Bibliographic Information:
- Title: Chlorine Sky a novel
- Author: Mahogany L. Browne
- ISBN: 978-0593176399
- Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
- Copyright Date: 2021
Genre / Format of the Title :
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Novel in Verse, realistic fiction [Book & Audiobook]
- Other subject tags: #OwnVoices (African-American); diverse characters, contemporary social issues
- None as of 4/2021; this was recently published on January 2021
- Appropriate for Grades 7-12 according to TeachingBooks.net; Amazon.com states age range: 14-17.
Plot Summary:
Layli and Sky have been best friends ever since Layli defended Sky against bullies in the pool and they were tight friends ever since. However, their friendship falls apart when Sky decides to tell the truth about another boy rather than lie for her friend. Layli stops talking to her. Besides problems with her best friend, she also has family issues. Sky’s father “is a ghost,” an absentee father who is currently in jail; her sister Issa has a different dad and this difference creates another rift between the siblings. Sky learns how to play basketball from her cousin Inga and on the court, she is unstoppable. On the court she faces misogynistic treatment from classmates who are threatened by her ability to play basketball. Sky learns to navigate the minefield of friendships, boyfriends, and families and finds her voice in the process.
Layli and Sky have been best friends ever since Layli defended Sky against bullies in the pool and they were tight friends ever since. However, their friendship falls apart when Sky decides to tell the truth about another boy rather than lie for her friend. Layli stops talking to her. Besides problems with her best friend, she also has family issues. Sky’s father “is a ghost,” an absentee father who is currently in jail; her sister Issa has a different dad and this difference creates another rift between the siblings. Sky learns how to play basketball from her cousin Inga and on the court, she is unstoppable. On the court she faces misogynistic treatment from classmates who are threatened by her ability to play basketball. Sky learns to navigate the minefield of friendships, boyfriends, and families and finds her voice in the process.
Author Background:
Mahogany L. Browne was born Oakland in 1976 and moved to New York in 1999 where she currently lives. She received her MFA from the Pratt Institute. She has authored many poetry collections and is the author of Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice and Black Girl Magic both published by Roaring Book Press in 2020 and 2018 respectively (Academy of American Poets, n.d.). Browne is currently the artistic director of Urban Word NYC, program director of BLM at Pratt Institute where she is an instructor, and the founder of Women Writers of Color Reading Room (Virginia Festival of the Book, 2021, March 2). She is also the Executive Director of Bowery Poetry Club (Browne, M. L., 2020).
Mahogany L. Browne was born Oakland in 1976 and moved to New York in 1999 where she currently lives. She received her MFA from the Pratt Institute. She has authored many poetry collections and is the author of Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice and Black Girl Magic both published by Roaring Book Press in 2020 and 2018 respectively (Academy of American Poets, n.d.). Browne is currently the artistic director of Urban Word NYC, program director of BLM at Pratt Institute where she is an instructor, and the founder of Women Writers of Color Reading Room (Virginia Festival of the Book, 2021, March 2). She is also the Executive Director of Bowery Poetry Club (Browne, M. L., 2020).
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(TeachingBooks.net, 2021)
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Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items:
Reading this book in verse is like watching a time lapsed clip of a plant growing. In short turns of phrases and tight prose, Browne creates Sky, a character whose name we won’t even know until the end, until she herself knows that she is worth knowing. It’s brilliant! Everything that we know about the narrator is defined by her relationship to others and how others see her. It isn’t until the end, when she grabs her identity by giving us her name do we realize that we just witnessed a dramatic personal growth and feel some semblance of hope for the future of teens like Sky who learn to transcend the difficulties in their lives and not make it define their future.
Reading this book in verse is like watching a time lapsed clip of a plant growing. In short turns of phrases and tight prose, Browne creates Sky, a character whose name we won’t even know until the end, until she herself knows that she is worth knowing. It’s brilliant! Everything that we know about the narrator is defined by her relationship to others and how others see her. It isn’t until the end, when she grabs her identity by giving us her name do we realize that we just witnessed a dramatic personal growth and feel some semblance of hope for the future of teens like Sky who learn to transcend the difficulties in their lives and not make it define their future.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Poetry out Loud (POL) happens every April and often students go straight to the internet to scour for poems to recite. This book contains within it so many powerful poems that can be used for POL recitation. I always collaborate with teachers in their poetry units and this one will be a book resource for a POL session/presentation which will likely be held in the library again.
Poetry out Loud (POL) happens every April and often students go straight to the internet to scour for poems to recite. This book contains within it so many powerful poems that can be used for POL recitation. I always collaborate with teachers in their poetry units and this one will be a book resource for a POL session/presentation which will likely be held in the library again.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer:
What will you do when one day, your best friend decides to stop talking to you, your teammates won’t stop trash talking you when they realize you’re a better baller than them, and your life feels aimless? Where do you find the strength to redirect your anger and the reason to go on living when everything seems hellbent to destroy you? Find out what the protagonist in Chlorine Sky does to find her voice in this novel-in-verse you will want to read out loud.
What will you do when one day, your best friend decides to stop talking to you, your teammates won’t stop trash talking you when they realize you’re a better baller than them, and your life feels aimless? Where do you find the strength to redirect your anger and the reason to go on living when everything seems hellbent to destroy you? Find out what the protagonist in Chlorine Sky does to find her voice in this novel-in-verse you will want to read out loud.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
Misogyny and sexual assault are depicted in this book and while it is painful to read the description of the assault, censoring this book will not remove the violence women experience, often in silence. While this book does not offer solutions to the situation, it does present the subject in a realistic manner at the same time giving the reader hope that these social injustices must be addressed in order for change to occur.
Misogyny and sexual assault are depicted in this book and while it is painful to read the description of the assault, censoring this book will not remove the violence women experience, often in silence. While this book does not offer solutions to the situation, it does present the subject in a realistic manner at the same time giving the reader hope that these social injustices must be addressed in order for change to occur.
Reason for Inclusion:
Novels in verse, especially when I find an audio version read by the authors themselves, are such an auditory treat. This one is no different. Students with their short attention spans will be able to listen to this in one to two sittings and they will be able to read this quickly as well. But the best part is this book also lends itself to being performed out loud.
Novels in verse, especially when I find an audio version read by the authors themselves, are such an auditory treat. This one is no different. Students with their short attention spans will be able to listen to this in one to two sittings and they will be able to read this quickly as well. But the best part is this book also lends itself to being performed out loud.
REFERENCES
Academy of American Poets. (n.d.). Poets.org. https://poets.org/poet/mahogany-l-browne
Browne, M. L. (2020, June). Bio. Mahogany L. Browne. https://mobrowne.com/bio.html
TeachingBooks.net. (2021, January). Meet the author recording with Mahogany L. Browne. TeachingBooks.net. https://www.teachingbooks.net/qlc2diq
TeachingBooks.net. (2020). Chlorine Sky. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=74019
Virginia Festival of the Book. (2021, March 2). Q&A with festival author Mahogany L. Browne. Virginia Festival of the Book. https://vabook.org/2021/03/04/qa-with-festival-author-mahogany-l-browne/.
Browne, M. L. (2020, June). Bio. Mahogany L. Browne. https://mobrowne.com/bio.html
TeachingBooks.net. (2021, January). Meet the author recording with Mahogany L. Browne. TeachingBooks.net. https://www.teachingbooks.net/qlc2diq
TeachingBooks.net. (2020). Chlorine Sky. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=74019
Virginia Festival of the Book. (2021, March 2). Q&A with festival author Mahogany L. Browne. Virginia Festival of the Book. https://vabook.org/2021/03/04/qa-with-festival-author-mahogany-l-browne/.
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