A poignant coming-of-age story about a Black woman’s struggle to be her authentic self.
A young Black girl undertakes a journey of self-discovery into adolescence and adulthood in Johnson’s novel.
Spanning nearly 40 years, the narrative begins with Book 1, “I Want to Be Farrah Fawcett,” when Marisa Logan is a 9-year-old Black girl in 1978, living a comfortable middle-class life in a small, predominantly white Michigan town. Her close friends, classmates, and teachers are white, and so are Marisa’s pop-culture references (TV shows Dallasand The Brady Bunch; her collection of Archiecomics). Popular, involved socially, and excelling in school, she brushes off the experiences her parents and grandmother relate and resents reminders that she is “different.” (A supposed good friend says Farah Fawcett can’t be Marisa’s chosen TV star wannabe—she has to be “that girl from ‘Good Times’…the only pretty black girl on TV.”). The section ends with Marisa’s budding interest in her roots, her high school graduation, and a failed test of character by handsome, blond Barry, her first love. Book 2, “Fight the Power,” is a vivid narrative of Marisa’s college years—her struggle to fit in with the school’s few Black students, meeting future husband Kyle, and finding her voice as a Black woman in fervid activism. With gut-wrenching eloquence, the author depicts Marisa’s slow awakening to subtle and overt racial injustice when a white police officer stops Kyle for a bogus speeding offense. Marisa is dismayed that her strong fiancé, trembling with anger, refuses to argue as the officer draws out his humiliation. Book 3, “Faith the size of a mustard seed,” concerns the bitter betrayal of the not-guilty verdict in the police beating of Rodney King and the further testing of Marisa’s faith and “view of white people” in the aftermath of “the Trayvon Martin murder, the Eric Garner murder, and the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri,” giving heightened resonance to Marisa’s moving, full-circle moment at her father’s testimonial as she comes to terms with who she used to be.
A poignant coming-of-age story about a Black woman’s struggle to be her authentic self.Pub Date: Dec. 14, 2024
ISBN: 9798230908678
Page Count: 490
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In his quest for easy moolah, Owen learns that the road to financial solvency can be rocky and fraught with work. Greene (Owen Foote, Soccer Star, 1998, etc.) touches upon the often-thorny issue of chores and allowances: Owen’s mom wants him to help out because he’s part of the family and not just for the money—while Owen wants the money without having to do tedious household chores. This universal dilemma leaves Owen without funds and eagerly searching for ways to make a quick buck. His madcap schemes range from original—a “free” toilet demonstration that costs 50 cents—to disastrous, as during the trial run of his children’s fishing video, Owen ends up hooking his ear instead of a trout. Enlisting the aid of his stalwart, if long-suffering, friend Joseph, the two form a dog-walking club that becomes vastly restricted in clientele after Owen has a close encounter with an incontinent, octogenarian canine. Ultimately, Owen learns a valuable lesson about work and money when an unselfish action is generously rewarded. These sudden riches motivate Owen to consider wiser investments for his money than plastic vomit. Greene’s crisp writing style and wry humor is on-target for young readers. Brief chapters revolving around a significant event or action and fast pacing are an effective draw for tentative readers. Weston’s (Space Guys!, p. 392, etc.) black-and-white illustrations, ranging in size from quarter- to full-page, deftly portray Owen’s humorous escapades. A wise, witty addition to Greene’s successful series. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-02369-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
PLB 0-688-13166-2 King Midas And The Golden Touch ($16.00; PLB $15.63; Apr.; 32 pp.; 0-688-13165-4; PLB 0-688-13166-2): The familiar tale of King Midas gets the golden touch in the hands of Craft and Craft (Cupid and Psyche, 1996). The author takes her inspiration from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s retelling, capturing the essence of the tale with the use of pithy dialogue and colorful description. Enchanting in their own right, the illustrations summon the Middle Ages as a setting, and incorporate colors so lavish that when they are lost to the uniform gold spurred by King Midas’s touch, the point of the story is further burnished. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-13165-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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