The Talk

Jay has a carefree life as a little boy. But as he grows up, life becomes complicated in a racist world. “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸” is about the practical survival strategies linked to prejudice and inequality that every Black and Brown child in the US needs to know, because this ‘talk’ could mean a difference between life and death. A sensitive topic, brilliantly handled! I especially loved the way ‘growing up’ is portrayed seamlessly in the narrative.

This book would be a good conversation starter for the Grade 4s that I teach. My class kids (predominantly brown) are very vocal about racism and inequality and for them, though this book is a window to the lives of children in another country, I would love to hear their opinion once school reopens.

I would pair this book with a read-aloud of one of the chapters from Wade Hudson’s “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬: 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 & 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.”