N.J. initiative sparks power through a reading list for the youth

My Brother’s Keeper Newark’s second annual summer reading list aims to keep kids interested in school while preventing summer slump by helping young men and men of color find themselves in stories.

Former President Barack Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK) program in 2014 in response to the murder of Trayvon Martin with the goals of reducing opportunity disparities, energizing communities, and enhancing life outcomes, particularly academic and educational advancement for young men.

MBK chapters have been established in more than 250 towns nationwide, including Newark.

More than merely a book collection, this program is a citywide call to action aimed at encouraging reading and enjoyment among young people in Newark. Through collaborations like GreenLight Fund Greater Newark and Reading Partners, MBK Newark is assisting in making sure that students have access to a variety of books and the chance to develop as readers.

According to Mark Comesa, executive director of MBK Newark, “Seeing yourself in literature, in what you’re reading, gives you…tremendous power and, it gives you tremendous confidence.”

The works on the summer reading list were picked especially to highlight the struggles and lifestyles of young men of color, from infancy to early adulthood.

According to Comesa, the reading list was purposefully created to give the kids of Newark a sense of community, as several of the authors are from the city.

The involvement with MBK resulted from Reading Partners receiving $600,000 over four years from GreenLight Fund Greater Newark to establish offices in Newark, form local relationships, and close early literacy gaps in order to serve students who read at or below grade level.

MBK purchased 500 copies of the books on the list during the summer to distribute at different gatherings and neighborhood groups, like Programs for Parents.

“We want to help at least 80% of the 4,500 students in the city of Newark reach their literacy growth target over the course of the next four years,” stated Naima Ricks, managing director of partnerships and growth at Reading Partners.

Additionally, Reading Partners is looking for volunteer tutors to provide one-on-one lessons around Newark during the summer and into the academic year.

According to an analysis by TapintoNewark, the 2024 New Jersey State Learning Assessments (NJSLA) tests reveal that 23% of Newark third graders are proficient in reading at their grade level, meaning that 77% of third graders struggle to meet the benchmark.

Tish Johnson-Jones, executive director of the GreenLight Fund Greater Newark, stated, “We don’t want their lack of literacy to prevent them from having long-term sustainable careers for themselves and for their future down the line.”

The summer reading list explores the intricacies of identity, emotions, overcoming obstacles, and forming bonds with others while providing young people with plenty of fun.

According to Comesa, “I believe that success looks like the list influencing our thinking about how we support boys and young men of color, in terms of curating a space for them.”

The reading list is as follows:

Ages 0–3

• 
  Naciste Para Mi/Made for Me for Me by Zack Bush
  
• 
  Brown Sugar Babe by Charlotte Watson Sherman
  
• 
  Sa a pou Mwen/That s Mine! By Sumana Seeboruth
  
• 
  Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke
  
• 
  Cool Cuts by Mechal Renee Roe
  

Ages 4–6

• 
  Brick by Brick – Heidi Woodward Sheffield
  
• 
  The World Belonged to Us by Jacqueline Woodsoon
  
• 
  Un Beso en Mi Mano/The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
  
• 
  Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
  
• 
  The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
  

Ages 7–9

• 
  Benita y las criaturas nocturnas/Benita and the Night Creatures by Mariana Llanos
  
• 
  Freedom Soup by Tami Charles
  
• 
  Merci Su rez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
  
• 
  Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliot
  
• 
  J.D. and the Great Barber Battle by J. Dillard
  

10–13 years old

• 
  The Adventures of Yaya Soup: Soup Joumou Lakay Grann Pola (series) by Tico Armand and Angie Bell
  
• 
  The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles
  
• 
  Amanda Black: Una herencia peligrosa (series) by Juan G mez-Jurado y B rbara Montes
  
• 
  The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
  
• 
  Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children by Lynette Mawhinney
  

14–17 years old

• 
  Solito by Javier Zamora
  
• 
  Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
  
• 
  What Lane? by Torrey Maldonado
  
• 
  Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
  
• 
  Louder Than Words by Ashley Woodfolk
  

Ages 18 and up

• 
  The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
  
• 
  The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
  
• 
  One Day I Shall Astonish the World by Nina Stibbe
  
• 
  Cien A os de Soledad by Gabriel Garc a M rquez
  
• 
  The Power of Exposure: Lessons of Success from Highly Effective Mentors by Dan De Nose
  

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