Wednesday, April 9, 2025

The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shante - ESSENTIAL

The Unboxing of a Black Girl
by Angela Shante
, 160 pages. Page Street, 2024. $19. 

Language: PG13 (13 swears. 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (reference to kisses and kissing) Violence: PG13 (aftermath of a sexual assault) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Black children, especially girls, grow up quickly. Full of vignettes of growing up black, particularly female and black. Angela is resilient and driven. 

Shante is a gifted poet. The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a novel in verse, and, like Anderson's Shout isn't just a collection of poems - this is one readers are going to want to own, to re-reread, to reflect, to connect with and share. The use of footnotes to connect the reader with the culture and history was smart. Includes a reader's guide with discussion questions, music, books and film references, as well as research topics and author "inspirations" Highly recommended. 

Lisa Librarian 

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