Radiant
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Author)
A historical middle-grade novel in verse from multiple Coretta Scott King winner Vaunda Micheaux Nelson.
As school begins in 1963, Cooper Dale wrestles with what it means to "shine" for a black girl in a predominantly white community near Pittsburgh. Set against the historic backdrop of the Birmingham church bombing, the Kennedy assassination, and Beatlemania, Radiant is a finely crafted novel in verse about race, class, faith, and finding your place in a loving family and a complicated world.
Cooper's primary concern is navigating fifth grade, where she faces both an extra-strict teacher and the bullying of Wade Carter, the only child of a well-to-do white family, whose home Cooper's mother cleans for extra income. How can she shine when her mother works for the meanest boy in school? To make matters worse, Cooper quietly wishes she could be someone else.
It's not all bad, though. Cooper and her beloved older sister have fallen for the Beatles, and Cooper is thrilled to have something special they can share. And what she learns about her British idols adds new complexity to Cooper's feelings about race.
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Publishers Weekly
Cooper Dale, who has brown skin ("My skin is brown/ but people say/ I'm black") and lives in a majority white community outside of Pittsburgh, is dreading her upcoming fifth grade year with no-nonsense teacher Mrs. Keating. Though Cooper's family informs her that she must work twice as hard as her white peers, she struggles to understand why her skin color matters to those around her. Life-changing historical events--including the JFK assassination, the church bombing in Birmingham, and the increased presence of the KKK--add intensity to the narrative, which is rendered in introspective verse. Cooper's older brother adopts Malcolm X's attitudes, her father conveys life lessons via Langston Hughes's poetry, and her mother, who does domestic labor for white families, encourages her to embrace Dr. King's teachings. When Cooper's mother is hired by her white school bully Wade's family to help care for his terminally ill mother, she tries to impart her parents' wisdom to befriend Wade; "he could benefit/ from a little kindness," Mrs. Keating entreats. Nelson (Small Shoes, Great Strides) presents an emotive glimpse into the civil rights era via Cooper's careful internal monologue and nuanced characterization. Ages 10-14. (Jan.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
A complex yet accessible exploration of self-actualization, presented in full color.
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV016150 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 20th Century
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
