I am not sure how long I have know Jackie. One think is for sure, when I think of Jackie I think of her contagious smile, her love of books and her close association with the Youngstown State English Festival. I have been after Jackie for some time to write a blog post. Her tight look at A Good Kind of Trouble and its main character, Shayla, is a perfect post to fit between Lesley Roessing's two Friday posts (find the first one here) on strong girls.
A Close Look at One Strong Girl by Jackie Mercer
“She taps her nails on the steering wheel, thinking. ‘Okay, like if you eat unhealthy food for a long time, you’re going to be unhealthy, right? Well, for too long people have been fed a diet about Black folks. About folks with brown skin. Making them think we’re scary. And that’s how the police have been trained to act. It’s going to take a long time to change people’s minds’” (41).
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
Twelve-year-old Shayla is starting junior high, is allergic to trouble, and has a giant forehead she doesn’t want her crush, Jace, to notice. She knows seventh grade will be different, but Shayla has no idea what she’s in for. Lucky for her, she relies on her two best friends, Isabella and Julia, aka the United Nations, to get through.
That is, until everything starts to fall apart. Shayla finds herself stuck with Bernard, the class bully, as her lab partner. People start to accuse Shayla of not being “black enough” because of the diversity of her friend group. And just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, the United Nations falls apart as Julia finds new friends and Isabella catches the eye of Shayla’s crush.
At home, Shayla is able to escape her school problems, but there, she is exposed to the harsh realities of society. A white police officer is on trial for shooting and killing and unarmed black man. The trial is at the forefront of the family’s discussions as Shayla’s sister, Hana, is an active member of Black Lives Matter who, at times, questions Shayla’s loyalty to her own race. Although Shayla’s parents try to shield her from some of what is happening, they recognize the necessity of teaching her the realities of the situation for black people in America.
As Shayla deals with her day-to-day struggles, she also struggles to come to terms with living in a world where the color of her skin makes people feel threatened and puts her in danger. After attending a silent protest where she realizes that “Hundreds of people walking together carrying candles and signs but not saying one single word? Let me tell you, that’s louder than anything…That’s when I found out how loud silence can be” (208), she decides to stage her own silent protest by wearing and distributing black arm bands at school in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Shayla realizes that sometimes it is important to get into, as Civil Rights Activist and Congressman John Lewis calls it “Good trouble, necessary trouble” to change people’s hearts and minds.
Twelve-year-old Shayla is starting junior high, is allergic to trouble, and has a giant forehead she doesn’t want her crush, Jace, to notice. She knows seventh grade will be different, but Shayla has no idea what she’s in for. Lucky for her, she relies on her two best friends, Isabella and Julia, aka the United Nations, to get through.
That is, until everything starts to fall apart. Shayla finds herself stuck with Bernard, the class bully, as her lab partner. People start to accuse Shayla of not being “black enough” because of the diversity of her friend group. And just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, the United Nations falls apart as Julia finds new friends and Isabella catches the eye of Shayla’s crush.
At home, Shayla is able to escape her school problems, but there, she is exposed to the harsh realities of society. A white police officer is on trial for shooting and killing and unarmed black man. The trial is at the forefront of the family’s discussions as Shayla’s sister, Hana, is an active member of Black Lives Matter who, at times, questions Shayla’s loyalty to her own race. Although Shayla’s parents try to shield her from some of what is happening, they recognize the necessity of teaching her the realities of the situation for black people in America.
As Shayla deals with her day-to-day struggles, she also struggles to come to terms with living in a world where the color of her skin makes people feel threatened and puts her in danger. After attending a silent protest where she realizes that “Hundreds of people walking together carrying candles and signs but not saying one single word? Let me tell you, that’s louder than anything…That’s when I found out how loud silence can be” (208), she decides to stage her own silent protest by wearing and distributing black arm bands at school in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Shayla realizes that sometimes it is important to get into, as Civil Rights Activist and Congressman John Lewis calls it “Good trouble, necessary trouble” to change people’s hearts and minds.
This book depicts the difficulties of finding one’s self in a challenging time of transition while also exploring the complexities of race and racial tensions in our current society. I loved the depth of the characters and their situations. Lisa Moore Ramée doesn’t set out to write a book about race; she crafts a story about a little black girl who has to deal with the reality that racism is alive and well in our country all while dealing with middle school. She also doesn’t offer cure-all as the characters in the book discuss—and in some cases strongly disagree about—race and racial tensions. Shayla begins to find her place in school as she begins to find her voice, transforming from a bystander to a rule-breaker, taking a stand for what she believes is right.
What do I read next?
Reading a book generates the reading of more books. After you pick up and read A Good Kind of Trouble, you might want to look at some of the books in the slide show below. These are books Jackie suggests are in the same vein as her selection. I have to say some of these are my (Steve's) favorites as well.
If you know some of those, but have picked up and read about Shayla, then some of your old favorites might encourage you to try it out.
Blended by Sharon Draper
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D Williams
The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Reading a book generates the reading of more books. After you pick up and read A Good Kind of Trouble, you might want to look at some of the books in the slide show below. These are books Jackie suggests are in the same vein as her selection. I have to say some of these are my (Steve's) favorites as well.
If you know some of those, but have picked up and read about Shayla, then some of your old favorites might encourage you to try it out.
Blended by Sharon Draper
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D Williams
The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Jackie Mercer taught high school English for nine years. She is now entering her second year as an English Education Lecturer at Youngstown State University. Jackie is passionate about civil rights and social justice. She is also passionate about getting books into the hands of young people. She is a member of NCTE, ALAN, and the Youngstown State University English Festival committee.
Until next week.
Until next week.
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