Book Review: Dear Yvette by Ni-Ni Simone

"Dear Yvette" by Ni-Ni Simone

Dear Yvette

by Simone, Ni-Ni 

December 2016

256p. Kensington, paperback,

$9.95 (9780758287762)

Grades 9^th-12^th

In her latest, Simone (‘Throwback Series: Down by Law,”) tackles the topic of second generation families who are wounded by the 80’s drug epidemic within the African-American community.    

Yvette Lavonne Simmons is a sixteen year old mother of a two year old daughter and lives in the DaBricks, one of the toughest housing projects in the Brick City, New Jersey.  Yvette has no stable family, dismal homelife and lacks the guidance of her absentee drug addict parents.   After a street fight ended in a second degree murder charge, her case worker, Janette sends Yvette and her child to a professional parent home in Norfolk, Virginia.  It is here that she is given the opportunity to start over under the guidance of the stern and loving Aunt Glo.   It is Aunt Glo breaks through the teen’s angry and defensive walls and teaches her that she is worthy of a second chance and receiving love.   Other characters such as housemate, Tasha and romantic suitor Brooklyn also help Yvette through this journey of self-awakening.   

Simone cleverly uses the music and culture of the 80’s as a colorful backdrop for Yvette’s story.   High school teachers, librarians and social workers can effectively use “Dear Yvette,” as a cautionary tale for troubled teens.  Overall, this story is a must read for teen street literature fans and should not be missed.   
By K.C. Boyd, Lead Librarian-East St. Louis School District, East St. Louis, Illinois

                               

Source:  Booklist Magazine.  December, 2016

Sometimes I Have to Indulge

Whenever I get a little down time, I read.  Lately I've been drawn to the drama in the teen series called, "Rumor Central," by Reshonda Tate Billingsley.   There is so much drama in these books for teens and I must admit, I'm hooked!

My Creative Students!

Every year I try to contribute to the school wide message of teens abstaining from drinking and driving during Senior Prom.   In years past, classroom teachers led the project with my support of use of technology.  This year’s project was a little different.

The students had the opportunity to participate in a lecture series provided by the Grand Boulevard Coalition of Bronzeville.  This year, a representative from the organization provided a ‘deep’ discussion with Phillips teens about the dangers of drinking, driving and use of illegal drugs.  The students were definitely impacted by this presentation because the presenter was very direct and to the point.

Weeks later, one of the members requested that I provide him with some additional support.  Their town hall meeting for the community was quickly approaching and they needed some help getting the ‘word’ out in an innovative way.   In addition, they needed a public service announcement created and starring Phillips students.

I recruited five seniors, one junior and two sophomores to create two videos, provide voiceovers and create/locate interesting graphics online.  These students took control of the project and talked about the dangers of alcohol and drug consumption especially on Prom Night.  Phillips teachers, security staff, administrators and our own Mercy Clinic supported this effort.  The first video below is the announcement featuring a sophomore and junior student, encouraging the community to attend the townhall meeting and the second video is actually the public service announcement featuring the seniors.  Please keep in mind, the students are using language (lingo) that they understand and would send a strong message to their peers.

The students were rewarded with a pizza party provided by Mr. Brunson for their good work!

Accused by Yasmin Shiraz

Author, Yasmin Shiraz

Yasmin Shiraz has written another winner!  I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of Accused and my students and I can't put it down.  I had read the prequel, Retaliation several years ago.  At that time I was a citywide coordinator for the Mayor Daley's Book Club for Middle School.   After reading Retaliation and observing the similarities between D.C. and Chicago teens, I knew that the students  would enjoy reading the book.  I was right.  Coordinators from across the city emailed commenting how much their clubs enjoyed the story.

I was really excited to hear from Shiraz and learn that she has cleverly continued the story of Ahmed and Tashera in Accused.   I don't want to give away key elements of the story so I have copied the synopsis from Shiraz's website for you to review.  This book is a recommended read for late middle school students through high school.  Stay tuned for an interview of Yasmin Shiraz in an upcoming blog post.

Synopsis:

An easier and more peaceful life seemed to be destined for Ahmed and Tashera when they left Washington, DC and entered Georgia Atlantic University.  But when Ahmed is accused of a crime that he didn’t commit and begins to be tried in the media, his popularity plummets, his self-esteem suffers, and his dreams of playing college basketball disappear.

Meanwhile, there is a serial rapist on campus who has been attacking freshman girls at record numbers and forcing them to keep silent. As Tashera learns about the girls, she begins to close in on the rapist. But is the attacker too crafty to be caught? Will the state prosecutor ignore key evidence to instead focus on the fame that comes with convicting a high profile basketball star?

Tashera is beyond stressed as she divides her time between trying to find enough evidence to clear Ahmed while at the same time stopping the rapist who roams the campus of Georgia Atlantic.  Ahmed and Tashera’s journey into a new life away from home is more challenging than they ever thought that it would be.

#TeamAnimal

My first post using the Blogger app on my Galaxy 3!

Guess who's #TeamAnimal, my student Dana.  Dana is a voracious reader of the genre Street Literature.  After conducting a Reader's Advisory interview, K'wan's Animal was the next and natural reading selection for this student. 

Dana visits the Library Media Center about three times a week during 8th period.   In this case with this book, Dana read the adult Street Lit book in one day.  As she explained to me, she gets much of her reading accomplished while using public transportation and when she completes classwork early. 

When she returned this book yesterday, she immediately inquired about the sequel.   As I informed her,   Animal II is scheduled for release on November 19th.   In the mean time, she is enjoying reading some of K'wan's previous books.

TV and Production Class

Sharing...

Here's a really nice video the students in my TV and Production class produced last week.  It's a promotional video for my school, Wendell Phillips Academy High School.  

Enjoy!

The Harlem Shake...In the Library

Testing is over and my students enrolled in the 'Behind the Paws' class are tired. They have worked hard, overcome challenges and definitely deserved a break. My co-worker, Mr. Brown and I decided to allow the students to create, shoot and produce a 'Harlem Shake' video. The students made not one but two videos. Take a look at their creations below and get ready to laugh.

Behind the Paws Harlem Shake (students and staff) from WPAHS Video Page on Vimeo.

Behind the Paws Harlem Shake (students) from WPAHS Video Page on Vimeo.

Another iMovie...

Here's another iMovie made by one of my summer camp students, Jasmine. In this video, Jasmine wanted to discuss the senseless number of CPS students that lost their lives to gun violence.   I think you will all agree, the message conveyed by this teen speak volumes.

Enjoy!

  
Stop the Violence by Jasmine F. from WPAHS Video Page on Vimeo.