65 pages • 2 hours read
Ibi ZoboiA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
“Half a Moon” by Renée Watson
“Black Enough” by Varian Johnson
“Warning: Color May Fade” by Leah Henderson
“Black. Nerd. Problems.” by Lamar Giles
“Out of the Silence” by Kekla Magoon
“The Ingredients” by Jason Reynolds
“Oreo” by Brandy Colbert
“Samson and the Delilahs” by Tochi Onyebuchi
“Stop Playing” by Liara Tamani
“Wild Horses, Wild Hearts” by Jay Coles
“Whoa!” by Rita Williams-Garcia
“Gravity” by Tracey Baptiste
“The Trouble With Drowning” by Dhonielle Clayton
“Kissing Sarah Smart” by Justina Ireland
“Hackathon Summers” by Coe Booth
“Into the Starlight” by Nic Stone
“The (R)evolution of Nigeria Jones” by Ibi Zoboi
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Cam is a teenage boy from Austin who spends his summers at his grandmother’s house in Franklin, South Carolina, with his cousin, Myron. The prior summer, he finally told a girl, Jessica, that he liked her, and the two stayed in touch for a few months. However, she slowly stopped responding. Now, he has gotten a haircut and bought new shoes to impress her.
Cam and Myron drive to Tarik’s house for a party. On the way, Cam thinks of Myron’s love of musical theater and his ability to sing, dance, and act. He wants to go to college for theater if his dad will “let him.” Myron mentions that he is not even sure if Jessica is interested in guys, especially guys like Cam, a reference to the fact that guys in Franklin talk behind his back about him being an “Oreo”—a “Black boy trying to be white” (28). Cam notices that Myron says she is not interested in guys like “you”—referring to Cam—instead of guys like “us”—referring to both him and Cam. Cam notes how weird this is, given that Myron hides his love of theater and blasts rap music to fit in with the other Black kids.
By Ibi Zoboi