All Boys Aren't Blue : : a Memoir-Manifesto

Locations
Call Number: Teen 921 Johnson, George, Teen Book / Nonfiction / Biography
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor 4-week checkout	Teen 921 Johnson, George	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Nonfiction / Biography	4-week checkout	Due 05-12-2024
Traverwood Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Nonfiction / Biography	4-week checkout	Due 05-18-2024
Westgate Teen Books 4-week checkout	Teen Book / Nonfiction / Biography	4-week checkout	Due 05-25-2024

Author's note ; Introduction: Black. Queer. Here. -- Act 1. A different kid: Chapter 1. Smile ; Chapter 2. Identity ; Chapter 3. "Honeychild" ; Chapter 4. Fags play football, too ; Chapter 5. "Honest Abe" lied to me ; Chapter 6. You can't swim in cowboy boots. -- Act 2. Family: Dear little brother ; Chapter 7. Nanny : the caregiver, the hustler, my best friend ; Chapter 8. Daddy's second chance ; Chapter 9. Losing hope ; Chapter 10. Dear Mommy ; A lesson before dying. -- Act 3. Teenagers: Chapter 11. Boys will be boys ; Chapter 12. The prom kings we never were ; Chapter 13. Setting myself free or setting myself up? -- Act 4. Friends: Chapter 14. Caught in a haze ; Chapter 15. Losing my virginity twice ; Chapter 16. Don't know why I didn't call. -- Afterword: All boys aren't blue ; Acknowledgments.
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

I liked it submitted by Xris on October 15, 2021, 9:45pm I liked reading about his life, but maybe it's not for middle schoolers, but more for high schoolers. I'm glad he tried things and trusted his friends to come out to them.

Possibly good for older teens submitted by TeacherN on June 15, 2022, 5:48pm I'm not quite sure how to rate this. First, the middle-grade style cover is misleading and the subtitle is very small. I honestly thought this was going to be a much different book than it actually was. Second, though it could possibly be an important book for certain (older) teens to read, I struggled to stay with it until the end. It was just too all over the place, and some of the sex stuff was far too graphic for me. I know the author's intentions were good, and this book was not intended for a 50-something white lady. So please take my rating and review with my perspective in mind.

Representation Matters submitted by khrobinson on August 27, 2022, 3:06pm It was really brave for the author to write the kind of book he wished he had had as a young gay man. An honor to read his story.

Black and Queer Coming of Age submitted by sdunav on July 1, 2023, 12:24pm This memoir of growing up Black and queer in New Jersey is aimed at teens but worth a read by adults. Johnson lovingly describes his extended family, and is matter of fact about the bullying he goes through at school and two instances of sexual molestation. It's interesting hearing his perspective on sports, HIV, transgender folks, cousins, college, black fraternities and sororities (at a historically black college in Virginia), and coming out and becoming sexually active - and being a minority twice over.

Inappropriate submitted by 21621033457308 on October 14, 2023, 12:57pm I don't understand why y'all have decided it's anything less than creepy for an adult to graphically describe his sexual experiences for a minor teenage audience. There are ways to teach teens about a healthy relationship with sex via reflecting on one's own experience. This isn't it. This is just plain disgusting. When it was brought to the author's attention that the book was in MIDDLE SCHOOL libraries, his immediate, wholly immature response was name-calling. He was not at all concerned that MIDDLE SCHOOLERS were reading the GRAPHIC SEX SCENES that HE WROTE AIMED AT KIDS.