{"product_id":"radiant-isbn-9780593855805","title":"Radiant","description":"\u003cb\u003eA historical middle-grade novel in verse from multiple Coretta Scott King winner Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. Now in paperback!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs 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, \u003ci\u003eRadiant\u003c\/i\u003e is a finely crafted novel in verse about race, class, faith, and finding your place in a loving family and a complicated world.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCooper’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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’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.★ \"Nelson deftly weaves in major events from the 1960s, such as President Kennedy’s assassination, the Birmingham church bombing, and The Beatles playing on \u003ci\u003eThe Ed Sullivan Show\u003c\/i\u003e, along with themes from \u003ci\u003eThe Wizard of Oz\u003c\/i\u003e, into a story that reminds readers, 'A star can’t shine without a black night sky.' VERDICT This gentle yet thought-provoking historical novel in verse is perfect for anyone who has wished to be somewhere or someone else.\"\u003ci\u003e—School Library Journal, \u003c\/i\u003estarred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sweet, soft, and moving, this is a novel that feels like a hug for Black readers and young girls who want to be their best self. The historical setting grounds the narrative, but it will still resonate loudly with readers of today. A natural choice for older fans of Carol Boston Weatherford and readers of Christopher Paul Curtis.\"—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This verse novel examines complex themes of identity, forgiveness, self-love, and self-actualization through writing that’s accessible to young readers. Nelson intentionally and deftly uses details to situate the novel with history, and she’s crafted an endearing, three-dimensional protagonist in Cooper, whose voice and authentic struggle to make sense of her experiences will resonate in a work that presents fertile ground for discussion. A complex yet accessible exploration of self-actualization, presented in full color.\"—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Nelson presents an emotive glimpse into the civil rights era via Cooper’s careful internal monologue and nuanced characterization.\"—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Effectively examines what it means to forgive along with the importance of family.\"—\u003ci\u003eThe Horn Book\u003c\/i\u003eVaunda Micheaux Nelson is an American writer known for her fiction and nonfiction books for children and young adults. Her books have won numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King medal and the Boston Globe Horn Book Award. She is a former youth services librarian and lives in New Mexico with her husband, Drew.\u003cb\u003eSometimes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSometimes\u003cbr\u003eI want to be white.\u003cbr\u003eWhite—\u003cbr\u003elike new snow\u003cbr\u003eor angel wings.\u003cbr\u003eWhite—\u003cbr\u003elike fresh milk\u003cbr\u003eor cumulous clouds.\u003cbr\u003eWhite—\u003cbr\u003elike just-washed sheets\u003cbr\u003edancing on the clothesline.\u003cbr\u003eWhite—\u003cbr\u003ea full moon\u003cbr\u003eon a clear night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFred\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“That’s dumb.”\u003cbr\u003eMy big brother, Fred,\u003cbr\u003elaughs at me.\u003cbr\u003e“Nobody’s that white,\u003cbr\u003eexcept maybe Dracula.\u003cbr\u003eYou wouldn’t use a white crayon\u003cbr\u003eto color a white person\u003cbr\u003ein a coloring book,\u003cbr\u003ewould you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“No.\u003cbr\u003eSo why are they called white?\u003cbr\u003eWhy not beige or peach?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFred shakes his head.\u003cbr\u003e“Don’t know.\u003cbr\u003eThey just are.\u003cbr\u003eSo why do you want\u003cbr\u003eto be white?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I said\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003esometimes\u003c\/i\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Okay, okay,\u003cbr\u003ewhy do you want to be white\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003esometimes\u003c\/i\u003e?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mama says\u003cbr\u003eI might have to do better\u003cbr\u003ethan the smartest white person.\u003cbr\u003eShe says\u003cbr\u003eI have to study harder.\u003cbr\u003eI have to shine brighter.\u003cbr\u003eIt’s not fair.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFred shrugs.\u003cbr\u003e“She tells me that, too.\u003cbr\u003eI think she just wants us\u003cbr\u003eto do our best.\u003cbr\u003eBut, girl,\u003cbr\u003eyou need to grow up.\u003cbr\u003eLife isn’t fair.\u003cbr\u003eWho said it was?\u003cbr\u003eAnd you better not\u003cbr\u003elet Ma and Pop hear you\u003cbr\u003etalking about wanting to be white.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMama says\u003cbr\u003eit’s sinful\u003cbr\u003eto want to be something you’re not.\u003cbr\u003eWell, I don’t always,\u003cbr\u003eand I do want to shine,\u003cbr\u003ebut sometimes,\u003cbr\u003esometimes,\u003cbr\u003eI just want to be\u003cbr\u003ewhite.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCooper\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFred’s real name is Fredrick.\u003cbr\u003eHe was named after Grampa Dale,\u003cbr\u003eDaddy’s dad.\u003cbr\u003ePap Cooper wanted\u003cbr\u003eto name me James,\u003cbr\u003eafter him.\u003cbr\u003eBut I was born a girl,\u003cbr\u003eso they gave me Pap’s last name:\u003cbr\u003eCooper.\u003cbr\u003ePap says\u003cbr\u003ehe likes that even better.\u003cbr\u003eI love my name.\u003cbr\u003eNobody else I know\u003cbr\u003ehas it.\u003cbr\u003eI love my name.\u003cbr\u003eI love my pap.\u003cbr\u003eAnd I know\u003cbr\u003ePap loves me, too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe loves me\u003cbr\u003ejust the way I am.\u003cbr\u003eSo I would never tell him\u003cbr\u003ethat, sometimes,\u003cbr\u003eI want to be white.\u003cbr\u003eWhite—\u003cbr\u003eLike\u003cbr\u003ethe\u003cbr\u003ekids\u003cbr\u003eat\u003cbr\u003eschool.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Queen of Darkness\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll the kids call\u003cbr\u003eMrs. Keating\u003cbr\u003ethe Queen of Darkness.\u003cbr\u003eJust my luck\u003cbr\u003eto be in fifth grade this year\u003cbr\u003eand get the meanest teacher\u003cbr\u003ein the school.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eDag!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKids say\u003cbr\u003eshe’ll whack your hand\u003cbr\u003ewith a ruler\u003cbr\u003eif you make her mad,\u003cbr\u003eeven if you didn’t mean to.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf I can really shine,\u003cbr\u003emaybe they’ll let me skip\u003cbr\u003ethe fifth grade\u003cbr\u003eand go straight on to sixth\u003cbr\u003ewhere I’d have Mrs. Hibbs,\u003cbr\u003ethe Queen of Lightness,\u003cbr\u003ethe Queen of Niceness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf only I could shine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMaxine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSometimes\u003cbr\u003eI wish I was my sister.\u003cbr\u003eMaxine is so pretty\u003cbr\u003e(everybody says so)\u003cbr\u003eand she can wear white pants\u003cbr\u003eand not get them dirty.\u003cbr\u003eShe’s a wonder.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe taught me\u003cbr\u003eto read\u003cbr\u003eand write\u003cbr\u003eand add\u003cbr\u003eand subtract\u003cbr\u003ebefore I even started school.\u003cbr\u003eShe used to make a plate\u003cbr\u003ewith apple slices\u003cbr\u003eor peanut butter crackers\u003cbr\u003eto put beside our bed.\u003cbr\u003eI would have my snack\u003cbr\u003ewhile Mama sat\u003cbr\u003eon the top step and read\u003cbr\u003eus Uncle Wiggily stories\u003cbr\u003eor Daddy told us\u003cbr\u003epoems he knows by heart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaxine would make sure\u003cbr\u003eI didn’t forget\u003cbr\u003eto brush my teeth\u003cbr\u003eagain\u003cbr\u003ebefore we went to sleep.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe’s fourteen now.\u003cbr\u003eShe’s still nice,\u003cbr\u003ebut she doesn’t play with me\u003cbr\u003eas much\u003cbr\u003esince she’s a teenager.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Fred became one,\u003cbr\u003eit was the same.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI don’t want to be a teenager\u003cbr\u003eif it means\u003cbr\u003eI won’t want to play\u003cbr\u003eanymore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaybe I should be like Peter Pan\u003cbr\u003eand never grow up.","brand":"Dutton Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default 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