Author last name, first name. (Year). Title. Publisher: City.

Woodson, Jacqueline. (1995). From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun. The Blue Sky Press: New York, NY.

Genre: Realism, Problem Novel, themes Family and Friendship

Reading Level: 6/7

Interest Level:10-16

Plot Summary: Melanin Sun is a young African American boy growing up in Brooklyn with his single mother, it is summer vacation and he spends his time hanging out with his two friends Ralph and Sean and thinking about the girl he has a crush on Angie who gave him her phone number the last day of school. Melanin likes to spend his time collecting endangered species stamps and writing in his notebooks. His notebooks become a refuge when his mother, EC, reveals to him that she is gay and is seeing a white woman, Kristin. This new situation changes the relationship between mother and son, and Mel’s anger creates a rift between the two. Through the novel Mel is concerned about how others will perceive him and his mother and trying to make sense of his new situation in the middle of just being a normal teenager with a crush on a girl. He is afraid that no one will like him, and is confused about what his mother’s relationship really means. EC requests that he just give Kristin a chance and the mother and son make a deal to try one more time but if it doesn’t work out EC wouldn’t bring Kristin to the house anymore, but wouldn’t stop seeing her. Melanin makes an effort to get to know Kristin on a beach trip where there are other gay families as well, he is still hesitant but in the end you get the feeling that things will work out even though they may not be easy.

Critique: The language and the characterization was very authentic and rich. The journal entries were an excellent way to get to know how Melanin was feeling and dealing with his situation, but as well good modeling for how to deal with problems in your life through journal writing.

Social and Cultural Imagery: Racism that Mel reflects on from his experiences growing up as African American, prejudice against Kristin because she is white, homophobia by Mel because of mis-education by society, socio-economic issues living in Brooklyn in a predominant minority population and single parenting.

Curriculum Uses: Guided Reading Classes, YA dealing with alienation going through similar experiences, Work with students on empathy