So…I have been telling myself I’d be writing another blog post soon for a while now (…cough cough…two years…). But I’m finally doing it! And while it is partly fueled by hopefully-not-doomed New Years’ Resolution energy, it is MOSTly fueled by the joy and excitement that came from discovering this very special book randomly sitting on my work desk this past week. (I had not even heard any buzz about it–it just miraculously appeared out of nowhere!) It is so beautiful, it brought me to tears. And it is probably is the most on-the-nose example of the kind of book I want to bring attention to.

I Can Write the World by Joshunda Sanders is a beautifully-composed and honest celebration of the South Bronx, in all its resilient and creative, glory. It is told from the perspective Ava Murray, an 8-year-old girl growing up in Port Morris. She loves her neighborhood, she sees its beauty. But when she looks at how the Bronx is talked about on the news, it doesn’t always “match” what the Bronx means to her.

Asking about a young woman who is being arrested for graffiti, her mother explains that people want to “share their talents with the world” through dance, music, art. But those with authority and power don’t always understand or value the beauty flowing out of her community. Ava’s mother wisely tells her that journalists always show you the world through a particular “frame” and tell the stories “they think we should know.” Imagine the epic conversation this could launch with a child about truth, perspective, history, “alternative facts…” The way in which Sanders introduces this concept is totally accessible to kids and something they will intuitively understand.

This conversation inspires Ava to practice some journalism of her own, showing her community using the frame through which she fondly and proudly sees it. She interviews her mother, who teaches her about the rich artistic heritage of the Bronx–from the influences of different island cultures to the birth of hip hop. At the end of the book, Ava proudly shares her take on the Bronx with her teacher and classmates. On the final page, she shares that she will become a journalist, and if you look just slightly to the right, you discover the book’s author bio, and guess what? Sanders is herself a journalist! I could totally see this book inspiring young writers to investigate their communities with a journalistic eye and contribute their own perspective to the flawed “frame” through which the Bronx is often shown.

The story and language of this book are beautiful, as are the stunning illustrations of Charly Palmer. How could you not see the beauty of the Bronx when looking at his rich, colorfully-bursting painted scenes of its streets and people?

Next time someone asks me pointedly what it’s like living in the Bronx (translation: “Is it scary?”), I’m just going to give them this book. As a librarian with free access to books, rarely do I spend money on them, but this title is going to be my first exception of 2020, because I need it on my shelf…and it would be wrong to keep the library copy sitting in my lap right now out of the hands of kids who need to be reading it! And you better believe it’ll be featured in storytime at the library later this week 🙂