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4.5 ⭐ It seems only the most powerful books are banned. This book is banned for showing police in the wrong light and for being about by POC particularly black issues. In this book Alfonso Jones is shot while shopping for a suit because a security guard with a gun mistakes a hanger for another type of gun. This story looks both at the aftermath of what happens in society after the senseless killing, as well as following ⬇

#AestheticallyMatched @Clwojick

5⭐️! If I got to make a required reading list for everyone in America this would be on it. It was highly emotional, & came at its subject matter from many angles. It also did a stellar job of capturing the vibe of growing up in NYC. I think the art was a big part of that that. It was entirely black & white, but expressive & energetic, & seemed to jump off the page in places.
#BBRC Teen Angst Hauntings #PopSugar2022 #SetOnAPlaneTrainOrCruiseShip

Maybe not the supreme best book for teens and #blacklivesmatter but a good one. It was a little hard to follow in places, jumping timelines and such. Fantastic authors note, and mini-bios of police victims we met in the graphic novel. #bookspinbingo #readwhilecamping #postingoncehome

A powerful story about an unarmed teen shot by police, and his observation of the following events from the "other side." Of course, the events are depressing, but even more so I'd the fact that it was published 3 years ago. Stories aren't written overnight, and graphic novels take time to illustrate, which means this $hit has been going on for too damn long...

This is a YA graphic novel that reminded me a lot of The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas) and The Long Way Down (Jason Reynolds.) When Alfonso is shot by a police officer while shopping for his first suit, he lands on the ghost train as he see‘s what has happened before and after his death. Published in 2017 and the same shit is still happening. A timely read. #BlackLivesMatter

Taking a break from mulching!

Would you pay more attention to police brutality, racism, and the #blacklivesmatter movement if everywhere you walked was the blood stains and plaque telling you another life that didn't have to be lost? The art style I really enjoyed though sometimes it did make a scene hard to understand. We followed a lot of characters but the important one's stand out and don't seem to get lost in all the movement of the story.

my heart is forever broken for everyone impacted by police brutality against african americans. this was a heavy read and the images assisted in the deep feeling involved in the book. while this was a sad read, it was also a moving and powerful read.

This is required reading. It‘s a look at police violence against black people from the perspective of a murdered teen, his family and community. The graphics are well done and really help drive home the message from the author. Heart wrenching but important.

I needed a break tonight so I went "shopping" at the library and picked out some books that looked good. Don't tell my TBR pile! ? Has anyone read any of these?

#bookhaul #library

Alfonso Jones is set to star in his school play—a hip hop Hamlet—he‘s ready to tell his best friend he likes her & his father is coming home, exonerated of a crime he didn‘t commit. Life is good & to celebrate he goes to buy his first suit which is where an off-duty police officer, mistaking a hanger for a gun, shoots him. Afterwards, Alfonso must come to terms with his death and friends & family their anger & grief. A thought-provoking read.

New books in the library today which means I have some homework to do. No complaints here! I love previewing new books. The tagged book tells the story of a police shooting & its aftermath. Illegal is the story of a young boy who flees Ghana & makes his way to Europe. (The first two are graphic novels.) Pride is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice & Nowhere Boy is the story of a Syrian refugee trying to make a new home for himself in Belgium.

There are nuances missed nearly everywhere except the recent novels about police violence. I Am Alfonso Jones comes down firmly with an opinion, yet still promotes consideration of causes and motivations. Nearly every reaction is covered and responded to, with far too much of this feeling far too familiar. These things are happening. The final ancestors wall is an awful reminder of how this fiction is bleeding into the real world. #iamalfonsojones

“Was it a mistake? Or open season on a black boy... like me...?”

“Had that damn security guard...went to a school whose books reflected a broader reality....” After WWII the International Youth Library was established in Munich, Germany as part of reparations. #WeNeedDiverseBooks
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Beyond the disturbing truths in this book, the writing is tight. No word is wasted and Medina‘s use of “classics” makes the themes relevant. #24in48

So I‘m in full reading fever. Just picked up my first book from the racial healing workshop I went to at the ALA conference. So far it‘s completely dope. More thoughts to come.

This book was fantastic!! Great middle grades book. If your looking for a great graphic novel to read this summer this is a great one. #projectLITbookclub #teacherlife

Today was a better day. I haven't had a panic attack and I made it outside for a quick walk before the rain started. I also recieved some #BookMail.

Alfonso Jones is a gifted student looking forward to playing Hamlet in his school play and crushing on his best friend, Danetta. But while shopping for his first suit, an off-duty police officer mistakes a hanger for a gun and kills him. Alfonso wakes up on a ghost-train filled with other victims of police brutality who are doomed to ride the train until justice is served.

No justice, no peace.

The talk:

“This is about what it means to be black in America. You have to learn how to conduct—I mean, protect—yourself, especially in the presence of police officers.”

How is this not talked about more? This is a BLM-inspired graphic novel told from the perspective of the victim‘s ghost, who travels through recent history to other incidences of police brutality. It can be confusing at times, but it‘s so poignant.

Book 20 of 2018. I heard one of the illustrators speak a few weeks ago and I was so compelled by his words about representing stories in many formats. Happy to have a graphic novel to add to my library's social justice and Black Lives Matter shelves

What a powerful book. #BlackLivesMatter

Like The Hate You Give, I Am Alfonso Jones takes a sobering look at police brutality. Unlike The Hate You Give, where the story is from the POV of a victim's friend, this story follows the victim Alfonso. We see him in the afterlife as a ghost commenting on the events and protests that follow his death. In a way Alfonso is given a voice and forces us to realize that behind ever hashtag was a person who's life was cut short.

1. I am so happy I finally joined a new book club. 2. Super excited for our January pick