Annie Turnbo Malone and Come Home Safe

Tyner, Dr. Artika R. The Untold Story of Annie Turnbo Malone: Hair Care Millionaire (First But Forgotten)

January 1, 2023 by Capstone Press
Public library copy

This was a brillianly formatted book with lots of great information about a forgotten entrepreneur. It's short (32 pages), but  reads more quickly while still packing in a lot of information.

The photoillustrations are particularly great. Even thought there is not a lot of information available about Malone, the author does a great job at setting the scene and covering events in the world and in similar businesses. There is a photo of a mural of the town of Metropolis, Illinois, a picture of hair care products, peanut farmers working in the late 1890s, etc. to help show young readers what Malone's world looked like. I liked that there is a final chapter about Malone's legacy, along with a glossary. A timeline wouldn't have been a bad addition, but isn't strictly necessary.

I'm definitely looking into purchasing this entire set for my library, since there are titles like Bridget Mason: A Freedwoman Becomes an Entrepreneur, Mary Golda Ross Pioneering Space Engineer, and Larry Itliong: Labor Rights Hero. The most well known of the group, to me, was Michael Collins.

Thanks to Maerin Coughlan (@CapstoneMaerin) for bringing this series to my attention on Twitter!

 

Buckmire, Brian C. Come Home Safe
February 7, 2023 by Blink

Public library copy

Reed is in 9th grade, and hoping to be the first freshman to make the varsity soccer squad. He always has a soccer ball with him, and take every opportunity to practice-- even if he's wearing his usual button-down, blazer, and nice jeans. His younger sister, Olivia, is in 7th grade, and is very interested in the debate team for which she has just started to practice. Because their father, who is Black, is a public defender, he has instilled in the two very strict forms of behavior, and has drilled them in what to do in case they are ever stopped by the police. Reed travels from his school every day to pick up Olivia and get the subway home, and the two take the responsibility of traveling on their own very seriously. When Reed is approached by several acquaintances before getting on his train, and they ask if he would like to smoke some marijuana, Olivia tells them in no uncertain terms that this is illegal and they do NOT wish to be involved. The siblings board the train and are minding their own business when the police ask Reed for his identification. He would prefer not to give it, and alerts Olivia to start recording the transaction, which is legal. The police think that Reed matches the description of young Black men who have run from the police after having been suspected of having marijuana. Reed does everything his father has told him to do, including giving the police a hand written card requesting that the police call his father and that he be allowed to have his lawyer present before being questioned, but they find this annoying and continue putting pressure on him for his identification. When Reed's soccer ball gets away from him, he reflexively runs to get it, and the police accuse him of trying to flee. They injure him, and the situation escalates. Afterwards, Reed is angry. His father keeps Olivia's recording, and takes Reed to the hospital to document his injuries. There is talk of filing a complaint against the police, but nothing really comes of this. Months later, Reed is still angry. While out in the park with their white mother, Reed and Olivia decide to go to a local coffee shop. Olivia enters, gets her drink and asks for the shop WiFi. Before too long, a white woman comes in screaming that she has lost her phone, and that Olivia has taken it. The shop manager asks Olivia if he can see her phone, but she refuses. She knows her rights, and maintains that she has done nothing wrong. The woman becomes combative, and when Reed gets involved, the woman becomes violent and scratches him. Olivia calls 911 to report that her brother has been attacked, mainly so that there is a record of her side of the story. After much yelling and confrontation, a taxi driver enters and tells the woman that she left her phone in the car. The police are also there, and while the woman wants to just leave, Olivia and Reed, whose mother has finally come to the shop, tell the police what the woman has done, and she ends up being taken away in handcuffs. Olivia is disappointed that even her mother doesn't understand why she wouldn't just hand over her phone. Their father appreciates that his children have listened to his teachings, and shares their grief over the current situation of racial issues in the US. 

Strengths: It was great that Reed was interested in soccer, and I wish there had been more information about his soccer playing and position on the team. The amount of legal information is amazing, and I learned a lot about interactions with the police. Olive is great, and uses her debating skills to deal with difficult situations, although sometimes she is too frightened to utter her very well thought out responses. The inclusion of a white mother who has not had the same lived experiences as her children adds another intriguing layer to this story. The best thing about this book is that it addresses Young Adult issues in a way that is still accessible to middle school readers. There should be a lot more stories with ninth grade protagonists. 
Weaknesses: The narrative flow of Olive and Reed's experiences suffers when there is so much legal information presented. This might have been a more successful book if written as a nonfiction book in the manner of Acho's Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy. The two instances are very separate, and I wish there had been more to Olive and Reed's story than just the horrific racial violence. They are intiguing characters who deserved more than one side of their lives. In Draper's Blended, the racial problems are driven home more powerfully because we have gotten to know Isabella so well. 
What I really think: While this has a lot of really good information, I wish that it had been written in conjuction with a Black Young Adult author so that the story would have been better presented. I will still purchase this for fans of Arnold's I Rise or Nic Stone and Renee Watson for its important and timely sociopolitical message.