Take Back the Block
by Chrystal D Giles (Author)
Wes Henderson has the best style in sixth grade. That--and hanging out with his crew (his best friends since little-kid days) and playing video games--is what he wants to be thinking about at the start of the school year, not the protests his parents are always dragging him to.
But when a real estate developer makes an offer to buy Kensington Oaks, the neighborhood Wes has lived his whole life, everything changes. The grownups are supposed to have all the answers, but all they're doing is arguing. Even Wes's best friends are fighting. And some of them may be moving. Wes isn't about to give up the only home he's ever known. Wes has always been good at puzzles, and he knows there has to be a missing piece that will solve this puzzle and save the Oaks. But can he find it . . . before it's too late?
Exploring community, gentrification, justice, and friendship, Take Back the Block introduces an irresistible 6th grader and asks what it means to belong--to a place and a movement--and to fight for what you believe in.
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School Library Journal
Gr 3-7--Wes Henderson has to spend his 11th birthday protesting a new development in his neighborhood with his community activist mother. He's melting in the heat and decides to hide when he sees a news van arrive. He doesn't want to appear on the evening news; he dislikes protesting and gets nervous in front of cameras, which could ruin his cool reputation. Wes lives in Kensington Oaks, in the home where his mother grew up and one that his grandfather saved for 10 years to purchase. He has a tight-knit friend group that includes Mya, a girl who has moved out into a more upscale neighborhood. She doesn't get along with Kari, another friend who had to move out when a developer bought the building he lived in. Kari's situation is precarious and Wes worries about his well-being. But he doesn't really relate to the issue of gentrification until it comes to Kensington Oaks and he sees firsthand how it divides the community. This impressive debut is notable for its depiction of how gentrification pushes the working-class poor out of neighborhoods, as well as substantive ways that communities can protest, all for a middle grade audience. Wes is a humorous, likable, relatable narrator who recognizes that he lives comfortably compared to some, and who appreciates his family history within the community. VERDICT This title is a first purchase for any collection. Giles has crafted an outstanding depiction of the nuances of gentrification as well as the struggle and joys of working-class Black families and communities.--Brenda Kahn, Tenakill M.S., Closter, NJ
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
JUV074000 - Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
African Americans
Family life
Schools
Middle schools
Community life
African American families
Neighborhoods
Gentrification
