{"id":415,"date":"2019-01-27T23:02:51","date_gmt":"2019-01-27T23:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/?p=415"},"modified":"2023-09-30T12:01:24","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T16:01:24","slug":"lit-literature-black-and-white","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/lit-literature-black-and-white\/","title":{"rendered":"This Is My Go-To For Reluctant Readers: Black and White"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Black and White<\/i> by Paul Volponi is the cornerstone of my classroom library<\/a>! It is the first book that I book talk, the book that goes missing without fail every quarter, and the novel that I hand to all of my reluctant readers.<\/strong> This novel is the English teacher’s dream! Jump to the end of this classroom review of Black and White<\/i> by Paul Volponi to see a breakdown of the novel’s details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love, or think my readers will find useful.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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The Plot of Black and White<\/em> Will Pull Reluctant Readers In<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Without fail, Black and White<\/a><\/em> always finds a home with some of my reluctant readers every year. Volponi’s novel does a great job of engaging the otherwise un-engageable. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book follows two best friends, Marcus and Eddie (nicknamed Black and White), who have a deep friendship, despite their different ethnicities. Together, they lead the school basketball team and dream about attending college for the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither teen has much extra cash lying around, however, and during senior year, the expenses start to stack: banquets, end-of-year trips, dances, etc. Together, they decide to commit a few stick-ups–just enough to cover the unexpected cots of senior year. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first few go well, and the boys are able to escape. During one robbery, however, the gun accidentally goes off. The boys run, never looking back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, the world is larger than school and basketball. Did they kill a man? Will the police find them? Will one snitch on the other? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suspense builds so quickly in Black and White<\/a><\/em> that your students won’t be able to put it down!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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What Makes Black and White<\/em> Great for Reluctant Readers?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, the main characters in Black and White<\/a><\/em> are relatable: they’re high school seniors who just want to be involved in normal graduation experiences, are a little short on cash, and dream of making it big in basketball. They’re great friends and incredibly loyal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their situation is also relatable<\/strong>. Too many of our students know what it’s like to come from a household where money is always tight. Many of our students spend their lives daydreaming about “making it” while worrying about how to survive tomorrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s also no romance plotline here, which is sometimes hard to find.<\/strong> This book is all action, tension, and suspense. Black and White<\/a><\/em> is purely about the boys’ survival, their hopes and dreams, and the consequences of choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another feature that draws in reluctant readers is the narration style. The narrative switches between the perspectives of the two boys, which keeps the reader on his toes.<\/strong> Every chapter leaves the reader wanting to know more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volponi is also able to touch on issues in the criminal justice system, without overly politicizing the storyline.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Which Reluctant Readers will Love Black and White<\/i>?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not every reluctant reader is exactly the same, but I can spot the lovers of this book a mile away! The perfect reader match is that basketball player who slumps into the classroom proclaiming (proudly) that he or she hasn’t read a book since middle school. <\/strong>Most of the students I see pick this one up are male, but I have had some girls check this one out too. (They do all tend to be basketball fans, though.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I usually book talk Black and White<\/a><\/em> by reading the excerpt of the gun accidentally going off.<\/strong> From there, it’s usually a mad dash to check out one of my copies. I try to keep at least 5-6 copies on my shelf, but they go missing so often that it’s not always possible. If you have a limited budget and need to start small, I highly recommend making Black and White<\/a><\/em> by Paul Volponi one of the first additions to your classroom library!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’m so grateful I found Black and White<\/a><\/em> by Paul Volponi. It filled a hole in my classroom library and suddenly made matching a book to my reluctant readers much easier. Since then, I’ve found others that are also great for this. Check them out in this post, 5 Thrilling Books For High School Students Who Hate to Read<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have a student who loved Black and White<\/a>?<\/em> I also recommend Dear Martin by Nic Stone<\/a> or Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n