This is one of those rare middle grade finds, a compilation of short stories, that are so highly sought after by teachers and parents alike.
The aim of these stories is to celebrate Black boys, not so much their struggles, but their joys and happy experiences in the form of short stories. As a result, some of the stories don't really have a traditional, defeat-a-villain conflict, or the conflict is super subtle and they don't fit the classic "main character overcomes an obstacle to grow emotionally" trope. But many were simply outstanding!
It begins with Fort, a young boy and the narrator, who's tasked by the "Griot of Grover Street" with finding the joy in the universe. This is the framework for the compilation, as each story is a little bit of joy Fort finds and uses to replenish the joy in the Griot's jar (the one Fort spills).
The stories run the gamut, from a boy who discovers the ultimate super-hero combo for a show-down in the cafeteria at school, to two boys pitted "against" each other (they actually have to learn how to work together) to win the right to inherit a house -- and a spaceship. Loved this one!
One is about a boy who learns baking -- and familial acceptance -- is not always about mixing complimentary ingredients together. There are 17 in all, and they range in length, from less than 10 pages to just under 20 pages, so there's something for every level of reader in your classroom.
A few are of note for English teachers: there's one story in 2nd POV, and one in verse, for your poetry standards. Quite a few are sci-fi stories, including one about a boy racing to save his planet (not Earth) and finding his dad and winning.
There's a little something for every reader (and elementary teacher!) in this compilation, and I'd love to recommend this as a teaching resource, but it lacks a teaching guide with full lesson plans for each story. The resources at TeachingBooks.net, which are frequently referenced, consist mainly of templates that still require teachers to create the lesson plans, which is always a big deterrent to teaching a new book (or short story). I found no pay-for-teaching resources for this book on Teachers-pay-Teachers.
If you have taught one of the short stories (or several!) in the book, and are willing to share your LPs with me, please drop me a line or comment. I'd love to have them!
