A review by bhrtng
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

5.0

Realistic middle grade fiction about two brothers, one dark-skinned (Donte) and one light-skinned/white passing (Trey) and how differently they get treated at their predominantly white private school. After Donte gets escorted from school by the police for something his popular white classmate Alan did, he seeks to beat him at his own game by learning how to fence. Rhodes did an excellent job of showcasing the unfair treatment and punishment of Black children by schools and law enforcement without ever becoming too watered down or unrelatable for a middle grade audience. Donte's journey and character development was heart-warming and I loved his supportive friends and family. An excellent book all around and I even learned a bit about fencing and its non-white roots!