Starred Review

★ “Hooper presents valuable lessons on the healing power of community, forgiveness, and sharing one’s truth.” —Publisher’s Weekly

TRUE TRUE Audio Book Starred Review

★ “Narrator (Christopher) Grant makes a prodigious debut: beyond Gil, he’s effortlessly facile with all manner of accents, ages, and backgrounds; his fabulous, fierce Granma is an unforgettable marvel.

BIPOC youth will find resonance here; privileged audiences, perhaps, need this most of all.” —School Library Journal

Best of + Editor’s Picks

  • School Library Journal: Best Middle Grade Books 2021
  • New York Public Library: Best Books of 2021
  • BookPage: Best Middle Grade and Chapter Books 2021
  • Amazon: Best Children’s Books 2021 (Editor’s Pick)

Accolades

  • Debuted #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List
  • 5 starred reviews

★ ”Pick up Black Boy Joy for a heavy dose of happiness.” —Booklist, starred review