I finished reading The Black Friend by @FredTJoseph on #NetGalley this evening (published in the UK by @WalkerBooksUK). Aimed at young adults, definitely worth having in your #GreatSchoolLibraries, (I think *especially* those with mainly white populations). https://t.co/sLmU1kHcjd

I think of myself as a pretty liberal person. I feel like I’m pretty knowledgeable about the world and it’s people. But I am learning so much from this book.
It gives a fantastic insight into what it’s like growing up as a Black teen in America and also includes stories from people of other ethnicities talking about their experiences.

The book is aimed at a YA audience I’d say but it’s definitely a book I’d encourage everyone to pick up at least once because even if you think you know the world...sometimes you don’t know it as well as you think you do.

I feel this is a book that should be mandatory read for schools so that people are aware of the topic. It is written in a way that everyone would be able to take it on board and it is not patronising at all. Recommend this book.

I opened this book with the fundamental thought in my mind that this book probably wasn't really intended for me. 1. It was young adult, 2. I sought it out and 3. I constantly work to make myself a better white person. The writer addressed this thought almost instantly, using the quote: if you feel you don't need to read this book because you're already a decent white person, there's a good chance you're not as decent as you think". Humbled, corrected and hooked from then on.

This book is not patronising but educational. Scathing but inviting and friendly. Humorous without detracting from the serious issues discussed within it and modern without losing its timelessness. A real rare balance of traits to make what is truly a companion guide to being a better friend to Black people to be celebrated.

The book comes complete with appendices, interviews, quotations, a vocabulary list and even a playlist at the back so you can set the scene and learn about the music the writer references as he takes you through your reflection.

As an educator, this would be an IDEAL text to have a set of in my secondary school. To read, discuss and learn from. If I could buy 30 to let my 15 year olds explore this, I would.

Thanks to NetGalley for this amazing ARC in exchange for an honest review

A very deep subject handled with care and a light touch perfect for the age range it is aimed at. This isn’t a blame game book, it’s an honest book looking through his eyes. This should be in all secondary/high schools. Highly recommended

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review - as always, thanks so much to Netgalley for sending this to me!

One of my goals for 2021 has been to read more non-fiction, and I’m so glad to have started with this book. It’s essentially a simplified, teen-appropriate version of Ibram X. Kendi’s ‘How To Be An Antiracist,’ which covers a lot of the same ground but in a more easily digestible way. I really appreciated the engaging tone - Frederick’s goal is to establish a friendly rapport with the reader, and I think he definitely delivered on that front. I don’t read much non-fiction, and often find it intimidating, so this book’s more casual, approachable voice really appealed to me.

The book essentially acts as a beginner crash course in antiracism, going over how to be an accomplice in the fight against racism, along with advice on what not to say, accompanied by a lot of anecdotes from the author’s life that help to illustrate his point. It also has a bunch of extra materials, like playlists and various suggestions of must-see media made by Black creators, which I’ll definitely be referring back to in the future. The book features interviews with a number of the author’s other Black friends, colleagues and co-creators, helping it to be more well-rounded as Frederick brings in the voices of people who are able to speak on aspects of privilege and prejudice that he isn’t personally as well-versed in, like the crossover between racism and homophobia, etc. I found that it struck a great balance between the personal and the professional and did a fantastic job of breaking down a complex subject into something that younger readers (or even non-fiction-averse adults, like me) could ‘get.’ (Just to be clear: Black educators are by no means obligated to make anything palatable for white readers, and it’s important to do the work to get your head around these concepts without expecting Black people to do all the legwork. That being said, the point of this book is pretty much to be as digestible and understandable as possible, and it definitely succeeded in doing that.)

If you’ve ever read any kind of antiracist literature before, you’ll probably find that this book covers a lot of the same points, but it does it in a very down to earth and understandable way that I think helps the content to really sink in. It’s also a pretty gentle introduction to the cause, so might work well if given to someone who’s kind of resistant to learning about race (though apparently not enough for certain Goodreads reviewers, who apparently need to go back and read the book again, since they missed some (or all) of its key points. Racism against white people isn’t a thing, weirdos. See chapter one.)

I really appreciated this book, I found it very helpful, and I’ll definitely pick up a physical copy at some point for my own reference.

The Black Friend is an important, timely read for young adults. It’s more accessible than the other antiracism books I’ve read and I found the way that it was told through the author’s anecdotes was very refreshing. Because of this conversational nature, the content remains fairly light even though the subject itself is heavy.

While it’s clear that this targeted at a white audience and it will definitely help some of them. I wasn’t entirely clear on the age group that this book was targeted towards. As ARC from NetGalley it has it geared to children’s non-fiction and there were some moments that were great direction points to educate the audience. There were some good anecdotal moments that I related to as a Black woman that I experienced during my teens and the sound bites from activists was an interesting take. However, I felt the writing style was all over the place and felt more conducive to blog articles or tweets, there were no real deep depths in the chapter and just covered some surface issues at times. The summary points with the pause, rewind, fast forward icons I couldn’t understand the thematic concepts, sometimes it was a definition, backstory context or random thoughts as side notes. I would have have liked if this section was used more of a clear index and bookmark points that linked to the points of racism and anti-racism and not random elements to just google just because.

As a white person, it is definitely a privilege. This book covers humour, real-life and gets to the nitty-gritty of issues that are present today. It is a very good read and I would recommend it!!

An interesting and engaging book that I read with my 'teacher hat' on. For me this is a book that I would dip in and out of as a teacher. As I read every chapter I thought about how I could use this in the classroom and how powerful it would be for the learners. Lots of examples of racism that could be debated and fully discussed in order to allow the children to reflect on their own behaviours and language.

This book is honest and educational but also kind. Speaking as a former Black friend Joseph patiently explains the problems that young Black people often face in predominantly white spaces. Aimed at teenagers, this book is more about small actions that can easily offend others in a more real and practical way.

When reading this book I was overwhelmed with how kind and patient Joseph was when talking to the reader. There was a lot of taking things in good faith and taking the time to explain things in detail and to point out small things that can easily add up. This book doesn't cover how to fight for change on a larger scale, but is about change within yourself that can be done to make the lives of those that you care about a little bit easier.

This book is aimed at teenagers and its content has been selected carefully. Most of the personal anecdotes in this story are of racist acts committed by teenagers towards teenagers so show a much more explicit way of being a better person, that some other books on this topic don't do as well. This book that knows that the people reading it don't have a lot of power or influence, but shows you how to use what power you do have for good.

Furthermore, the multiple interviews throughout the book help place the stories that Joseph tells about his own life in a broader context and adds more dimension to the narrative. This helps show the reader possible next steps to being a better white person as well as the incredible work done by other people of colour. Having these section interspersed between the anecdotes helps to provide so hope that things will get better and lifts the tone of the book a little making it easier to read in one sitting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn to be a kinder and more respectful person. By starting with careful introspection and a desire to change, this book can lead you to great places. Additionally, the list of further things to research at the back of the book helps you plan next steps on a journey to be better to your Black friends.

I liked that Joseph adds in interviews with people who speak seriously in contrast to his somewhat jocular tone. His tone makes this an accessible read even though he covers a lot of Anti-Racism 101. I am not the target audience and I didn't realize this was aimed at younger people but I did find this a good read.

A very thought provoking read. It is also worth noting that is a view in America. Living in the UK I have a slightly different take on things. To me I don’t need a book how how to understand my friends. I treat all with respect. However, I have found some people have a chip on there should when it comes to race ‘ colour.

This book is a good conversation starter. Also, great for younger teens to understand why race / colour has come back to being so important.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Short but packing a punch this book is written in a conversational style. The author relates and reflects on episodes of racism within his own life and there are interviews with other people throughout the chapters. There are several ways of trying to explain concepts of white privilege to white people and as someone who is themselves white and trying to truly consider and reflect on my part in the racist society I am in I found it a thought-provoking and challenging read, as well I should. We're putting together a booklist of anti-racist books for our staff and pupils to read at school at the moment and this is definitely going on the list. Quite a few of the stories involve underage drinking and the book is quite US centric but I've mentioned this for information only, neither detracts from the power of the book.

Such an incredible, thought provoking book. I’m so happy that I got accepted for this book. Being a white person, it was exactly the reason why I wanted the opportunity to read it.

It raises and discusses some great topics and points. What made it even more personal, is the fact that Frederick is actually allowing us into his life and what he has experienced as a black person growing up in America. I found these very harrowing and is exactly why we now need to change from being allies into becoming accomplices.

I loved seeing how the author transitioned and changed his thinking. I also really enjoyed the interviews from various people from different backgrounds. It was good having people with different insights, who also had varying views but ultimately agreed that change needs to happen.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Walker Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A must read for people who want to do better and make a change!

I chose this book because of it's exact purpose. As a white person, with all the privilege that comes with that, I wanted to learn, I want to be better, I want to be part of the change. This book should be mandatory for all white people to read. I particularly loved the interviews with others, giving so many different experiences and perspectives...but all with one common theme, one collective experience. An experience I have never had to endure as a white person.
Fredrick Joseph lets us into his world in this book, you can feel the raw anger and pain, something he didn't have to give, but that creates such a profound and honest impact. I learned a lot from this book and despite thinking I had some idea about racism, so many of the stories shocked me...as they should everyone. This is one of those books that you immediately want to read again and buy for everyone you know. Enlightening and well written, it definitely holds your attention, I struggled to put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone...everyone should read this at least once, probably more.

This is not the first book on racism that I have read, so the topics covered weren’t new to me. However, the personal anecdotes shared and the way that each chapter finished with an interview meant that I loved this book.