TAKE BACK THE BLOCK

Wes Henderson wants to focus on championing his swag in middle school but instead confronts a larger challenge as his neighborhood is threatened by the forces of gentrification.

Giles debuts with a novel that provides a probing look into the complex topic of gentrification and its ever present reality for low-income urban Black neighborhoods. Wes, a Black boy and the only child of two community activist parents, would rather spend his time getting fresh to defend his fifth grade Best Dressed title than be out every weekend protesting in the hot sun. However, he’s beginning to notice the accumulating effects of neighborhood shifts; his longtime friend Kari’s family was just pushed out of their home, and there’s the arrival of new stores that ask you to “build-your-own burger” and “grind-your-own coffee.” The tensions are even beginning to affect his longtime crew as the friends navigate their own different positions. What shines throughout the book is the power of intergenerational community organizing, as the text does an admirable job of highlighting the practices and networks for defending one’s home, chosen family, and history. Younger readers may require support in decoding and connecting some of the complex concepts in this book; it could sit at the center of a transformative collective reading experience. The story echoes contemporary realities that, as its culmination indicates, take an entire community to confront, and it will undoubtedly push readers into action.

An ambitious invitation for young readers that delivers promise for all.