Notes from a teacher-reader

• Movie available, but a little different from the book.

• Younger grades - allow them to watch the movie with subtitles and use excerpts from the book.

• Chapter 2 can be used to talk about how certain groups deal with the police (Dad teaches daughter how to interact with the police).

• Relevant to current events.

• The main character, Starr, goes to an all-white private school. 

• She lives in a place different from her school culture.

• She must deal with the concept of identity. 

• Best friend (white) is racist because she empathizes with the officer who killed the main character’s Black friend from her neighborhood who was reaching to get a hairbrush when he was shot and killed by police. 

• The key event is when the Black friend was killed by a police officer (questions on speaking up about this or not, how to react, what to do, what is my responsibility).

• Relationships change in the story as main character’s identity develops. 

• Main theme - why people focus on the negative experiences of the Black friend who was killed and forgetting all positive aspects of his life. 

• Hook: Relatable to teens, addresses racism in society, police brutality, and white privilege.

• Classroom use:

  • Originally an English book, students can easily access information without reading in French.

  • Used as early as grade 9 Extended if only using excerpts.

  • Cross-Curricular opportunity  - many Eng Dept. read it in grade 9.

  • Content warnings: Police brutality, gang violence.