I understand why this book makes book banners angry. It’s a powerful, honest discussion of racism, homophobia, and learning to embrace who you are while standing up to oppression. It’s also a beautiful celebration of a Black family’s unconditional love and community. Bitter mixed with sweet, imperfect but dedicated. 

As the author mentions at the beginning of the book, there’s some heavy stuff that is discussed, but they lived these experiences as young as 5 years old. Not everyone gets the luxury to not think about heavy topics, I truly believe teens need books like this to know they’re not alone, or to learn that other people have struggled in ways they’ve never considered. 

I could write an essay about this book.