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From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun
Jacqueline Woodson's remarkable, award-winning story of a boy coming to grips a sudden change in his family.
Melanin Sun's mother has some big news: she's in love with a woman. Now he has many decisions to make: Should he stand by his mother even though it could mean losing his friends? Should he abandon the only family he's ever known? Either way, Melanin Sun is about to learn the true meaning of sacrifice, prejudice, and love.
Melanin Sun's mother has some big news: she's in love with a woman. Now he has many decisions to make: Should he stand by his mother even though it could mean losing his friends? Should he abandon the only family he's ever known? Either way, Melanin Sun is about to learn the true meaning of sacrifice, prejudice, and love.
141 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
48 people are currently reading
1648 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Woodson
86 books9,116 followersI used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
October 18, 2008
First off, let me just say that I didn't know much about this book before reading it. I am attending a young adult literature conference next weekend and I signed up for a workshop that featured this book and Call Me Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer. The theme of the workshop is "Crossing Personal Borders" but that was all I really had to go on before I started reading this book.
The beginning was a little bit rough in the sense that I had a hard time getting into the author's writing style. She has regular "chapters" (that are numbered 1, 2, 3, etc.) as well as Melanin Sun's journal entries, which are italicized. Also, the action really doesn't start until about page 50 or so, which I initially found to be somewhat frustrating. In retrospect I think this makes perfect sense.
Once I got past page 50, I was addicted to the book. This was one of the most honest and moving stories I've read in a while. Melanin Sun finds out that his mother is gay and how he copes with it -- his thoughts, his interactions with his mother, and his interactions with the outside world -- are fascinating. I loved reading about what I think was a typical teen's reaction to such news. He was scared, angry, sad, hurt, confused. He wasn't a hateful kid but he also had no idea how to cope with the reality that his mom is a lesbian.
He's also an African American male and his mother tells him that she is in love with a white woman. This brought in a really interesting dimension of race to the story and I think it made it that much deeper and more thought provoking for the reader. This book is totally NOT preachy but it isn't afraid to talk honestly about race and sexuality.
Although I consider myself to be a very tolerant person, what I liked most about this book was that the author showed just how difficult it is for "normal" young people to cope with a parent's "coming out." Not only do they have to deal with their own emotional reactions but they also have to worry about the outside world's prejudices how this will impact how others will treat them.
The characters in this book are very real. It's a short novel but it has such incredible depth. A lot of young adults would benefit from reading this book. Those who have gay parents would most likely find great comfort in this story. Because the story is told through Melanin Sun's eyes, I also think it would be a good read for those who could learn to be a bit more tolerant.
The beginning was a little bit rough in the sense that I had a hard time getting into the author's writing style. She has regular "chapters" (that are numbered 1, 2, 3, etc.) as well as Melanin Sun's journal entries, which are italicized. Also, the action really doesn't start until about page 50 or so, which I initially found to be somewhat frustrating. In retrospect I think this makes perfect sense.
Once I got past page 50, I was addicted to the book. This was one of the most honest and moving stories I've read in a while. Melanin Sun finds out that his mother is gay and how he copes with it -- his thoughts, his interactions with his mother, and his interactions with the outside world -- are fascinating. I loved reading about what I think was a typical teen's reaction to such news. He was scared, angry, sad, hurt, confused. He wasn't a hateful kid but he also had no idea how to cope with the reality that his mom is a lesbian.
He's also an African American male and his mother tells him that she is in love with a white woman. This brought in a really interesting dimension of race to the story and I think it made it that much deeper and more thought provoking for the reader. This book is totally NOT preachy but it isn't afraid to talk honestly about race and sexuality.
Although I consider myself to be a very tolerant person, what I liked most about this book was that the author showed just how difficult it is for "normal" young people to cope with a parent's "coming out." Not only do they have to deal with their own emotional reactions but they also have to worry about the outside world's prejudices how this will impact how others will treat them.
The characters in this book are very real. It's a short novel but it has such incredible depth. A lot of young adults would benefit from reading this book. Those who have gay parents would most likely find great comfort in this story. Because the story is told through Melanin Sun's eyes, I also think it would be a good read for those who could learn to be a bit more tolerant.
February 20, 2013
Like all of Woodson's books, this is beautifully written and painfully heartfelt. On first reading, it was one of my favorites of all the books of hers I'd read. On a recent rereading, I was totally taken aback by the abruptness of the ending... I think Woodson has an artistic commitment to leaving the reader with a lot to resolve on their own, which I valued when I was trying to find books for adolescents that would get them thinking. As a rereader, and a civilian (so to speak) I was inclined to think that Woodson abdicated her responsibility as a storyteller.
June 15, 2015
Okay, let me start this review out by saying that technically, this book is really good. Woodson is a master of language; everything of hers I've read has just been so well-written and so beautiful. So when I say that I didn't like this book, you'll understand that I'm speaking purely on content, not skill.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun is about a thirteen-year-old boy whose mother comes out to him, and he proceeds to have a ninety-page shitfit. That's... really it. Okay, that's actually simplifying it quite a lot, and Woodson manages to make Melanin (the boy) very sympathetic while at the same time sympathizing with his mother to a strong degree. Melanin has racial objections to his mother's girlfriend as well as the homophobic ones, and it makes complete sense that he would react the way that he did.
It's just that I'm so so so sick of books about queer people being reduced to homophobia. It's not Woodson's fault; From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun was written in 1995, when that was pretty much the only way you could get queer people into books. And Melanin's mother and her girlfriend are quite clearly very happy, and are in no way punished for their relationship. They finish the book still together, still happily in love, and I am really grateful for that. But when seen through Melanin's eyes, when seen with the slurs he uses (f*ggot is present to a large degree as well as its deriviatives) I just get so tired of it.
So. Good book, well-written, just not for me.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun is about a thirteen-year-old boy whose mother comes out to him, and he proceeds to have a ninety-page shitfit. That's... really it. Okay, that's actually simplifying it quite a lot, and Woodson manages to make Melanin (the boy) very sympathetic while at the same time sympathizing with his mother to a strong degree. Melanin has racial objections to his mother's girlfriend as well as the homophobic ones, and it makes complete sense that he would react the way that he did.
It's just that I'm so so so sick of books about queer people being reduced to homophobia. It's not Woodson's fault; From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun was written in 1995, when that was pretty much the only way you could get queer people into books. And Melanin's mother and her girlfriend are quite clearly very happy, and are in no way punished for their relationship. They finish the book still together, still happily in love, and I am really grateful for that. But when seen through Melanin's eyes, when seen with the slurs he uses (f*ggot is present to a large degree as well as its deriviatives) I just get so tired of it.
So. Good book, well-written, just not for me.
June 24, 2010
Outstanding story of an African American teen whose mother announces that she's in love with a white woman. Woodson does a beautiful job of depicting Mel's reaction--confusion, fear, anger, shame. He loves his mother and has been happy with their comfortable relationship, which he now sees threatened by Kristin. This is the first book I've read about a child with a gay parent in which the child reacts very negatively. Woodson depicts realistically how, when Mel's friends and neighbors finally find out, some of them are accepting, and some are hateful. Of his two best friends, Mel loses one and keeps one. The story ends on a note of hope, with Mel beginning to accept Kristin, but the reader senses that it will not be easy for him, and that he will be in for more problems with the other people in his life because of the situation. I only wish that the book had been a bit longer and gone into more of those issues, especially how his girlfriend Angie would react. Highly recommended--a good choice for reluctant teen readers.
July 6, 2007
My first book by Jacqueline Woodson. A story of identity and discovery. A young male voice that was sincere and real.
May 16, 2020
It seems to me that Jacqueline Woodson's uncanny ability to sensitively connect with a reader's deepest unspoken thoughts and feelings correlates directly with how much of herself she puts into the characters of her books, and how emotionally honest she is through those characters. It's not just the stories and relationships that move the reader; above all, it's the fact that the emotions are totally real and accessible to anyone who picks up the book and reads. There's nothing manufactured about the characters' emotions or how they react to the hard situations they encounter. This resonates so deeply within us because Jacqueline Woodson is putting pen to paper and somehow sketching out the very passageways of her soul, and anyone who writes that honestly about themselves is in turn also writing about the hearts and feelings of every other human being in existence. I guess in some ways, we're really no different from everyone else after all.
In Brooklyn, New York, the streets hum with the vibrancy of life twenty-four hours a day, and this dynamic borough is the setting for Melanin Sun's simple existence, living with his mother in a small neighborhood that really hangs tight, filled with people who know all about what everyone else there is doing. Melanin never knew his father, but he's okay with that. He has a closer relationship with his mother than most boys ever will, and he's fine with not having a father around the house. Things in general are going smoothly for him until the summer before he turns fourteen, when his mother appears to change all of the sudden in small, subtle ways. She's distracted a lot more these days, but Melanin (or just Mel, for short) would never guess what's really been at eating at her.
There are some serious adjustments to be made when Mel's mother eventually clues him in on what's been going on with her lately. The way that Mel had envisioned their life going over the next several years is in need of a major reality check, and it's going to take all of the real love he has stored up through the years for his mother for him to be able to find a way to sort this out and make the necessary sacrifices to keep their connection intact. Life in general may not be easy for anyone, but what are you supposed to do when the one person you depend on more than anyone else throws you a curve that you've got no chance of hitting...at least, not without a whole lot of practice first? Adjustments. The batter in baseball has to make them in order to adapt to a nasty new curveball, and Mel has to do the same if he wants to keep up with his mother and stay a part of the new life she's setting up for herself now. It hurts to be left in the dust without a ride home.
But love is some serious business, and there's no way that Mel's going to write off his mother over one problem, right? He just needs some time to regroup and forge a real understanding of what his new future's going to be like and where he should go from here, 'cause living a life turned suddenly upside down is no fun for anybody, even if it is your mother doing the turning.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun features some candid talk on a subject that may be controversial to many readers, but it's really not a book that calls for one to necessarily agree with all of the social values it presents. More than anything else, it's just a lovely story about how one unconventional family deals with a significant obstacle that comes on the scene and threatens their happiness, and the bindings of love that keep them together even when things doesn't look too good. The people we love may not be perfect in this lifetime, and we may disagree—even vehemently so—over some of the choices that they make, but we can still hold on to the love and sort out all the rest over time, right? There's no sense letting go of our strongest asset and wandering out into the world all alone, right?
Jacqueline Woodson has set the bar dizzyingly high for herself with books such as I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This, If You Come Softly and Feathers, but she continues to consistently land right within that same range of extraordinary quality with the stories that she creates, blending strong emotions, uncompromising realism, lively humor and a profoundly true perspective on the power of human life and death into some of the most memorable novels of this generation. For its part, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun can sit proudly on the same shelf as any of Jacqueline Woodson's other great books. It is an unforgettable story that questions our hearts and gives voice to our deepest emotions, and I highly recommend it.
In Brooklyn, New York, the streets hum with the vibrancy of life twenty-four hours a day, and this dynamic borough is the setting for Melanin Sun's simple existence, living with his mother in a small neighborhood that really hangs tight, filled with people who know all about what everyone else there is doing. Melanin never knew his father, but he's okay with that. He has a closer relationship with his mother than most boys ever will, and he's fine with not having a father around the house. Things in general are going smoothly for him until the summer before he turns fourteen, when his mother appears to change all of the sudden in small, subtle ways. She's distracted a lot more these days, but Melanin (or just Mel, for short) would never guess what's really been at eating at her.
There are some serious adjustments to be made when Mel's mother eventually clues him in on what's been going on with her lately. The way that Mel had envisioned their life going over the next several years is in need of a major reality check, and it's going to take all of the real love he has stored up through the years for his mother for him to be able to find a way to sort this out and make the necessary sacrifices to keep their connection intact. Life in general may not be easy for anyone, but what are you supposed to do when the one person you depend on more than anyone else throws you a curve that you've got no chance of hitting...at least, not without a whole lot of practice first? Adjustments. The batter in baseball has to make them in order to adapt to a nasty new curveball, and Mel has to do the same if he wants to keep up with his mother and stay a part of the new life she's setting up for herself now. It hurts to be left in the dust without a ride home.
But love is some serious business, and there's no way that Mel's going to write off his mother over one problem, right? He just needs some time to regroup and forge a real understanding of what his new future's going to be like and where he should go from here, 'cause living a life turned suddenly upside down is no fun for anybody, even if it is your mother doing the turning.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun features some candid talk on a subject that may be controversial to many readers, but it's really not a book that calls for one to necessarily agree with all of the social values it presents. More than anything else, it's just a lovely story about how one unconventional family deals with a significant obstacle that comes on the scene and threatens their happiness, and the bindings of love that keep them together even when things doesn't look too good. The people we love may not be perfect in this lifetime, and we may disagree—even vehemently so—over some of the choices that they make, but we can still hold on to the love and sort out all the rest over time, right? There's no sense letting go of our strongest asset and wandering out into the world all alone, right?
Jacqueline Woodson has set the bar dizzyingly high for herself with books such as I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This, If You Come Softly and Feathers, but she continues to consistently land right within that same range of extraordinary quality with the stories that she creates, blending strong emotions, uncompromising realism, lively humor and a profoundly true perspective on the power of human life and death into some of the most memorable novels of this generation. For its part, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun can sit proudly on the same shelf as any of Jacqueline Woodson's other great books. It is an unforgettable story that questions our hearts and gives voice to our deepest emotions, and I highly recommend it.
October 18, 2017
"From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun" is a lgbt YA novel written by Jacqueline Woodson. The book follow Melanin Sun during his summer break from school. He hangs out with his two friends, Ralph and Sean, and tries to find the nerve to call a girl that gave Sun her phone number on the last day of school. Everything was normal until Sun's mom asks him to stay home one night to meet a person very important to her. Sun's mom brings home a lady, who later we find out is her girlfriend. When Sun finds out his mom is a homosexual, he stays away from her and keeps to himself. Sun tries to keep this a secret until one of his friends tells the whole block that Sun's mom is a lesbian. Sun then spends the rest of the book coming to terms that his mom is a lesbian.
From a writing standpoint, this book is really well-written. It grabs the reader's attention and holds it until the end. The characters are all believable and the interactions are authentic. The author is able to create the scene of the story without taking too much time away form the actually story. It is easy to picture where Sun lives and what his Brooklyn looks like.
Even though the book is really well-written, I cannot get past the pacing of this book. The main conflict is not shown until the novel is halfway over. The first half of the book is building up stereotypes just to get ready for the main conflict. After the main conflict is shown, Sun's mom being a lesbian, all of the characters relationship start changing. Sun wants nothing to do with his mom and avoids her at all costs. Sun even avoids all of his friends. Even when the mom tries to talk to Sun, he does not want to. Their relationships turns completely upside down. To me this does not seem plausible since before Sun found out she was a lesbian, their bond was solid. The way the conflict is resolved does not seem plausible either. I will not ruin how the book ends, but to me it seem the author was running out of time and just tried to end the book.
From a writing standpoint, this book is really well-written. It grabs the reader's attention and holds it until the end. The characters are all believable and the interactions are authentic. The author is able to create the scene of the story without taking too much time away form the actually story. It is easy to picture where Sun lives and what his Brooklyn looks like.
Even though the book is really well-written, I cannot get past the pacing of this book. The main conflict is not shown until the novel is halfway over. The first half of the book is building up stereotypes just to get ready for the main conflict. After the main conflict is shown, Sun's mom being a lesbian, all of the characters relationship start changing. Sun wants nothing to do with his mom and avoids her at all costs. Sun even avoids all of his friends. Even when the mom tries to talk to Sun, he does not want to. Their relationships turns completely upside down. To me this does not seem plausible since before Sun found out she was a lesbian, their bond was solid. The way the conflict is resolved does not seem plausible either. I will not ruin how the book ends, but to me it seem the author was running out of time and just tried to end the book.
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March 16, 2017If you read my reviews, you probably know that I'm a Jacqueline Woodson fan, but this one didn't quite work for me.
This book is the kind of YA contemporary that frankly feels more like a historical now. It's about a young Black boy and his queer mother; and just so much has changed about queer rights since 1995, when it was published, that I simply can't see the entire plot go the way it goes.
Warning that this book has a LOT of outright hate speech and in general a huge amount of anti-queer sentiment...
This book is the kind of YA contemporary that frankly feels more like a historical now. It's about a young Black boy and his queer mother; and just so much has changed about queer rights since 1995, when it was published, that I simply can't see the entire plot go the way it goes.
Warning that this book has a LOT of outright hate speech and in general a huge amount of anti-queer sentiment...
November 29, 2008
This is an excellent (and easy to read) book that addresses issues of sexuality and racism in a fluid and tender story of the relationship between Melanin Sun, a 13 year old African-American boy, and his single mother, EC. Melanin's life turns upside down one day when his mother brings home her new girlfriend for him to meet. Not only is EC dating a woman, but she's dating a white woman. This throws Melanin for a loop, to say the least, as he navigates his own blossoming sexuality in a world of teenage boys who regularly make derogatory remarks about homosexuals. What I really like about this book is that it doesn't try too hard. It lets the characters speak for themselves, and it allows the events of the story to unfold naturally (i.e. awkwardly at times) but in a way that is true to the characters. It doesn't push the story towards a tidy ending or an easy way out. It does, however, show Melanin's inner growth as he grapples with overcoming a whole set of prejudices that he didn't fully realize that he carried around inside of him. What I also like about this book is that it is so easy to read and so accessible to a wide audience of pre-teens and teenagers and, therefore, hopefully, able to break ground with the kids who may need to read this the most.
November 20, 2009
I fell in love with Jacqueline Woodson, her sensitivity to so many issues,but more importantly her writing. I have read many of her books since June and find I am drawn in within the first few pages. Melanin Sun..more than a goodread!
“Mama…” Melanin Sun calls. Even at thirteen, when asked what he wants says, “Nothing. I just want to be sure of you”. Being a teen isn’t easy, it isn’t easy in a single parent home, and it isn’t easy when that one person that you are sure of, your mom, falls in love with another woman; nothing is sure. Jacqueline Woodson’s, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, probes the confusion, righteous indignation, and prejudices as Mel comes to term with his mother’s choice and has the reader confront these issues on a personal level, ironically, leaving one to provide his or her own answers.
Mel searches for self between the lines of his writing. He is confronts his inner prejudice, tackles neighborhood gossip, and learns the meaning of friendship. “The world turns upside-down when you are thirteen-going-on-fourteen” writes Melanin. Does Melanin Sun’s world ever right itself?
Golden Lines:
“I start wishing me and Mama could go back to those easy close days when our lives were as simple as chocolate cakes and Lego sets. Imagine” (p. 10).
“Mama…” Melanin Sun calls. Even at thirteen, when asked what he wants says, “Nothing. I just want to be sure of you”. Being a teen isn’t easy, it isn’t easy in a single parent home, and it isn’t easy when that one person that you are sure of, your mom, falls in love with another woman; nothing is sure. Jacqueline Woodson’s, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, probes the confusion, righteous indignation, and prejudices as Mel comes to term with his mother’s choice and has the reader confront these issues on a personal level, ironically, leaving one to provide his or her own answers.
Mel searches for self between the lines of his writing. He is confronts his inner prejudice, tackles neighborhood gossip, and learns the meaning of friendship. “The world turns upside-down when you are thirteen-going-on-fourteen” writes Melanin. Does Melanin Sun’s world ever right itself?
Golden Lines:
“I start wishing me and Mama could go back to those easy close days when our lives were as simple as chocolate cakes and Lego sets. Imagine” (p. 10).
April 21, 2021
This is the story of Melanin Sun, a Black 13 year old who lives in Brooklyn with his mom. Mel and his mom are close until she reveals a secret she’s been keeping from him, and their relationship rapidly crumbles.
This book was really painful to read because it was published in 1995 and exhibits the homophobic point of view that many had then. Although 1995 doesn’t seem like it was that long ago and although we still have significant progress to make in accepting and valuing the LGBTQ+ community, we have made a lot of progress since then. That makes portions of this book particularly hard to read. Overall, though, Melanin shows a lot of personal growth throughout the story. This is definitely more of an old school young adult book, though, clocking in at just over 120 pages. I could see the story being expanded much further, but in the older wave of YA, it was much more common to introduce the main conflict, build up to the climax, and then solve the conflict in quick succession without ad many side plots. The message of the book is good and Jacqueline Woodson is obviously a talented writer; this just isn’t my favorite.
This book was really painful to read because it was published in 1995 and exhibits the homophobic point of view that many had then. Although 1995 doesn’t seem like it was that long ago and although we still have significant progress to make in accepting and valuing the LGBTQ+ community, we have made a lot of progress since then. That makes portions of this book particularly hard to read. Overall, though, Melanin shows a lot of personal growth throughout the story. This is definitely more of an old school young adult book, though, clocking in at just over 120 pages. I could see the story being expanded much further, but in the older wave of YA, it was much more common to introduce the main conflict, build up to the climax, and then solve the conflict in quick succession without ad many side plots. The message of the book is good and Jacqueline Woodson is obviously a talented writer; this just isn’t my favorite.
March 8, 2010
This is the second book written by Woodson that I have read. I read the Tupac one in Comprehension class. Both books appeal to young readers who easily understand the nuances of the language of the stories. They relate to the teenager in the Notebooks and how he writes his feelings about his life, his mom and her white girlfriend. Also entering into his feelings is Angie, a girl that stirs emotions in him that he has never felt before. Pressure from his peers, racism, and betrayal are revealed in his private writings. I learned that these provocative subjects are dealt with in these types of books and can be springboards to discussion. I would definitely use this book because of its sensitive subject matter, particularly lesbianism with a select group of students.
July 20, 2016
This was my second Jacqueline Woodson book and like the first one, I was captivated. Something about her books makes me feel like I'm all wrapped out inside of them when I'm finished. She doesn't use flowery language or endless descriptions. But her stories are so evocative and REAL. And I can totally relate to them, even though they are about Black teenagers in Brooklyn and that is definitely not my demographic.
When it comes to "urban fiction" (aka short, easy to read books about poor Black and Brown teens in urban settings, struggling with lots of stuff) I would recommend Woodson over Bluford High, Blacktop, and various other books. Woodson's characters are richer. But this is also my preference and kids do love those books.
When it comes to "urban fiction" (aka short, easy to read books about poor Black and Brown teens in urban settings, struggling with lots of stuff) I would recommend Woodson over Bluford High, Blacktop, and various other books. Woodson's characters are richer. But this is also my preference and kids do love those books.
June 11, 2009
This book was actually much better than I expected. Melanin is a really realistic character - his emotions are totally believable. His problems are real.
I really appreciate the way that the author didn't keep everything neat or politically correct in this novel. The chaos and confusion are exactly right for the situation.
Melanin triumphs. However, during the middle of the book, I was deeply scared that he'd "never see the light".
I really appreciate the way that the author didn't keep everything neat or politically correct in this novel. The chaos and confusion are exactly right for the situation.
Melanin triumphs. However, during the middle of the book, I was deeply scared that he'd "never see the light".
November 16, 2018
I always love reading Woodson's prose. There is something so effortless and easy and lovely about it—even when the story doesn't feel complete.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun is exactly such a book. The ending was a little rushed, and I would have liked a few more "entries" from Mel's notebook. But it's hard to fault Woodson, though, for her handling of her subject matter. As an early entry in the growing shelf of LGBTQ+ literature, this one deserves a wider readership.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun is exactly such a book. The ending was a little rushed, and I would have liked a few more "entries" from Mel's notebook. But it's hard to fault Woodson, though, for her handling of her subject matter. As an early entry in the growing shelf of LGBTQ+ literature, this one deserves a wider readership.
January 24, 2022
I’m giving this a 5/5 for what it is. Much more of a YA book that I realized but still has a lot of meaning. Interesting topic, something I haven’t quite seen before really. As usual for Wilson, I wish this book was longer because it was so good and I wanted more from Mel and his mom. My one negative comment is that this is clearly written by somebody who doesn’t write like a teenage boy much. Just seemed very forced.
July 6, 2022
In the author's note, Woodson says that she wrote this to challenge herself and try to write from a male POV. I think she was very successful for most of the book. I think Melanin's confusion, uncertainty and anger were captured perfectly. I think that the resolution felt a little too easy- I would expect a teenaged boy to be more stubborn than that.
I sometimes complain that Woodson's books have too many ideas in them. This book is very focused and that directness makes it work better.
I sometimes complain that Woodson's books have too many ideas in them. This book is very focused and that directness makes it work better.
February 7, 2024
3.5 stars . This was short read, exploring sexuality with Melanin Sun. First of all I love the main character’s name. His mom did a good job with that. I loveeeee the format of the book, especially the internal dialogue. But on the other hand, I didn’t like that there weren’t any chapters. So I knocked off a star for that. I love Jacqueline Woodson’s writing style so I definitely will be reading another book from her again.
July 6, 2019
This kind of fits in the midway point between middle grade and YA - it reads young for YA, but the subject is more mature and a lot of slurs are used.
I think this is a little dated in that the story focuses so much on straight feelings in response to a queer person, rather than telling the story from a queer perspective. I think it is good to have this represented (especially because the story features an interracial couple), but there's luckily been more LGBT books published since then.
I think this is a little dated in that the story focuses so much on straight feelings in response to a queer person, rather than telling the story from a queer perspective. I think it is good to have this represented (especially because the story features an interracial couple), but there's luckily been more LGBT books published since then.
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October 25, 2019This is one of my favorite books because on the message that its ok to be yourself and have your opinion in life and about yourself and i liked reading about his mom and malnin because it was interesting and really good plot line. the ending was not that that good though.
February 9, 2022
Rating: 4.75⭐
Review: mybeautymybooks.wordpress.com
Review: mybeautymybooks.wordpress.com
July 15, 2016
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, while touching and important with its message of tolerance, can be extremely frustrating at times. Readers are never given a reason why being gay was such a big deal to Melanin. Is it because of Sean? The overall thoughts on the subject of people he knows? I found myself caring less for Melanin and caring more for E.C. and how hard it must have all been for her. The story might have been more interesting from E.C.’s perspective. Melanin, most of the time, made it seem like she was the devil and a life-ruiner. He never once stopped to think of what his mom must be going through, first of all for liking a white person and second of all to have that person be a woman. She must’ve never felt safe or liked her neighborhood, and then to be isolated from the one person that she cared the most about. It’s tragic. I didn’t find Melanin to be a likable character and found him to be sort of selfish. I wanted to go into the book and punch him at times when he acted like a brat to his mother and refused to listen to her explanations. Even more so to Angie who quit talking to Melanin after she found out his mother was a lesbian. Who even cares? It could be because this book was written in the 90s and the year I’m writing this review in now is 2015. Times are different, maybe I just don’t understand. I was quite glad that Melanin and Kristin finally got a long, but there was never a big “ta-da” moment at the end where Melanin finally realizes that all that he heard about gay people prior to that moment was a lie. It was even frustrating that E.C. never once got truly angry at Melanin because of his behavior, maybe it’s because I’m not a mother, but I would’ve laid it out straight with Melanin and told him exactly what it means to be a lesbian instead of beating around the bush. Melanin is confused, I mean, he was born and E.C. is his biological mother, so how did that happen if his mother is a lesbian? Melanin was never properly informed with such facts, or knowledge that some people can like both sexes. I’m not sure if I would recommend this book to teens that are gay, as I am not sure if they would even be able to finish the book because of the amount of gay-hating in the book. This book seems more like a book that would be read for a class assignment than for pleasure, but it also might be something that teens would pick up if they have heard of the author, read her books, and liked them. The cover is white and in the middle shows a window surrounded by dirty brick. Through the window is Melanin, looking angry. Perhaps teens could identify with the anger in Melanin’s face, and perhaps this book would speak for all confused teens out there who don’t fully understand something, but in the age that we are in now, I don’t think that many teens, even those who are 14 like Melanin, could relate to him, as many teens now are pro-LGBQT and perhaps wouldn’t understand the reason for Melanin’s homophobia. Although I am not completely sure on my feelings for this book, I think this book is good for reluctant readers. It’s only 126 pages and I read it in just a couple hours. Readers who have to do an assignment for school might want to look into this book, as it’s short and it has an overall strong moral message, even if it takes some time to get to it. I only wish that I knew what happened after the story. Did Melanin finally accept his mother? Kristin? Did Angie ever speak to him again? The readers are never told this and can’t help but to wonder. The story just doesn’t feel truly complete.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2017
“From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun” By Jacqueline Woodson is a story about a young boy learning to accept his mother who recently came out to his as a lesbian. At the beginning of the story Melanin Sun (aka Mel) is an average 13 year old boy living in Brooklyn, New York. He enjoys hanging out with his friends, writing in his notebooks and is crushing on Angie, a girl he goes to school with. However, when his mother, EC, tells him that she is lesbian and in love with a woman named Kirsten, Mel becomes angry. Mel worries about what other people will think and how they will react once they find out. At the same time Mel is struggling with coming to terms with his mother, he is also trying to maintain his relationships with his friends and figure out how to start a relationship with Angie.
Mel is struggling with accepting, and loving, his mother who reveals to him that she is in love with a woman. This is one of the major themes throughout the novel so I think that it is important to discuss. Mel goes through a series of emotions in reaction to learning that his mother is lesbian starting with anger and rage. Initially Mel goes into a fit where he punches the walls and calls his mother derogatory terms. This eventually fades into Mel and EC distancing themselves from each other and rarely talking. Towards the end of the novel Mel agrees to try and get to know Kirsten and understand their relationship. This evolution of his emotions shows how people, specifically young adolescents, struggle with major life changes, especially when they go against social norms. However, this story also exemplifies how people are capable of change and acceptance once they are willing to pause and listen. The theme of acceptance and choosing to be happy in life is something that Mel learns in the story but that the reader also experiences as they follow Mel’s journey.
Jacqueline Woodson writes a wonderful story about how this young adolescent learns to accept his mother and her sexuality. While there is the overlaying theme relating to LGBTQQ topics, this story also offers the reader an opportunity to follow Mel on his path of growing up and learning about life’s realities. As a teacher, I think this book would allow students to learn about the (fictionalized) experience a young adolescent goes through after learning his mother is lesbian. It offers students the opportunity to think about their own lives and their personal beliefs and thoughts about LGBTQQ issues. Reading this book allows readers to think about issues that so many people face personally in their daily lives but are often hidden in public.
Mel is struggling with accepting, and loving, his mother who reveals to him that she is in love with a woman. This is one of the major themes throughout the novel so I think that it is important to discuss. Mel goes through a series of emotions in reaction to learning that his mother is lesbian starting with anger and rage. Initially Mel goes into a fit where he punches the walls and calls his mother derogatory terms. This eventually fades into Mel and EC distancing themselves from each other and rarely talking. Towards the end of the novel Mel agrees to try and get to know Kirsten and understand their relationship. This evolution of his emotions shows how people, specifically young adolescents, struggle with major life changes, especially when they go against social norms. However, this story also exemplifies how people are capable of change and acceptance once they are willing to pause and listen. The theme of acceptance and choosing to be happy in life is something that Mel learns in the story but that the reader also experiences as they follow Mel’s journey.
Jacqueline Woodson writes a wonderful story about how this young adolescent learns to accept his mother and her sexuality. While there is the overlaying theme relating to LGBTQQ topics, this story also offers the reader an opportunity to follow Mel on his path of growing up and learning about life’s realities. As a teacher, I think this book would allow students to learn about the (fictionalized) experience a young adolescent goes through after learning his mother is lesbian. It offers students the opportunity to think about their own lives and their personal beliefs and thoughts about LGBTQQ issues. Reading this book allows readers to think about issues that so many people face personally in their daily lives but are often hidden in public.
October 11, 2017
"From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun", written by Jacqueline Woodson, is a novel that takes on the reality of being a son of a single mother and learns that his mother is a homosexual. Melanin Sun, the main character, takes the reader through this LGBTQ novel and how he deals with this new dilemma in his life. Also, being a African American male, the novel also presents other themes within the novel, like race, gender roles, and friendship. However, the biggest issues that Melanin has to deal within the novel is the fact that his mother is dating a Caucasian woman name Kristen and his struggle with accepting the new person in his life or as an equal. By the end of the novel, most readers begin to realize that this 14 year old boy has the ability to remove his "blinders", but will Melanin remove the blinders before it is too late?
After reading the novel, there was an abundance of themes presented throughout the novel and even at multiple times within a page. However, the presence of the multiple themes are expected because this novel presents a coming of age of a young man and how he is trying to find a balance in accepting others and showing compassion. In addition, the novel portrays the theme of friendship of the 21st century to a tee and how the friendship could be a bumpy road. Plus, the novel also touches the surface of gender roles throughout the novel. Nevertheless, this novel is a great way to talk about LGBTQ subjects in modern America and the novel can be compared to the HB2 House Bill controversy.
For this multiple theme novel, it would be a great novel to use in the classroom to link the bridges of social awareness and the LGBTQ community. However, to incorporate it into the classroom and instructor has to use a Close reading strategy. The Close reading strategy will assist the reader in finding all of the hidden themes within the novel and also help cross reference themes together. In addition, a Think-Aloud would be great to company this novel in the classroom. The Think-Aloud strategy would give students the advantage to not miss or skip any important event within the book and the theme complexity is also needs scaffolding for them to understand completely. Nevertheless, this novel would open up different doors of discussion with making comparisons to the student's lives and the lives around them.
After reading the novel, there was an abundance of themes presented throughout the novel and even at multiple times within a page. However, the presence of the multiple themes are expected because this novel presents a coming of age of a young man and how he is trying to find a balance in accepting others and showing compassion. In addition, the novel portrays the theme of friendship of the 21st century to a tee and how the friendship could be a bumpy road. Plus, the novel also touches the surface of gender roles throughout the novel. Nevertheless, this novel is a great way to talk about LGBTQ subjects in modern America and the novel can be compared to the HB2 House Bill controversy.
For this multiple theme novel, it would be a great novel to use in the classroom to link the bridges of social awareness and the LGBTQ community. However, to incorporate it into the classroom and instructor has to use a Close reading strategy. The Close reading strategy will assist the reader in finding all of the hidden themes within the novel and also help cross reference themes together. In addition, a Think-Aloud would be great to company this novel in the classroom. The Think-Aloud strategy would give students the advantage to not miss or skip any important event within the book and the theme complexity is also needs scaffolding for them to understand completely. Nevertheless, this novel would open up different doors of discussion with making comparisons to the student's lives and the lives around them.
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May 13, 2012A unique title delivering a universal message, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, tells the story of a boy and his mother in Brooklyn, New York. Jacqueline Woodson introduces the main character, Melanin Sun to the reader in an honest, respectful manner. Melanin, named after his dark skin color, lives in Brooklyn with his mother, his father left the family years earlier. Melanin likes to write, collect stamps and loves his mother very much.
This is a story of Melanin Sun learning that his mother is a lesbian and is in a new relationship with Kristin, a white woman. Woodson presents an authentic mother/son relationship and creates an accurate portrayal of their life together. Told from Melanin’s perspective he sets the tone by stating: These are my stories. I am quiet, I watch, I write. And although he doesn’t share his writing notebooks with his mother- he shares portions of them with us, the reader.
We learn how he and his friends view homosexuality by listening to the conversation amongst his friends. And it isn’t until his mother explains that she is a lesbian that we see and feel Melanin’s visceral reaction. He screams at her and for the weeks following we see how he tries to cope and understand the shift that has taken place in his heart, his home, his life, especially outside on his block where everyone is privy to everyone’s business. Woodson, a female writer, writing from a male perspective provides a story of purpose that definitely holds a place today in young adult literature. The topic is relevant, the interactions of the characters are realistic and she shows us how Melanin Sun learns he possesses the space to open himself to understanding because ultimately, he loves his mother.
I believe this is an important novel because there are many people who would identify positively and negatively with the characters reactions. Even internationally, there are many cultures where homosexuality is frowned upon and many readers would become involved in the story. I haven’t read a novel like this before but I was familiar with Jacqueline Woodson and her picture book The Other Side, addressing race relations among two girls living next door to each other.
This is a story of Melanin Sun learning that his mother is a lesbian and is in a new relationship with Kristin, a white woman. Woodson presents an authentic mother/son relationship and creates an accurate portrayal of their life together. Told from Melanin’s perspective he sets the tone by stating: These are my stories. I am quiet, I watch, I write. And although he doesn’t share his writing notebooks with his mother- he shares portions of them with us, the reader.
We learn how he and his friends view homosexuality by listening to the conversation amongst his friends. And it isn’t until his mother explains that she is a lesbian that we see and feel Melanin’s visceral reaction. He screams at her and for the weeks following we see how he tries to cope and understand the shift that has taken place in his heart, his home, his life, especially outside on his block where everyone is privy to everyone’s business. Woodson, a female writer, writing from a male perspective provides a story of purpose that definitely holds a place today in young adult literature. The topic is relevant, the interactions of the characters are realistic and she shows us how Melanin Sun learns he possesses the space to open himself to understanding because ultimately, he loves his mother.
I believe this is an important novel because there are many people who would identify positively and negatively with the characters reactions. Even internationally, there are many cultures where homosexuality is frowned upon and many readers would become involved in the story. I haven’t read a novel like this before but I was familiar with Jacqueline Woodson and her picture book The Other Side, addressing race relations among two girls living next door to each other.
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March 22, 2017From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun is a fictional story written by Jacqueline Woodson. The story takes place in a neighborhood in New York. Melanin is a 13 year old,mixed African American boy. He’s lived in the same apartment for his whole life. His mother, who is Puerto Rican was very young when she had Melanin, and her relationship with his father ended before Melanin was born. Melanin has two close friends, Sean and Raphael. He enjoys spending his time writing poetry and collecting stamps. The book starts off at the ending of the school year. Melanin’s mother, EC spends a lot of her time in the city. Whether it was at the gym, the clubs she was in, or law school. EC brings over a friend from law school, and Melanin sees that his mom and Kristin (her friend) look at each other in a different way. He thinks it’s weird but at the same time thinks it’s just the kind of friendship they have. One morning, EC wakes Melanin up and takes him on an hour drive to the beach. They enjoy their time together. They talk about a lot. On the way home EC tells Melanin something about her that he never knew. He doesn’t take it well. He starts insulting her and yelling at her. For the rest of the drive there was nothing but silence. When they got home it was nothing different. It continued that way for a month or longer. Melanin didn’t have a good way of coping with what his mother had told him. Since their neighborhood is small and everyone knows everything about each other one of his closest friends finds about the secret that EC told Melanin. He disrespects Melanin’s mom and they get into a fight. One day EC gets tired of the silence and tells Melanin they’re going to have to fix the problem. The next day, they take a day on the beach, but this time with Kristin. The problem. At the beach, Kristin opens up to Melanin and tells him all of her personal stories. After the day at the bach Melanin comes to realize that Kristin isn’t so bad after all.
I would definitely encourage other people to read this book. Jacqueline Woodson is one of my favorite authors. This book brings up the theme of racial issues, and gay rights.
I would definitely encourage other people to read this book. Jacqueline Woodson is one of my favorite authors. This book brings up the theme of racial issues, and gay rights.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2017
Beautiful description and characterization. An important book; glad it was written. A short read, perfect for my students, but not enough action for them I suspect. My students are a hard sell.
August 28, 2012
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun follows the title character, a sensitive, introverted boy raised by his loving, free-spirited mother.
Melanin has to face his own prejudices that he didn't even know he had--didn't know he had them because he hadn't been faced with them before. "There weren't white people in our world. That was it.... No use for them in this neighborhood. This was our place--people of color together in harmony, away from all of their hatred and racism. I didn't dislike white people, I just didn't think of them," he says when his mother brings a white friend home.
But the fact that she is white is only the beginning of his issue. When trying to tell him that this white woman is her girlfriend, his mother asks him, "'Your friends ever talk about...gay people?'" The question leads him at first to think that he doesn't care, that he's never thought about it before, and wonders, "'How come it has to matter?'" But when he realizes that she's talking about herself, it suddenly does matter to Melanin, quite a bit. He feels his world unraveling.
Mel's situation is certainly complicated because he lives in a neighborhood "where people minded their own business while minding the business of fifty other people at the same time." But I feel that he is really angry about no longer being the center of his mother's universe. I feel that the story is a lovely chronicle of a child's realization that their parents are real people.
I feel that Woodson creates Mel in such a loving, sympathetic way. His point of view is so strong and communicates a feeling of confusion and loneliness that I think most teenagers--and those of us who used to be teenagers--will recognize.
Melanin has to face his own prejudices that he didn't even know he had--didn't know he had them because he hadn't been faced with them before. "There weren't white people in our world. That was it.... No use for them in this neighborhood. This was our place--people of color together in harmony, away from all of their hatred and racism. I didn't dislike white people, I just didn't think of them," he says when his mother brings a white friend home.
But the fact that she is white is only the beginning of his issue. When trying to tell him that this white woman is her girlfriend, his mother asks him, "'Your friends ever talk about...gay people?'" The question leads him at first to think that he doesn't care, that he's never thought about it before, and wonders, "'How come it has to matter?'" But when he realizes that she's talking about herself, it suddenly does matter to Melanin, quite a bit. He feels his world unraveling.
Mel's situation is certainly complicated because he lives in a neighborhood "where people minded their own business while minding the business of fifty other people at the same time." But I feel that he is really angry about no longer being the center of his mother's universe. I feel that the story is a lovely chronicle of a child's realization that their parents are real people.
I feel that Woodson creates Mel in such a loving, sympathetic way. His point of view is so strong and communicates a feeling of confusion and loneliness that I think most teenagers--and those of us who used to be teenagers--will recognize.
February 5, 2014
When I picked up From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun at the Authors as Artists series with Jacqueline Woodson, I didn’t know much about it. I chose it because I connected with the description of Melanin on the back cover. Melanin Sun sometimes has trouble getting his words out when he speaks, so instead he writes them in his notebooks. I sometimes stumble when I have to speak deep truths aloud, but if I put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, the words flow much easier.
I loved how the first person narration and the excerpts from Melanin’s notebooks give glimpses into his mind and heart. Melanin is happy with his life with his mother in their Brooklyn, New York apartment. He hangs with his friends Raphael and Sean when he’s not poring over his stamp collection of endangered amphibians. He carries Angie’s phone number in his pocket, dreaming of having the nerve to actually call her. Then his mother brings home Kristen for dinner and reveals a secret that will change Melanin’s life forever.
Through Melanin’s eyes and words, Woodson explores sensitive topics of racism and sexuality with compassion. In learning to accept who is mother is–opposed to who he thought she was–Melanin must find his own voice and strength. He learns which friends he can count on and that he can open his mind and heart to more that he thought possible. Woven through it all is an exploration of the power of words–power to shut out and to open up, the power to hurt and to heal.
Now that I’ve read all the books I bought, I’m ready to hit the shelves in the library to discover more.
First published on my blog at http://kaymcgriff.edublogs.org/2014/0...
I loved how the first person narration and the excerpts from Melanin’s notebooks give glimpses into his mind and heart. Melanin is happy with his life with his mother in their Brooklyn, New York apartment. He hangs with his friends Raphael and Sean when he’s not poring over his stamp collection of endangered amphibians. He carries Angie’s phone number in his pocket, dreaming of having the nerve to actually call her. Then his mother brings home Kristen for dinner and reveals a secret that will change Melanin’s life forever.
Through Melanin’s eyes and words, Woodson explores sensitive topics of racism and sexuality with compassion. In learning to accept who is mother is–opposed to who he thought she was–Melanin must find his own voice and strength. He learns which friends he can count on and that he can open his mind and heart to more that he thought possible. Woven through it all is an exploration of the power of words–power to shut out and to open up, the power to hurt and to heal.
Now that I’ve read all the books I bought, I’m ready to hit the shelves in the library to discover more.
First published on my blog at http://kaymcgriff.edublogs.org/2014/0...
November 30, 2012
JAQUELINE WOODSON
This novel is written as a notebook that the main character, Melanin, is writing in. He is a young boy who is very dark skinned, unlike his mother EC. SHe has lighter skin and is the only parent because his father left before he was born. Melanin and his mother have a very close relationship. They talk about everything and are best friends. She has had many men over, but none stayed very long, which was good for Melanin because he liked it with just him and his mom. One day, his mom brought over a white, girl friend. Melanin assumes that she is just a friend from law school. It turns out that EC is actually in love with this woman is tries to tell her son, but he just decides to ignore her and hate her. He is embarrassed about his mom and about people finding out. One day, a friend makes fun of him and he punches him in the face. Finally his mom pleads for her son to give her girlfriend a chance. He agrees and they all go to the beach together. As he talks with his mom's girlfriend, he starts to see her as a person, rather than a label.
This book was good, but I did not enjoy it very much. I felt like the kid was so moody about his mother. He completely cut her off and felt like being alone would be a better option than having his mother be gay. Then he comes to accept it all in one afternoon... It just didn't seem very realistic and it felt like it was pushing an agenda rather than telling a story.
This novel is written as a notebook that the main character, Melanin, is writing in. He is a young boy who is very dark skinned, unlike his mother EC. SHe has lighter skin and is the only parent because his father left before he was born. Melanin and his mother have a very close relationship. They talk about everything and are best friends. She has had many men over, but none stayed very long, which was good for Melanin because he liked it with just him and his mom. One day, his mom brought over a white, girl friend. Melanin assumes that she is just a friend from law school. It turns out that EC is actually in love with this woman is tries to tell her son, but he just decides to ignore her and hate her. He is embarrassed about his mom and about people finding out. One day, a friend makes fun of him and he punches him in the face. Finally his mom pleads for her son to give her girlfriend a chance. He agrees and they all go to the beach together. As he talks with his mom's girlfriend, he starts to see her as a person, rather than a label.
This book was good, but I did not enjoy it very much. I felt like the kid was so moody about his mother. He completely cut her off and felt like being alone would be a better option than having his mother be gay. Then he comes to accept it all in one afternoon... It just didn't seem very realistic and it felt like it was pushing an agenda rather than telling a story.
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