Nothing Special
Selected as a Top Ten Children's Book of 2022 the New York Public Library; a selection of Social Justice Books (a Teach for Change project); Winner of the 2023 Paterson Prize Books for Young People; selected by the Association for Library Service to Children to their 2023 Summer Reading List; Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist!
A buddy story that spans generations, and a love letter to the Black family connections that survive the Great Migration.
Six-year-old Jax can't wait to leave Detroit and spend a week with his grandparents in coastal Virginia, where he's sure he'll be spoiled with the kinds of special things he enjoys at home: toys, movies, and hamburgers. As he dreams of the adventures he'll have, his PopPop has other ideas. He fills their days with timeless summer fun―crabbing, shucking corn, and counting fireflies.
Illustrated entirely of repurposed textiles, Nothing Special celebrates the enduring connection between the generations who stayed in the South and the millions of emigrants for whom it will always be home. Between 1910 and 1970, more than six million African Americans left the Jim Crow South, but they never forgot the culture, the land, and the family they left behind. In the decades since, it has become a summer ritual for many black families to reverse the journey and return South for a visit to their homeplaces.
Book At A Glance
# of Pages: 40
Book Binding: Hardcover
Year of Publication: 2022
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Language: en
ISBN: 9780814349731
Creator Bio
Desiree Cooper is an award-winning author, journalist, and former attorney. She has written for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Detroit Free Press, and The Huffington Post. Cooper's writing explores the complexities of race, gender, and identity in America, often through the lens of her own experiences as a black woman. In addition to her writing, she is also a public speaker and community activist, working to promote social justice and equality. Nothing Special is her debut collection of short stories, which received critical acclaim for its poignant portrayal of African American life.
