CONFESSIONS OF A CANDY SNATCHER

An ill-fated Halloween candy-snatching incident leads a Black seventh grader to craft a story about what really happened.

Jonas has been grabbing candy from trick-or-treaters with friends Mikey, Darius, and Aaron since he was in sixth grade. He doesn’t see any harm in it and was having fun until the target became Gideon Rao, his classmate who arrived in fifth grade from Texas and is cued Indian American. Afterward, Jonas starts finding notes in his locker—“I KNOW IT WAS YOU” and “WATCH YOUR BACK”—and he starts listing classmates who might be responsible for writing them. He’s worried about the possible consequences if his involvement is discovered even though his friends promised to keep it all a secret. Concepción, Jonas’ Chilean home-schooled friend who goes by C., asks Jonas to write about the worst thing he ever did for her zine, which forces him to think more deeply about the events. His self-reflection is derailed when the notes increase in visibility, however. Soon Jonas is reluctantly involved in mediation with people he thought he knew. The book shows how Jonas’ different friendships have shaped him; he is a different person with C. than he is with his boys, something that allows readers to travel down the journey of introspection alongside Jonas. The striking black-and-white illustrations in a variety of styles offer insights into the characters’ emotions in compelling ways.

A creative debut about harnessing the courage to view yourself and your friendships clearly.