Betty Before X
Ilyasah Shabazz, Renée Watson
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
4.14
· 14 ratings · 256 pages · Published: 02 Jan 2018
In Detroit, 1945, eleven-year-old Betty’s house doesn’t quite feel like home. She believes her mother loves her, but she can’t shake the feeling that her mother doesn’t want her. Church helps those worries fade, if only for a little while. The singing, the preaching, the speeches from guest activists like Paul Robeson and Thurgood Marshall stir African Americans in her community to stand up for their rights. Betty quickly finds confidence and purpose in volunteering for the Housewives League, an organization that supports black-owned businesses. Soon, the American civil rights icon we now know as Dr. Betty Shabazz is born.
Collaborating with novelist Renée Watson, Ilyasah Shabazz illuminates four poignant years in her mother’s childhood, painting a beautiful and inspiring portrait of a girl overcoming the challenges of self-acceptance and belonging that will resonate with young readers today.
Tagged as:
- historical 3
- historical fiction 3
- family 3
- children 3
- realistic 2
- friendship 2
- protagonists of colour 2
- social commentary 2
- coming of age 2
- female mc 2
- religion 1
- black mc 1
- spirituality 1
- Add topics
- format - reader age
- middle grade 3
- audiobook 3
- young adult 2
- book 1
- content warnings
- racism 2
- abuse 1
- child abuse 1