Black Boys Dreaming
Black Boys Dreaming
By Chase, Kevin, Khalil, and Josiah of Beacon House
Over the course of a historic year characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests, and widespread social reckoning, four Black middle school boys from Beacon House in Washington, DC came together virtually, to dream. Pushing up against the hardship of current events, these new authors decided to create a collection of imaginative stories that share messages they believe the world needs to hear today about resilience, self-expression, and staying true to your dreams.
In this collection, you will meet Kobe, a teenage basketball player grappling with the death of his role model; Zim, a sword-wielding orphan on a quest to save his grandmother’s life; Ava, a cyborg girl who just wants to be normal; and Brandon, a boy struggling to choose between his passion and his family. This motley crew of heroes all learn to decipher their changing worlds, carrying with them necessary guidance for readers on how they can process their own. Artfully illustrated, and written in both poetry and prose, this book has something for every type of reader.
ISBN: 978-1-950807-37-6
Age: 9+
Lexile: 590L
Page Count: 120
Published: Fall 2021
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Meet the Authors
As young people from the Edgewood Commons community in Northeast D.C., where most residents are Black and generational poverty is persistent, Beacon House writers wanted to tell fictional stories inspired by their own lived experiences. Through weekly after-school writing workshops led by Shout Mouse teaching artists, cohorts of youth authors write imaginative, collaborative novels that center the experiences of Black youth. We’re so proud of the ways their books have influenced conversations around race, resilience, and youth perspectives across the city and the country. Through Author Talks, book donations, and books sales, the voices of Beacon House authors have reached readers and leaders across the country. Proceeds from Beacon House titles support new authors and fund future programming for the Beacon House community.
