King half to death, to the people around her, Ashley is suddenly one of the Black kids. As her older sister gets involved in the escalating protests overtaking LA, Ashley feels the facade of the model Black family her parents have always maintained begin to crumble, and she’s forced to question who she is as a young Black woman in America.

Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School by Tiffany Jewell

This nonfiction book examines the systemic inequalities Black and Brown students face in American education from preschool through qualities. Jewell reflects on her own experiences as a student from early childhood to adulthood, connecting it with the racist history of the American education system. Featuring contributions from a number of writers and educators, this book encourages readers to think critically about the American school system, and their place within it.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

From the Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning author Kacen Callender, this story follows Felix Love, a Black, queer, trans boy who has never been in love. A hardworking visual artist determined to get into Brown University, Felix comes up with a plan for revenge when an anonymous classmate begins sending him transphobic messages and posting his deadname alongside pictures of him before he transitioned. But Felix’s catfishing scheme lands him in a quasi-love triangle, forcing him to navigate the complicated terrain of identity, falling in love, and redefining his relationship with himself.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

After her mother’s death in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews is happy for the distraction of a residential program for bright high school students at UNC Chapel Hill. But when Bree witnesses a magical attack her first night on campus, she’s sucked into a secret society of “Legendborn” students, descendents of King Arthur’s knights who hunt monsters—and have a hidden connection to the night her mother died. Bree infiltrates the society to learn the truth, and she must decide whether she wants to take the society down, or join the fight. This book sets the backdrop of Arthurian mythology against the American legacy of colonization, chattel slavery, and the experiences of Black women in the American South.

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks

J.B., Ramón, and Trey attend Urban Promise Prep, a prestigious all-boys’ school where students must abide by strict rules, and any infractions are harshly penalized. When the principal of Promise is found murdered on school grounds, the boys emerge as suspects. Each of them had means, motive, and opportunity, but all three are adamant that they’re innocent, forcing them to band together and track down the real killer. This book examines the experiences of young men of color in a system that criminalizes them for their behavior, regardless of wrongdoing.

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… A Love Story by Jason Reynolds

Twenty-four months ago, Neon and Aria met when her dog chased him around a church parking lot. Not Neon’s finest moment, but in the past two years, they’ve built a deep and loving relationship. Right this second, Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, freaking out with all the advice from his friends and family members running through his head, because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are going to take the next big step. This book is about love, coming of age, Black masculinity, and what it means to have a healthy relationship with physical intimacy.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté 

A finalist for both the 2024 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and the 2025 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award, The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a creative nonfiction reflection on Black girls and women. Between poetry, vignettes, and footnotes designed to further understanding, Shanté explores the experiences of innocence, childhood, adultification, and exploitation through the lens of Black girlhood.

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

When seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson’s grandmother, Mama Letty, is diagnosed with a terminal illness, her mother uproots them from DC to move in with Mama Letty in Bardell, Georgia. Deep-seated family secrets make her mother’s relationship with Mama Letty cold and tense, but Avery finds escape in her new friendships with Jade Oliver, the daughter of the town’s most influential family, and her captivating neighbor Simone. Even as Avery’s friendship with Simone begins to blossom into romance, she begins to find that the racist history of Bardell is rooted in her family in a way she hadn’t expected. Avery has to decide if finding out the truth is worth potentially disrupting the new relationships she has built.

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

In this Carrie retelling, Maddy Washington has always been an outcast in her small-town Georgia high school. Her fanatical white father, Thomas, has forced her to pass as white her entire life, hiding the fact that she’s biracial. But when a surprise rainy day reveals her natural hair texture, and the resulting bullying video goes viral, the school decides to throw its first integrated prom as a show of unity. The school’s popular Black quarterback asks Maddy to be his prom date, and Maddy begins to wonder whether a normal life is possible—but his motives aren’t what they seem, and Maddy may yet get her revenge on the society that has mistreated her from birth.

[imgunnagetyou]

march reads pog

Teckla by Steven Brust 1/5 - series just kept getting worse and worse, i give up

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 1/5 - the parts about anna and levin were good, "balanced" with junk filler because tolstoy was paid by the chapter, making it a horrid slog to get through

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao 2/5 - review for this on my ... page??? Exile by R.A. Salvatore 4/5 - i am pleasantly surprised by this series so far. and "orbs" for eyes was only used once in this book

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed 4.5/5 - this book is about Rodney King which i sadly didnt even know about, and i wish to do research on it. that said, its only 4.5/5 bc the marvel-like humour in the book really pissed me off (e.g, a serious or touching moment would be cut off suddenly by some dog shit joke or one liner)

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 2/5 - eh..

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks 1/5 - i dont understand the point of this book. and my biggest gripe is a gigantic spoiler so bleh

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly 2.5/5 - generic romance imo. the amount of queer romance books ive read with feet stuff is insane btw

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher 3.5/5 - the writing is actual dog shit but i enjoyed the imagery

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon 3/5 - it was just Ok

Fourth World by Lyssa Chiavari 3/5 - i was excited for this bc its a not well known book with asexual rep but unfortunately that didnt really come out in this first book. i'll continue the series to see it. writing wasnt great

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden 3.5/5 - i really love the art jules was the very annoying comedy relief character... every single thing she said was an attempt to be funny and it was . well very fuckin annoying. i dont think her character was serious for a second. throughout this book, (disclaimer, this is probably a ME problem) i couldnt really tell the characters apart... and then mia gets her hair cut, so she looks like two other characters who also have the exact same style of short hair..

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong 4/5 - review for this is also on my page

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 5/5 - most classics i bitch about being bloated with filler cause they were paid per chapter, but this book does not waste a single page. its worth all 1.4k pages

my only 5/5 is a classic...

[jin-jamm-desu]

#aaaaaaaaaaaaaa #i love when artists do shit like this #it mkaakes me #so happy #because it reminds me of #this book called #'the black kids' by #Christina Hammonds Reed #and she quoted someone #i forget their name #atm #and the quote is #'i am nobody- who are you?- are you nobody- nobody too?' #and now I can't take it anymore #thx

YOU ARE YOU. BUT WHO ARE YOU?

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KO-FI

[rabbleboy]

See you at the Henderson Reads Book Festival April 30th

See you at the Henderson Reads Book Festival April 30th. Author presentations, book signings, interactive activities and more. See you Booth 18! #HendersonReads #kidlit #bookfestival #authorvisit #scbwi

[someonemorelikemyself]

“Close your eyes,” she said. “Hear all the layers.”

Like every song was a really good lasagna.

- The Black Kids, Christina Hammonds Reed

[starrlikesbooks]

Have a good July!

As always, more in depth horoscopes below the cut

Aries: This month finds you full of passion and determination. July has you easily finding and embracing the things you love, and going for it. This is a time of transformation and newness, which is sure to be exciting. The problem is, things like making plans or working with the changes and uncertainty are going to be difficult to get a handle on. There’s distance between you and the situation, but also between you and your bigger dreams, which may leave you feeling a bit directionless.

Taurus: You’re feeling ready to react this month. Things feel new, or getting there, this month, and you’re ready to embrace that. Your passion sparking and your ability to be vulnerable and examine your self will guide the way you act and react throughout the month. However, it’s present-tense exclusive. Issues making plans for the future or connecting to long term goals has your focus stunted directly in the here and now.

Gemini: This is a good month for you, Gemini. You’re more connected to both your emotions and intuition, and ready to follow them to interesting new adventure & ideas. You’re feeling as free spirited as ever, and above it all. You may have a desire to put a wall up, and you can expect some struggle for a while to branch out in your own opinion or point of view, but you’ll get there eventually!

Cancer: Expect an extra dose of cancer sensitivities! You’re definitely in an emotional and open place, and your connection with Mercury this month luckily helps you get it out into the world at large. You’re good at communicating your thoughts and feelings, and reaching out to others. Embrace that power!

Leo: This month the sun in your sign makes you extra confident and yourself. You’re also open minded and do well with change and uncertainty- however, the idea of endings or concrete beginnings/newness are going to make you immediately shy away. You’re focused on the present tense, enjoying the moment.

Virgo: You’re feeling super connected to your emotions this month, but especially connected to passion and love. You’re definitely ready to act, meeting your dreaminess in a way that spurs you into impassioned action. Your own connection does have an exception- you may feel more sensitive and unable or uninterested to confront that vulnerability. You’ve got a wall up, and that may cause a little friction or encourage closing yourself off.

Libra: You need to find balance in July. While you’re ready in some ways, other sections of your life are more fragile. Pull away where you need to and focus in on where things seem to require more of your time and attention. You’ve got the energy and interest to work on things, so follow the urge, but the wall that’s up between you and the future doesn’t need to be a problem unless you let it be.

Scorpio: Things are feeling a bit tense and tough this month, Scorpio. You’ve got some issues with confidence and owning your situation, as well as problems with connections and communication. But the retrograde in your sign is asking you to examine and release, so lean into that and don’t be afraid to close some doors!

Sagittarius: July finds you curious and ready to ask questions. You’re good with making connections and telling the world what you’re thinking, but you’re also having some problems with love and finding something to keep your interests. Expect to do a lot of questioning on goals and dreams, and don’t be afraid to get led somewhere else! Capricorn: Your usual ambitious nature is going to take a backseat this month, Capricorn. You’re in a much less active state in July, and less connected to others or your own interests/loves. Just let things move in the direction and at the time things are going!

Aquarius: This month the full moon in your sign has you feeling extra free spirited Aquarius energy, but also super connected to your emotions. You’re comfortable in your skin and good around people, but there’s also sure to be a bit of emotional turmoil as you sort through your feelings and motivation, and you’re not going to actually push yourself to make a real move.

Pisces: This month pushes you towards the future. You’re feeling your abilities and your own worth, and how those things can link up with your next steps or your next goal. You may have some trouble compromising with others or just communicating, but the biggest focus in this month is internal!

[slaughter-books]

Day 20: JOMPBPC: Close-Up

I love this beautiful book! 💕

[the-final-sentence]

All of us work together, adding more water, more earth, digging our fingers in, building and rebuilding, until slowly it starts to look like something real.

Christina Hammonds Reed, from The Black Kids

[bookstothrivecom]

The Black Kids Summary: A Powerful Tale of Race and Privilege https://bookstothrive.com/the-black-kids-summary-christina-hammonds-reed/ The Black Kids Summary: A Powerful Tale of Race and Privilege In The Black Kids, Christina Hammonds Reed provides readers with a compelling and thought-provoking coming-of-age narrative set during the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict. Told from the perspective of Ashley Bennett, a privileged Black teenager, the novel explores complex themes of race, identity, class, and friendship. Ashley’s journey of self-discovery becomes an exploration of systemic injustice, privilege, and the awakening of her understanding of the world around her. This The Black Kids Summary dives deep into Ashley’s life, offering insights into her struggles, her relationships, and the tumultuous events that shape her worldview.

[punki-miltonia]

Ten Word Book Reviews: The Black Kids

Unique writing style, albeit slowly paced; an enjoyable read overall

[fandomforward]

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