Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS by Renee Watson
Introduction by Heavy Medal Award Committee Member Gabrielle Stoller
“To write my name is to spell the sorrows of my ancestors,
pg. 9
How they were sold and traded, hanged and drowned.
How their tears and sweat and blood seeded generations….
To say my name is to hold a prayer, a second chance.
Is to count me out, watch me rise.”
With this free verse offering, it is little wonder that BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS by Renee Watson made it into the Mock Newbery discussion. It is unlike most middle grade offerings for it is not a novel. It is a selection of poems that introduce us to not only Renee Watson, but Black women, Black heritage. It is glimpses into childhood, girlhood, womanhood that will resonate with the reader long after the book has been read.
When thinking about Newbery criteria, this book rises in terms of “Delineation of Characters” and “Style.” I was never in doubt of the voice of the text; it was Renee. She was sharing personal experiences that any youth can relate too: the love of family (pg. 22), being disappointed by someone in your life (pgs. 30-31), surviving the teen years (pgs. 50-51). Text should be able to transport the reader and indeed, I was transported back to my own personal childhood. That of my homeschool teen years. That of my fundamentalist background I have since left. That of figuring out my prepubescent body and hormones. I was one with Renee Watson.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
In my opinion, though, this book shines in its style. Being poetry, a combination of free verse, haiku, etc., we are truly given the opportunity to get inside Renee’s mind. We feel her agony about Breona Taylor. We hear her charge to get out of our own way. This autobiographical memoir would not work so well if done conventionally. Here we have impact, here we have staying power.
Some might say this book is #blackgirlmagic and therefore unrelatable to a wider audience. I disagree. It’s common in children’s literature to say it but books are windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors. Black Girl You Are Atlas epitomizes that. Indeed, Black girls can see themselves represented. White girls like me get a glimpse of life. And we can all come together into the Sisterhood.
Heavy Medal Award Committee members and others are now invited to discuss this book further in the Comments section below. Let the Mock Newbery discussion begin!
“Gather the women,
The truth-tellers, the wise ones.
Always keep them close.” (page 56)
/
Filed under: Book Discussion
About Emily Mroczek-Bayci
Emily Mroczek (Bayci) is a freelance children’s librarian in the Chicago suburbs. She served on the 2019 Newbery committee. You can reach her at emilyrmroczek@gmail.com.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
Our 2025 Preview Episode of The Yarn Podcast!
Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Fox All Week by James Marshall
Mini Marvels: Hulk Smash | Review
When Book Bans are a Form of Discrimination, What is the Path to Justice?
Take Five: Gun Violence in Middle Grade Fiction
Our 2025 Preview Episode!
ADVERTISEMENT
The hardest thing for me with this title is not considering Watson’s entire body of work, since it is remarkable how she manages to, as Emily states, maintain her very distinctive voice throughout her books, whether she is writing for the early chapter book audience or adults.
That aside, however, I find this collection to be incredibly powerful and ripe for using as exemplar and read alouds with middle and high school classes. How do we hook young people with poetry? One way is to read it aloud and grab them with it. This book is perfect for that, with pieces such as “How to Survive Your Teen Years” (p. 50) absolutely universal in appeal to the intended audience. I want to hand a scrawled copy of “An Etheree for Moving On (p. 51) ” to any young adult suffering a breakup or friend drama, and “Love it All” (p. 77) is the self-love manifesto every young person needs and deserves.
I think this title more than meets the criteria of displaying “respect for children’s understandings, abilities, and appreciations”, landing on the higher end of the age range. Does that make it as strong of a contender as others? Well, if “Last Stop on Market Street” can win the Newbery at the lower end, so can a book with older children in mind. This choice would be a powerful message from the Newbery Committee.
I want to make sure Gabrielle gets credit for writing this fabulous intro, I just posted it! <3
BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS was a powerful read. I fully expect this novel to rack up so many awards, I just don’t think it will be the Newbery. This book definitely meets the “distinguished contribution to American literature” but I think the themes of this novel and the content will push it into the welcoming arms of the Printz Committee and several other awards (I will be very surprised if this doesn’t pick up a few Coretta Scott King medals!). The Newbery criteria defines children as “persons of ages up to and including fourteen, and books for this entire age range are to be considered.” And while I do think BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS does fall into the upper range of what the criteria considers for children, I don’t think that this book was created with “children’s understandings, abilities, and appreciations” in mind. It has a very YA feel and even the reflections and beautiful moments in the book feel more like nostalgia, looking back and wishing you could talk to your younger self, rather than a book that is specifically directed at kids for kids. But Kate makes a great point that the Newbery has usually chosen books that speak more to younger kids and it would send a powerful message if they went with this title!
I was blown away by the prose in this book. The poems were powerful and spoke to me as a woman and as a person who is now realizing how fleeing girlhood was and how much strength we can pull from the women and community around us. It was just a beautiful read. I completely agree with Gabrielle’s summary where she notes that BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS was able to transport her back to her childhood. I too felt transported back to when I felt awkward and unsure but also to those moments, that Watson captures so wonderfully, where I felt powerful and started to understand my worth.
I know Newbery doesn’t comment or critique upon the artwork of a book at all, but I’m also unsure if I felt the cut paper/collage style art lifted or added anything to the narrative. They were rich and luscious, but I felt a lot of the time they pulled me away from the poems rather than enhancing them.
I very much hope this book ends up with Coretta Scott King and/or Printz seals on it! I’m not picky about what award, but it definitely deserves the recognition.
Agreed! I am helping with my library’s mock Newbery short list and I didn’t include it on the Newbery list. But I highly encouraged our teen librarian to put it on the Printz list. It will be interesting to see where it ends up! This is when knowing the innerworkings of the committee would be so interesting because as Stephen points out below, this really could go either way. It really comes down to the committee’s interpretation.
*Steven
Sorry about that!
Good points Lauren. Also when you talk about the collage style, the piece of criteria to think about is “Each book is to be considered as a contribution to American literature. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the text. Other components of a book, such as illustrations, overall design of the book, etc., may be considered when they make the book less effective.”
I feel like that piece of criteria can have a lot of interpretations, but I’m throwing it out there!
oops I now see that you mentioned this criteria further down Lauren, thank you!!
The age level question is tricky with BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS, because the content of most of the poems fits easily within the Newbery range of 0-14. The structure is a little like a memoir, with glimpses of real life situations (like “Turning Seven” (p 28)) mixed in with the more generally inspirational poems (like “Lessons on Being a Sky Walker” (p 33)). And the memoir-ish poems move chronologically, so it’s only the later ones (like “Turning Seventeen” (p 48)) that really speak most directly to older teens. Very different from something like 24 SECONDS FROM NOW, which is all about the experiences and emotions of a seventeen-year-old.
And you could argue that the progression is especially strong for middle school ages in the way it speaks to their own experiences so strongly, then takes them a bit further, giving them a glimpse into the situations they might face in the near future. But I might be trying to talk myself into it. I think Lauren may have it just right in her comment above when she writes: “the reflections and beautiful moments in the book feel more like nostalgia, looking back and wishing you could talk to your younger self, rather than a book that is specifically directed at kids for kids.” That leaves me thinking that while this book will be appreciated by readers within the Newbery range, its best and intended audience might be just outside that range.
Black Girl You Are Atlas is a powerful collection of poetry. Often when you have a collection of poems some stand way above others and the rest seem like filler. I felt like each poem was so strong and could be reread and savored.
“Penny Fountain” was like a prayer almost like the Serenity Prayer. As someone who has struggled with time and lack of time recently the line “wish for time well spent, for time to be respected as the limited resource it is” spoke to me.
I know the biggest “concern” people have is with the age range. I reread the book again focusing primarily on that aspect. “Turning Thirteen” reflects the confusion of getting older and feeling the weight of the world – Rodney King, Anita Hill – with first crush and boundaries. I work in a middle school of grades 5 – 8. My eighth graders beg for books that validate their emotions and struggles and my younger readers are curious. Even though the poems “Turning Sweet Sixteen” and “Turning Seventeen” mention specific ages there isn’t anything overtly too mature for a middle school reader to understand and appreciate.
And can we talk about “How to Survive Your Teen Years”? Give a copy to all the teens!! Such powerful advice and written so well.
I could go on and on – almost every poem spoke to me in some way but “Wield Your Laughter” and the line “hold on to joy while you wait for happiness” was a reminder to find the joy in everyday life and small things and laugh.
Excellent point about the birthday poems being appealing to middle school-aged kids who may want to read up and see their emotions validated in the books they read!
I really like this point! I reread BLACK GIRL today and LOVED how the individual poems worked alone and together. However as the birthday posts got older i did struggle thinking the reader needed to be the age of the oldest character- thi point helps shut that down for me haha. I think it really depends on the committee and their attitude towards ages- and our attitude towards ages!! Will this be in our top 4?? I’m not sure!!!
I just had this discussion with a colleague about the nature of this collection and how it works so well as a unit but also as individual pieces. We thought the medium of artwork, collage, matched beautifully the structure and organization of this collection. Lots of connective tissue that created a unique relationship between these poems, but yet all of them really stood on their own. Quite an achievement!
Some counterpoints:
Re: artwork. My understanding from the Newbery Committee experience is that illustrations factor in when considering if the book is “the greatest contribution to children’s literature.” The book is an entire package released into a world of young readers. Illustrations are not a primary factor, but an undeniable part of the overall work.
Re: making a statement. This aim troubles me. SHOULD a Newbery Award committee consider making a statement as part of their final decision? If we consider that factor here, we’ll need to consider that with every finalist. Our discussion about potential statements could be focused on timeliness reflected in the books’ themes and on the flip side, on if the book is TOO timely that it won’t resonate with readers ten or more years from now. We are all painfully aware of the current dark cloud of censorship, and we can’t pretend we don’t know some of these choices will be targets. But I think it’s risky to entertain the idea of either, “We are making a statement by intentionally choosing this excellent and (sure-to-be) controversial book,” or, “Ha! THIS important book will rile ‘them’.” I look forward to exploring this question with the rest of the titles.
Re: age. Depends on the reader. Are there younger folks who will appreciate this brilliant poetry-memoir? I argue a hearty YES.
I agree (finally!) that the poems must be heard aloud. Watson herself reads the audiobook. In the poem “That Girl,” (pg 18), I wanted to know the inflection of some of the words. Does the tone of “That girl,” change as the poem progresses? In “When I Say I Love Us,” Watson says, “What I’m saying is I love how saying You good?/has countless meanings depending on how we ask it.” That said, Newbery committee members use of audiobooks IS forbidden because it is an “interpretation of the work.” If we were the real deal committee, we’d interpret together and Watson’s writing would still triumph as it is.
Last, Black Girl You Are Atlas is number one on my leaderboard for Literary Merit. Re-read the poem “Church of Press and Curl.” She weaves (ha) together the care for Black hair and religion. As another committee member raised in a fundamental church, I am in awe of what she does here. The last lines show off Watson’s mastery and potent wordsmithing.. “My sinner hair won’t obey assimilation,/won’t convert, no longer obedient/to Ms. Tiny’s ole-time religion./It is born again, made anew./Free.” So much meaning is accomplished with these five lines. The irony of the sinner being “born again,” by renouncing religion is wholly successful.
From the Newbery criteria on ALA’s website: “Each book is to be considered as a contribution to American literature. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the text. Other components of a book, such as illustrations, overall design of the book, etc., may be considered when they make the book less effective.”
I’ve always read this as the text is the primary document and the “extras” can be considered but should not have more weight than the text. And I guess from the way it’s written if the illustrations are uplifting the text they can be considered? I don’t know. I guess this is another area where it relies on the current committee to define how to factor in illustrations, cover work, chapter headers and text layout help advance the novel’s case for Newbery excellence. Maybe I’ve been interpreting this statement too literally!
I see Lauren and Steven’s points about teens being the intended audience for this book, but to advocate for the other side here, past Newbery committees have honored books that similarly straddle the border between middle grade and YA (thinking about THIS ONE SUMMER by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki and A SNAKE FALLS TO EARTH by Darcie Little Badger). So while I agree that this book would be more appealing for teens, especially with the retrospective and nostalgic tone that poems like “Turning Seven” and “Turning Thirteen” take, I think there’s precedence for the actual committee to consider it for a Newbery.
In terms of style, I give this a 10/10. The verse is fantastic, and the collages really bring to life the portraits that Watson paints for us in poems like the “Sisterhood Haikus,” the birthday poems, and my personal favorite, “Altars” (14). Thematically, I think it goes without saying that Watson succeeds marvelously at maintaining the Atlas/atlas analogy throughout the book. The poems follow Watson’s life chronologically and are both personal and tied to a larger message about a collective historical and social experience , as when she writes: “Black girl you are Atlas. The way you carry the weight of the hood on your shoulders like a too-heavy backpack” (17), “We go way back./ Our history dripping/ and damp from ocean waves” (35), and “You carry the requiem of your ancestors, you are proof of their sweet breath” (17). There are poems about her siblings, about love, about rain – but also about Breonna Taylor’s murder and police violence. This book thus succeeds thematically, in maintaining the metaphor that Watson establishes at the beginning of her book, and stylistically in presenting readers with different types of verse, all while maintaining the character of Watson’s voice and experiences.
Thank you to Gabrielle Stoller for your great intro!
These are excerpts from my Youth Review of BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS.
Renée Watson has achieved something unique through this collection of semi-autobiographical poetry.
With strong characterization, Renée Watson has written a powerful ‘herstory.’ Reflecting on the journey of a young person on the margins at the crossroads of gender, class, and race, Watson delivers a powerful piece of American literature. She does it in 81 pages using various poetry forms, including Free Verse, Haiku, Tanks, and Pantoum.
Each poem’s length, structure, and subject created waves of emotional amplitude. There is power in the organization of the poems. Watson establishes “excellence in “the presentation of information, including accuracy, clarity, and organization, which ties to plot and theme development. Representing the natural ebb and flow of emotions, the order of the poems modulates from intense to reflective, painting a picture of the range of feelings that people experience. The cadence and sum of the collection take the individually great poems to the height of award-winning literature.
An example of excellence is her structured tone. Beginning with a Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of the word at-las on pages 16-17, she draws attention to the power of one capitalized letter. It is a reminder that she is all of these things. Atlas (‘Titan,’) atlas (‘a collection of maps,’) Atlas (‘one who bears a heavy burden.)
“Black girl, you are Atlas. The way you carry the weight of the hood on your shoulders like a too-heavy backpack. Black girl you are atlas. You know the way back, the way forward. Black girl you are Atlas. The way no one expected you to be the fulfillment of prophecy. But it is you, always, who holds the world up.”
This is also highlighted in the poem “Black with a Capital B” (page 6), an organized list that demands capitalization in each line, giving gravity and emotion to single words. Each word is worth looking up and considering. With critical thinking, there are links to cultural identity.
How is this choice distinct? As soon as kids read, we learn that capital letters are signals. Capital letters begin a thought, identify importance, and give respect to proper names. Excellence in “Interpretation of the theme or concept” is achieved by Watson tying carefully chosen words in both personal and universal ways.
The theme of growing up through the lens of race and gender is explored in “Turning Seven,” Turning Thirteen,” “Turning Sweet Sixteen,” and “Turning Seventeen.” I’ll give you a teen So-Cal surfer analogy. If the order of poems sets up a huge, surf-able, perfectly timed wave, “How to Survive the Teen Years” is the point break. That magic place where the choppy, emotionally charged work shifts to a smooth, joyful ride along a personally defined line. It prepares young readers for life changes, promising that the process determines the outcome. The weight of heavy topics is lifted with affirming lines that have the potential to stay with and guide the reader.
Black Girl You Are Atlas is well positioned for award selection in 2024 as an original and distinct work of literary excellence and contribution to American literature for children. I have read many arguments for its place on the ALA podium with the central question of the “appropriateness of style.”
Kids have a great capacity to understand. Don’t dumb it down. There are parts of this book I would have appreciated at age 7. Others make more sense to me now at age 15. The book is relevant and meaningful in its approach to history and perspective. As my experience expands, so will my ability to apply the material.
The Newbery rubrics state, “Children are defined as persons of ages up to and including fourteen, and books for this entire age range are to be considered.” For the ALA Printz award, books must be designated as YA books by the publisher with the target reader range of 12-18. In the case of Black Girl You Are Atlas, I deferred to the publisher’s guidance to make my final decision. Penguin Random House/ Kokila has identified the title as a “teen and young adult” fiction, so while I applaud placement in Newbery ranks, BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS leans to the Printz. I am confident that Renée Watson will be invited to multiple award podiums, and I recommend this book to my teen peers who seek a powerful reading experience.
https://whoisquade.com/book-blog/f/black-girl-you-are-atlas
In the world of literature, no book had ever donned both Newbery and Printz medals. The ALA awards committees are separate councils within the book kingdom, each with its own unique quest. The Newbery committee is looking for literary magic fit for young adventurers, while the Printz crew seeks out bold narratives that compel teen readers.
But here’s a plot twist: What if a book hits the criteria of multiple awards? A literary work with the potential to charm both the young and young-at-heart? Could it claim victory in both circles? 2024 Titles BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS and LOUDER THAN HUNGER are two of my teen recommended titles that make think that while not plausible.. it is entirely possible.
I agree with Carrie that the possibility of a Newbery/Printz sweep is a longshot, but not impossible. Especially with age overlap that Quade points out: 0-14 for Newbery, 12-18 for Printz. And while Printz books have to be “designated by its publisher” as YA or as being within the age range, there’s nothing in the Newbery Manual that rules out books that are designated as YA. A SNAKE FALLS TO EARTH is a fairly recent example of a book marketed as YA by the publisher while winning a Newbery Honor (2022).
Since the Printz debuted in 2000, we’ve had three books that have won a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor in the same year, though no Medal duplication. So far. The three are:
– THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION by Nancy Farmer (2003)
– LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY by Gary Schmidt (2005)
– LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds (2018)
BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS is a tour de force of art and poetry. This is a Newbery contender for its style and presentation on different poems. Reading this felt like experiencing a literary and visual nostalgic movement – showing readers moments in Renee Watson’s life through Ekua Holmes’ mixed media in this coming of age work.
Poems that resonated with me: “Church of Press & Curl” (pgs. 24-25). Reading this conjured memories of sitting in the chair in the kitchen on Sunday evenings. My mom also used Black Magic hair grease with the pressing comb. Believe me when I tell you, those combs are hot and nothing to be played with!
“Lessons on Being a Sky Walker” teaches youth and teens to not make wishes and instead, “make yourself” (pg. 33) and forge your own path. “Buid a new world somewhere above the horizon, above your past, above your fears..” (pg. 33). I also wish I had the poem “How To Survive Your Teen Years” when I was a teen; and I too would recommend this poem to every teen who struggles to be seen.
“Black with a Captial B” (pg. 64) shows how the word ‘Black’ went from a color and became a culture – something to take pride in. Renee uses words like “Bertrayed, Bound, Beaten, Bruised” to “Boisterous, Beautiful, Bright, Brave” (pg. 64) to describe our painful past while celebrating our culture and future. It’s truly something to behold.
I appreciate that Renee’s poems also educate. The poem, “Scalp” is in response to the black and white photograph “Atiai 1970” by J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere. The photo is of a woman with her hair in parted braids. The parted hair pieces mirrors that of a crown. Readers see how parted hair led to freedom. “Plowing through naps like cotton fields. Each pathway a map to the underground railroad.” (pg. 27). I’m in awe of the resilience and the clever ways that slaves would braid patterns in to their hair to resemble escape maps – and used their hair as a means to communicate with others.
While this book clearly can relate to teens, I feel middle-schoolers can find poems in here that are relatable to them as well as inspire hope and joy.
[I’m posting this comment from Janeé Jackson-Doering due to some technical difficulties on the blog -steven e]:
BLACK GIRL YOU ARE ATLAS is a tour de force of art and poetry. This is a Newbery contender for its style and presentation on different poems. Reading this felt like experiencing a literary and visual nostalgic movement – showing readers moments in Renee Watson’s life through Ekua Holmes’ mixed media in this coming of age work.
Poems that resonated with me: “Church of Press & Curl” (pgs. 24-25). Reading this conjured memories of sitting in the chair in the kitchen on Sunday evenings. My mom also used Black Magic hair grease with the pressing comb. Believe me when I tell you, those combs are hot and nothing to be played with!
“Lessons on Being a Sky Walker” teaches youth and teens to not make wishes and instead, “make yourself” (pg. 33) and forge your own path. “Build a new world somewhere above the horizon, above your past, above your fears..” (pg. 33). I also wish I had the poem “How To Survive Your Teen Years” when I was a teen; and I too would recommend this poem to every teen who struggles to be seen.
“Black with a Capital B” (pg. 64) shows how the word ‘Black’ went from a color and became a culture – something to take pride in. Renee uses words like “Betrayed, Bound, Beaten, Bruised” to “Boisterous, Beautiful, Bright, Brave” (pg. 64) to describe our painful past while celebrating our culture and future. It’s truly something to behold.
I appreciate that Renee’s poems also educate. The poem, “Scalp” is in response to the black and white photograph “Atiai 1970” by J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere. The photo is of a woman with her hair in parted braids. The parted hair pieces mirror that of a crown. Readers see how parted hair led to freedom. “Plowing through naps like cotton fields. Each pathway a map to the underground railroad.” (pg. 27). I’m in awe of the resilience and the clever ways that slaves would braid patterns into their hair to resemble escape maps – and used their hair as a means to communicate with others.
While this book clearly can relate to teens, I feel middle-schoolers can find poems in here that are relatable to them as well as inspire hope and joy.