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My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
National Book Award-finalist Ibi Zoboi makes her middle-grade debut with a moving story of a girl finding her place in a world that's changing at warp speed.
Twelve-year-old Ebony-Grace Norfleet has lived with her beloved grandfather Jeremiah in Huntsville, Alabama ever since she was little. As one of the first black engineers to integrate NASA, Jeremiah has nurtured Ebony-Grace's love for all things outer space and science fiction--especially Star Wars and Star Trek. But in the summer of 1984, when trouble arises with Jeremiah, it's decided she'll spend a few weeks with her father in Harlem.
Harlem is an exciting and terrifying place for a sheltered girl from Hunstville, and Ebony-Grace's first instinct is to retreat into her imagination. But soon 126th Street begins to reveal that it has more in common with her beloved sci-fi adventures than she ever thought possible, and by summer's end, Ebony-Grace discovers that Harlem has a place for a girl whose eyes are always on the stars.
A New York Times Bestseller
Twelve-year-old Ebony-Grace Norfleet has lived with her beloved grandfather Jeremiah in Huntsville, Alabama ever since she was little. As one of the first black engineers to integrate NASA, Jeremiah has nurtured Ebony-Grace's love for all things outer space and science fiction--especially Star Wars and Star Trek. But in the summer of 1984, when trouble arises with Jeremiah, it's decided she'll spend a few weeks with her father in Harlem.
Harlem is an exciting and terrifying place for a sheltered girl from Hunstville, and Ebony-Grace's first instinct is to retreat into her imagination. But soon 126th Street begins to reveal that it has more in common with her beloved sci-fi adventures than she ever thought possible, and by summer's end, Ebony-Grace discovers that Harlem has a place for a girl whose eyes are always on the stars.
A New York Times Bestseller
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2019
135 people are currently reading
4407 people want to read
About the author
Ibi Zoboi
28 books2,523 followersIbi Zoboi's debut novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist. She is also the New York Times Bestselling author of Pride, My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, and Punching the Air with co-author and Exonerated Five member, Yusef Salaam. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America. Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three children.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 468 reviews
July 29, 2019
I truly wish I could have liked this but it’s glacially slow moving and at times makes absolutely no sense. There is no real clear answer when it comes to Ebony-Grace. At times it seems like she might be autistic but nothing is ever confirmed so her character seems petulant and far, far younger than she is supposed to be. The adults are infuriating and the other kids are somehow worse. I can’t imagine any part of this book would work well for a middle grade audience considering how layered it is in in-depth Star Trek references to the point that even I sometimes got lost. For a book with so much potential in plot it really does almost nothing at all.
February 11, 2022
MY LIFE AS AN ICE CREAM SANDWICH is a unique take on what it's like for a young Black girl who would rather live in her imagination than in reality to be uprooted from all that she knows and finds comfortable to be put in situations that are unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and at times overwhelming. Ebony-Grace is faced with the mysterious trouble that her grandfather finds himself in and like many children she is left to only guess and piece together what that trouble is instead of being told by an adult in a way that she could understand. Since she is already extremely introverted and feels more comfortable retreating into her own imagination, it's no surprise that the way she copes with stress is to disassociate from all of the new strangeness by going into a world of her own making.
Ebony-Grace is socially awkward and the way in which she copes is maybe a bit more intense but not to the point where she isn't reachable. Ebony-Grace is a child who handles things in an age appropriate way. I'm happy that Zoboi chose not to make Ebony-Grace behave and react in a way that would suggest that she is more mature and worldly than a 7th grader should be. Black children are not inherently 'grown' by virtue of their blackness. Letting Ebony-Grace be first and foremost a child with childish behavior is, at least for me, a positive in this story not a negative character flaw of a child who hasn't even hit puberty yet.
Zoboi's writing is atmospheric. She incorporates 1980's pop culture in an engaging and enjoyable way. I'm not sure how well today's middle grader will get the Star Trek references, but I enjoyed them. I will also say that this cover, the story, and the idea of a little Black girl dreaming of a world among the stars where she can be the problem solver and not the problem is something that I am more than happy to have experienced. I will be buying a finished copy for my 10 year old niece.
***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monica Is Reading*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
Ebony-Grace is socially awkward and the way in which she copes is maybe a bit more intense but not to the point where she isn't reachable. Ebony-Grace is a child who handles things in an age appropriate way. I'm happy that Zoboi chose not to make Ebony-Grace behave and react in a way that would suggest that she is more mature and worldly than a 7th grader should be. Black children are not inherently 'grown' by virtue of their blackness. Letting Ebony-Grace be first and foremost a child with childish behavior is, at least for me, a positive in this story not a negative character flaw of a child who hasn't even hit puberty yet.
Zoboi's writing is atmospheric. She incorporates 1980's pop culture in an engaging and enjoyable way. I'm not sure how well today's middle grader will get the Star Trek references, but I enjoyed them. I will also say that this cover, the story, and the idea of a little Black girl dreaming of a world among the stars where she can be the problem solver and not the problem is something that I am more than happy to have experienced. I will be buying a finished copy for my 10 year old niece.
***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monica Is Reading*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
April 26, 2019
I really hate giving one star reviews to books but this was a bit too strange and confusing to warrant much more. A young girl goes to live with her father in "New Joke City." The little girl spends her time pretending she is living in a fantasy world where everyone is from Star Trek. The plot is very strange and I wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to perceive the main character. Was she a special needs child? Was she just a zany girl? Regardless, the book is very hard to read and very nonsensical at times. I enjoyed the other character's reactions to the odd main character as well. The reason I chose to read this was the odd title, which ended up making sense in the plot but not so much in the sense of our own reality.
April 6, 2020
Ebony-Grace spends the summer with her father in Harlem. She has a wild imagination and she wants nothing more than to be with her grandfather who seems to be the other one to understand her.
June 28, 2019
I’ve always been kind of partial to ice cream sandwiches.
Ebony-Grace is given the derogatory nickname when the girls in her dad’s Harlem neighborhood decide she doesn’t have the “flava” to have one of their more delectable names.
Ebony-Grace (aka Space Cadet E-Grace Starfleet) has been raised by her mother and wealthy grandfather in Alabama. Her grandfather was one of the first black engineers employed by NASA, and he has nurtured her dreams of being the first kid in space, and her very active imagination— to the point that she uses that imagination as an escape when life gets too hard.
And life is definitely hard. In 1984, the summer before she enters middle school, something is going on with her grandfather, and her mother sends her off to her dad, who thinks that she’s been too coddled in the south and that Harlem’s energy will do his daughter good. Her kind-of friend Bianca, with whom she connected a few years ago, is more interested in boys than in space make-believe, and quickly grows impatient with Ebony-Grace. As the initial week that Ebony-Grace THOUGHT she was staying for turns into the whole summer, our girl has to learn how to do some serious navigating.
What I love about this? The way that Zoboi GETS the awkward kids, the kids on the outskirts, and unapologetically makes this a story about the geeky black girl in a time (how is it that 1984 was 35 years ago?..) when so many kids and adults didn’t get where she was coming from— but a few of them did.
Beautiful and awkward and necessary.
Ebony-Grace is given the derogatory nickname when the girls in her dad’s Harlem neighborhood decide she doesn’t have the “flava” to have one of their more delectable names.
Ebony-Grace (aka Space Cadet E-Grace Starfleet) has been raised by her mother and wealthy grandfather in Alabama. Her grandfather was one of the first black engineers employed by NASA, and he has nurtured her dreams of being the first kid in space, and her very active imagination— to the point that she uses that imagination as an escape when life gets too hard.
And life is definitely hard. In 1984, the summer before she enters middle school, something is going on with her grandfather, and her mother sends her off to her dad, who thinks that she’s been too coddled in the south and that Harlem’s energy will do his daughter good. Her kind-of friend Bianca, with whom she connected a few years ago, is more interested in boys than in space make-believe, and quickly grows impatient with Ebony-Grace. As the initial week that Ebony-Grace THOUGHT she was staying for turns into the whole summer, our girl has to learn how to do some serious navigating.
What I love about this? The way that Zoboi GETS the awkward kids, the kids on the outskirts, and unapologetically makes this a story about the geeky black girl in a time (how is it that 1984 was 35 years ago?..) when so many kids and adults didn’t get where she was coming from— but a few of them did.
Beautiful and awkward and necessary.
February 8, 2020
My first middle grade book as an adult, I suppose I need to get touch with my imagination station, this just felt too repetitive to me.
March 31, 2019
A lot of culture wrapped up in this one that I can get behind. There were also some sci-fi references that went over my head. The voice is super youthful, which for the most part is why I could not relate. That being said, this is definitely fitted for middle grades and I can see this connecting with young nerds of color!
February 24, 2022
Read this for Polarthon 2022! Check out my spoiler-free reading vlog if you want to see my thoughts on My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich: https://youtu.be/g4v0iV_ydUk
August 13, 2019
This is a niche genre book - for readers who enjoy sci fi and fantasy with just a hint of realism. It's a graphic novel with elements of science fiction, fantasy, history and stream of consciousness writing. This is a book for a very special reader. It definitely won't appeal to everyone due to its unusual wordplay, but I can see this appealing to kids. I received this as an ARC book and I can't wait for it to join the shelves of my local library! Ebony Grace is such an adorable and fearless heroine.
It's helpful to understand why this is a multi-genre piece:
science fiction: at least half the book is told through Ebony Grace's eyes as if she was a Starfleet character aka Star Trek.
fantasy: this is partly due to the science fiction elements and the fact that Ebony Grace's life is merged with fantasy daydreams.
historical importance: the book takes place in Harlem, 1984 so there's discussions on race, diversity, cultural differences.
realistic fiction: the other half of the book is the story of a young child growing up in a city. Every day events take place such as Fourth of July parties and jump rope with friends.
The writing style is difficult to follow because of it being stream of consciousness, but it's the accurate portrayal of a kid babbling. Just because a character narrates in a confusing way doesn't mean that their thoughts aren't valid. I've read reviews here on Goodreads that suggest that Ebony Grace is on the autism spectrum. While this is never confirmed, it makes the most sense. No matter what, her creativity and unique vision make her a refreshing protagonist.
I love reading any books with diverse characters. Ibi Zoboi is an author I need to watch out for! She's both fantastical and down to earth when it comes to her writing style. She doesn't sugarcoat Ebony Grace's harsh experiences. Instead, she brings us straight into the minds of young kids. She is giving kids a safe space to express how they're feeling. I can't believe that an adult had enough sensitivity to write this book.
When I was a kid, I attended a summer camp with a diverse group of kids. They belittled me, especially when it came to jumping rope. If I had a book like "My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich," I believe that I would have been able to understand my peers better. We knew next to nothing about each other and we allowed our differences to get in the way of a possible friendship. "My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich" can teach kids how to accept each other's differences and understand why everyone doesn't get along. The fight scene between Ebony Grace's father and uncle spoke to this. It addressed violence in Harlem and, through the eyes of a child, it was devastating to see her father taken away by police.
January 22, 2020
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
This is such a charming story! Set in 1980's Harlem, it follows a Black girl from the South staying with her father for the summer and struggling to fit in. She has a big imagination, is more into space and Star Trek than fashion and double dutch, is hilariously sassy, and just has her own unique approach to seeing the world. She has always been close to her grandfather who worked as an engineer for NASA, but now something has happened and her mom has sent her to Harlem and doesn't want her to speak to him. This is the story of her making her way, figuring out how to connect with other people while still staying true to herself. Its a beautiful and charming middle grade story and I'm glad I picked it up! I received an audio review copy of this book via Penguin Random House. All opinions are my own.
Note: after reading other review I wanted to add a couple of thoughts. It seems like a lot of people struggled with how much this character lives in her imagination, felt like she was too old for it, or wondered if she was supposed to be autistic. I didn't feel that way and didn't feel like I needed her to be diagnosed as anything. She's 12 years old, and I remember 12 being a weird in-between year for me. I and some of my friends spent a lot of time in imaginative play, but were slowly transitioning in response to social pressure that we needed to grow up. It's this sort of liminal space between childhood and adolescence where kids fall along a spectrum and I appreciated that this story depicts a character who isn't quite ready to move on as quickly as her peers.
This is such a charming story! Set in 1980's Harlem, it follows a Black girl from the South staying with her father for the summer and struggling to fit in. She has a big imagination, is more into space and Star Trek than fashion and double dutch, is hilariously sassy, and just has her own unique approach to seeing the world. She has always been close to her grandfather who worked as an engineer for NASA, but now something has happened and her mom has sent her to Harlem and doesn't want her to speak to him. This is the story of her making her way, figuring out how to connect with other people while still staying true to herself. Its a beautiful and charming middle grade story and I'm glad I picked it up! I received an audio review copy of this book via Penguin Random House. All opinions are my own.
Note: after reading other review I wanted to add a couple of thoughts. It seems like a lot of people struggled with how much this character lives in her imagination, felt like she was too old for it, or wondered if she was supposed to be autistic. I didn't feel that way and didn't feel like I needed her to be diagnosed as anything. She's 12 years old, and I remember 12 being a weird in-between year for me. I and some of my friends spent a lot of time in imaginative play, but were slowly transitioning in response to social pressure that we needed to grow up. It's this sort of liminal space between childhood and adolescence where kids fall along a spectrum and I appreciated that this story depicts a character who isn't quite ready to move on as quickly as her peers.
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September 16, 2019Disappointed; I just could not get into this one.
April 3, 2019
I received an ARC from the publisher courtesy of the SLJ'S Middle Grade Magic virtual conference in exchange for an honest review. I couldn't get behind this one. I'm not sure most middle grade readers will relate to Ebony Grace with ease. She's focused on imagining her life as a space mission in a way that removes her so far from reality, she can't relate to her peers. Additionally, it takes place in the 80's and leans heavily on some pop culture references (largely the original Star Trek series and its movie franchise) that very few middle grade readers would be familiar with. I did get the references and still felt they got in the way. It moved relatively slowly, and the ending felt rather abrupt and unsatisfying. I wanted to like this one but just couldn't get there.
March 8, 2019
I really wanted to like this one, but I didn't connect with the characters or style.
January 12, 2020
This is an interesting story about family troubles, friend troubles, and finding your place in community. It is quintessentially middle grade. It is a good book to have on hand for voracious readers of this story type. It takes place in the mid 1980s and is about an African American girl whose grandfather was one of the first African American NASA engineers. From him she has inherited a love for science-fiction and fantasy. Over a summer, she must learn to live without him as she visits her father in Harlem. The narration of this is tricky for several reasons. It is first person, and therefore extremely limited to the things the main character knows and her view of them. As a result, I spent the majority of the book wanting to throttle all of the adults. This hampered my personal enjoyment of it. I will also add I don't know that the mentions of the Challenger crew will be that impactful on today's current generation of middle schoolers.
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April 25, 2019Ebony Grace would much rather be spending the summer at home with her granddaddy, one of the first black engineers to integrate NASA, but instead she's been sent to another planet - Harlem - to stay with her dad. Obsessed with all things space and especially Star Trek and Star Wars, E-Grace uses her imagination location to turn her summer trip into a mission for the starship Uhura, but the other kids in her neighborhood do NOT want to play along. Even Bianca, the girl who lives in her daddy's building and who has spent many hours playing space missions with her on previous visits, has changed. No longer interested in visiting the junkyard and building rockets, Bianca is jumping double dutch and breakdancing with other girls on their block and it's all definitely alien to E-Grace.
This is quite a book... Ebony-Grace is unforgettable and the feeling of other-ness is pervasive. Like, there were times when I wanted to shake her, but I think that just illustrates how real she felt. This is a book for all the kids who are weird and don't fit in or don't want to do what everyone else is doing. It's for the kids who are strange and just fine that way. And it's a great portrait of a kid who's even outside of her family - she's kept in the dark about what's going on with her grandpa, sent away when all she wants to do is cling closer to the one person who understands her.
This book reminded me so much of Sunny by Jason Reynolds - another book about an oddball who doesn't do things the way everyone else does but is fine with that. And readers who enjoy tales with strong historical settings and strong female characters like One Crazy Summer by Rita Garcia-Williams will enjoy this one, too.
This is quite a book... Ebony-Grace is unforgettable and the feeling of other-ness is pervasive. Like, there were times when I wanted to shake her, but I think that just illustrates how real she felt. This is a book for all the kids who are weird and don't fit in or don't want to do what everyone else is doing. It's for the kids who are strange and just fine that way. And it's a great portrait of a kid who's even outside of her family - she's kept in the dark about what's going on with her grandpa, sent away when all she wants to do is cling closer to the one person who understands her.
This book reminded me so much of Sunny by Jason Reynolds - another book about an oddball who doesn't do things the way everyone else does but is fine with that. And readers who enjoy tales with strong historical settings and strong female characters like One Crazy Summer by Rita Garcia-Williams will enjoy this one, too.
December 19, 2019
Hmm, I struggled with this one. I think that was intended--the voice here is really strong and gets you deep into Ebony-Grace's head, and she seems to be a character who's pretty clearly on the spectrum but, given that it's set in 1984, that word is never used. Instead her parents call her spoiled, fresh, tell her to stop playing around, etc etc etc. So I get that we felt left out of the story because her family was keeping things from her, but in the end it felt unsatisfying because there were really big pieces of information that we never got as a reader.
Still--it's an interesting POV and I think some readers will really connect to it, and it's great to see a character who's a young black girl inspired by Uhura from Star Trek--the power of representation!
Still--it's an interesting POV and I think some readers will really connect to it, and it's great to see a character who's a young black girl inspired by Uhura from Star Trek--the power of representation!
August 15, 2019
Definitely fell in love with the cover of this new middle grade novel set in mid-1980's Harlem. Ebony-Grace is quite a character and I wanted to like her. Her imagination and space adventures were impressive, but became repetitive. At times Ebony-Grace just seemed like a brat. The author most definitely helped me to feel like I really was in Harlem listening to that rap and hip hop. Perhaps I need to be a Trekkie to truly appreciate this one. The references to Uhura abound, but if I hear the term Sonic Boom one more time. . .
Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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December 10, 2019Woohoo! I did it!
January 5, 2020
One of those hard-to-rate books because because it's fabulous in some ways, and kind of awful in others. Honestly, Zoboi shoots for the stars and mostly misses. But I'd rather read a book that's sometimes confusing and boring, but occasionally brilliant and throught-provoking, and like nothing I've read before, than a just another well-written story that I'll forget two weeks after I've read it. Hence, four stars, even though I get all the people who've given it one or two, or DNF.
Update: here's a version of my "professional" review for the Pennsylvania Library Association:
Ibi Zoboi’s (American Street) historical fiction middle grade novel with a sci-fi vibe features Ebony-Grace Norfleet Freeman, or, as she likes to call herself, E-Grace Starfleet. Ebony-Grace hails from Huntsville Alabama, where she lives with her mother and, up until recently, her beloved grandfather, one of the first Black engineers at NASA. When trouble brews, Ebony-Grace is sent to Harlem for what is supposed to be a few weeks with her father. Southern girl Ebony-Grace does not take to the hustle and bustle of New York City, which she calls “No Joke City.” Harlem in 1984 is a vibrant place, but Ebony-Grace finds hip-hop, breakdancing, and double-dutch more unfamiliar and alien than outer space. As weeks drag into an entire summer, she retreats into an imaginative world fed by her love of Star Trek, Star Wars, and NASA. The girls in the neighborhood think she is crazy: they tell her she has no “Flava,” and nickname her “ice cream sandwich.” The story, setting, themes, and characters are all unique and compelling, but the narrative thread is often difficult to follow. There is a thin line between the bizarre stories going on in Ebony-Grace’s head and the actual goings-on of 126th St. in Harlem that results in an overarching sense of hyperreality. Many readers are likely to find My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich too frustrating to finish even if the awesome cover draws them in, but the book may find an appreciative audience among young teens and tweens who love Star Trek and Star Wars, and, like Ebony-Grace, sometimes feel like aliens in the real world.
Update: here's a version of my "professional" review for the Pennsylvania Library Association:
Ibi Zoboi’s (American Street) historical fiction middle grade novel with a sci-fi vibe features Ebony-Grace Norfleet Freeman, or, as she likes to call herself, E-Grace Starfleet. Ebony-Grace hails from Huntsville Alabama, where she lives with her mother and, up until recently, her beloved grandfather, one of the first Black engineers at NASA. When trouble brews, Ebony-Grace is sent to Harlem for what is supposed to be a few weeks with her father. Southern girl Ebony-Grace does not take to the hustle and bustle of New York City, which she calls “No Joke City.” Harlem in 1984 is a vibrant place, but Ebony-Grace finds hip-hop, breakdancing, and double-dutch more unfamiliar and alien than outer space. As weeks drag into an entire summer, she retreats into an imaginative world fed by her love of Star Trek, Star Wars, and NASA. The girls in the neighborhood think she is crazy: they tell her she has no “Flava,” and nickname her “ice cream sandwich.” The story, setting, themes, and characters are all unique and compelling, but the narrative thread is often difficult to follow. There is a thin line between the bizarre stories going on in Ebony-Grace’s head and the actual goings-on of 126th St. in Harlem that results in an overarching sense of hyperreality. Many readers are likely to find My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich too frustrating to finish even if the awesome cover draws them in, but the book may find an appreciative audience among young teens and tweens who love Star Trek and Star Wars, and, like Ebony-Grace, sometimes feel like aliens in the real world.
July 1, 2019
I really wanted to love this, but I found it to be confusing and disjointed. The main character seems like she could be autistic, but it’s never stated. She is obsessed with space and can’t seem to branch out to relate to others without bringing space into it. She’s often extremely inappropriate in situations but without knowledge of if there is some sort of developmental delay she comes across as petulant and even rude. The plot finally gets going in the last few chapters but it felt really abrupt after the massive amount of time spent in her imaginative world. If she is autistic, the book makes a lot more sense but I don’t think the average reader (especially in the target audience) would assume that and would be much more likely to just be irritated by her. It would need to be stated and had it be a learning experience for readers that could be taught through interactions with other characters in the book.
It had potential with a great overall concept but after finishing I really just feel confused.
It had potential with a great overall concept but after finishing I really just feel confused.
September 30, 2019
I'm sad that this fell kind of flat for me. I listened to Ibi Zoboi talk about it at a book festival and honestly was primed to like it.
I decided to write this review because I didn't find Ebony-Grace as challenging as a narrator as a lot of the other low reviews here have. She's imaginative, coping, and struggles to connect to her peers--I didn't really feel the need for her to be diagnosed in any other way. She also doesn't seem actively hostile, just awkward and selfish, which kids (and humans) often are.
I mostly found the plot disappointing, as it kind of rambled from one point to another, rarely seemed to actually conclude arcs, and had Ebony give a monologue of what she'd learned in the last two pages. I found it hard to stay engaged in because of the plot issues, and overall disappointing to finish.
I decided to write this review because I didn't find Ebony-Grace as challenging as a narrator as a lot of the other low reviews here have. She's imaginative, coping, and struggles to connect to her peers--I didn't really feel the need for her to be diagnosed in any other way. She also doesn't seem actively hostile, just awkward and selfish, which kids (and humans) often are.
I mostly found the plot disappointing, as it kind of rambled from one point to another, rarely seemed to actually conclude arcs, and had Ebony give a monologue of what she'd learned in the last two pages. I found it hard to stay engaged in because of the plot issues, and overall disappointing to finish.
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September 13, 2019I cannot see this one working for the intended audience.
February 3, 2020
Ebony is spending the summer in Harlem with her dad, but she's having a hard time fitting in. She loves Star Trek, science fiction and space, and comes off as being too far out for the other kids on the block. Worse, she's not quite sure why she was sent away from Alabama, her mom, and grandfather. The separation from her grandfather, who encourages her love of math and science, is particularly heart-rending.
I had the same reaction to this as I did The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. While I know that Ebony is mostly lost to her daydreams, it was hard for me to focus on the particulars of her reality.
I had the same reaction to this as I did The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. While I know that Ebony is mostly lost to her daydreams, it was hard for me to focus on the particulars of her reality.
April 26, 2023
upon further reflection I lowered my rating from 3 to 2 stars.
+++++++++++
2.5 stars (rounded up) First the cover is gorgeous. I can say I wasn't completely misled in that regard🤣. I really enjoyed the mid eighties, Harlem New York hip-hop culture setting. As well as the Star Trek and Star Wars references (all the nerdy goodness). The reading experience was grounded and spoke to a time not known any more a type of innocence.
Although the main character was spunky and highly intelligent her character came across a bit confusing for me. So much so I thought the character had neurotypical condition. In fact I was anticipating a reveal or at least an acknowledgment of this. But the character was only labeled as crazy. So it was a bit confusing in that regard the voice and tone.
And honestly, I did not get the message the author was conveying. Maybe it was just me...LOL. Still this was a good time. Lastly I think this a bit too mature for young readers because of the mature content. Although the content implied I don't think it was necessary to include. I understand that this is an experience for a lot of people but I think it was to much in the forefront of the story.
***SPOILER:Specifically, her Uncle being a Pimp (and the main character witnessing this activity) as well as crackheads on the street corners in lingering around etc. ****
+++++++++++
2.5 stars (rounded up) First the cover is gorgeous. I can say I wasn't completely misled in that regard🤣. I really enjoyed the mid eighties, Harlem New York hip-hop culture setting. As well as the Star Trek and Star Wars references (all the nerdy goodness). The reading experience was grounded and spoke to a time not known any more a type of innocence.
Although the main character was spunky and highly intelligent her character came across a bit confusing for me. So much so I thought the character had neurotypical condition. In fact I was anticipating a reveal or at least an acknowledgment of this. But the character was only labeled as crazy. So it was a bit confusing in that regard the voice and tone.
And honestly, I did not get the message the author was conveying. Maybe it was just me...LOL. Still this was a good time. Lastly I think this a bit too mature for young readers because of the mature content. Although the content implied I don't think it was necessary to include. I understand that this is an experience for a lot of people but I think it was to much in the forefront of the story.
***SPOILER:Specifically, her Uncle being a Pimp (and the main character witnessing this activity) as well as crackheads on the street corners in lingering around etc. ****
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2023
4.5 stars; MCBA Nominee.
This book is not for everyone! just clicking onto the Goodreads page I already sense this, but as a grown neurodivergent 80s child who was locked in her own imagination destination (anyone else done with that phrase?), I could relate. Granted I was a white girl from Arizona who spent a summer on Boston’s North Shore at age 13, opposed to Ebony-Grace going from Alabama to Harlem at 12, but neither of us fit in with the other kids. We didn’t get what the other kids were into, they thought we were weird for our special interests, and our made-up worlds were considered babyish.
Will this resonate with my students? I don’t know. I think my students would be surprised by the sort of free range/“do as I say, not as I do” parenting depicted (and what my friends and I all seemed to have in the 80s), but I feel Ebony-Grace’s world just might be too hard for them to relate to. She has elaborate sci-fi plots going on in her head with lots of alternate character names. I could see it really confusing kids.
This book is not for everyone! just clicking onto the Goodreads page I already sense this, but as a grown neurodivergent 80s child who was locked in her own imagination destination (anyone else done with that phrase?), I could relate. Granted I was a white girl from Arizona who spent a summer on Boston’s North Shore at age 13, opposed to Ebony-Grace going from Alabama to Harlem at 12, but neither of us fit in with the other kids. We didn’t get what the other kids were into, they thought we were weird for our special interests, and our made-up worlds were considered babyish.
Will this resonate with my students? I don’t know. I think my students would be surprised by the sort of free range/“do as I say, not as I do” parenting depicted (and what my friends and I all seemed to have in the 80s), but I feel Ebony-Grace’s world just might be too hard for them to relate to. She has elaborate sci-fi plots going on in her head with lots of alternate character names. I could see it really confusing kids.
August 24, 2019
This has an incredibly vivid sense of time and place, and it's a beautiful illustration of a girl living in her own imagination as she struggles to find her place in the world.
Read
August 29, 2019DNF @ 13%: so yeah this isn't working for me at all
July 26, 2020
This book was both enjoyable and frustrating. Ebony Grace, the main character, is twelve, and lives and breathes space, and do I ever remember being that age and so wanting to be an astronaut.
Ebony Grace also lives a lot in her head, and interprets her surroundings heavily through her very active imagination. Consequently, she often dismisses and misinterprets the feelings and actions of those around her, making it a little frustrating watching her turn people away and off. Her first person narration points to an intelligent, curious and adventurous mind, but someone who lacks the maturity of the other twelve-year olds in her father’s Harlem neighbourhood. So I did feel frustrated with her repeated dismissal of people and various social cues.
At the same time, I could feel her frustration with the tight and narrow definition both of her parents’ had of who she should be, instead of who she saw herself as. I felt like they kept trying to diminish her dreams and desires because these weren’t ladylike; ugh to ladylike. I also felt like not telling her what was going on with her grandfather was wrong, but in keeping with what I remember of parents in that time period.
I did get a great feel for Zoboi’s characters’ neighbourhood, and the heat of the New York City summer, the kids’ interests and the music they loved. There was so much life and sound to this story, and I liked it.
Ebony Grace also lives a lot in her head, and interprets her surroundings heavily through her very active imagination. Consequently, she often dismisses and misinterprets the feelings and actions of those around her, making it a little frustrating watching her turn people away and off. Her first person narration points to an intelligent, curious and adventurous mind, but someone who lacks the maturity of the other twelve-year olds in her father’s Harlem neighbourhood. So I did feel frustrated with her repeated dismissal of people and various social cues.
At the same time, I could feel her frustration with the tight and narrow definition both of her parents’ had of who she should be, instead of who she saw herself as. I felt like they kept trying to diminish her dreams and desires because these weren’t ladylike; ugh to ladylike. I also felt like not telling her what was going on with her grandfather was wrong, but in keeping with what I remember of parents in that time period.
I did get a great feel for Zoboi’s characters’ neighbourhood, and the heat of the New York City summer, the kids’ interests and the music they loved. There was so much life and sound to this story, and I liked it.
January 27, 2023
Ibi Zoboi is an author I read previously, especially her YA books, and I wanted to try her middle-grade novel. The book's premise was interesting, especially when the book is set in the 80s. Ibi Zoboi writes about the African-American community in a way that makes you turn the pages fast to learn about the community.
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich is more science-fiction for middle-grade. Ebony Grace is growing up and needs to decide where she belongs. Her parents are divorced, and she lives in Alabama with her mother and maternal grandfather, who tell her imaginary stories about space. Her father lives in Harlem, and she has to spend her summer vacation with her father.
Ebony is lonely because not everyone is interested in space and her imaginary world and stories. My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich shows differences between the African-American community. Ebony's parents are so different intellectually, and you see the difference between the secondary characters.
Important themes are coming of age, individuality's importance, and family love's elemental power. As much as I liked Ibi Zoboi's other works, this one wasn't my favorite, maybe because I am not fond of Star Wars and space movies and books. I thought trying to read middle-grade science-fiction, I would like the genre a little more.
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich is more science-fiction for middle-grade. Ebony Grace is growing up and needs to decide where she belongs. Her parents are divorced, and she lives in Alabama with her mother and maternal grandfather, who tell her imaginary stories about space. Her father lives in Harlem, and she has to spend her summer vacation with her father.
Ebony is lonely because not everyone is interested in space and her imaginary world and stories. My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich shows differences between the African-American community. Ebony's parents are so different intellectually, and you see the difference between the secondary characters.
Important themes are coming of age, individuality's importance, and family love's elemental power. As much as I liked Ibi Zoboi's other works, this one wasn't my favorite, maybe because I am not fond of Star Wars and space movies and books. I thought trying to read middle-grade science-fiction, I would like the genre a little more.
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