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
Joni gets a college acceptance letter from Spelman College, a historically Black college (HBCU). She has not told her parents about the letter, partially because she does not understand herself why she wants to go, and partially because her wealthy parents would want her to attend a more prestigious school.
Joni’s parents then reveal to Joni and her brother, Ellis, that they are going to Missouri to visit Joni’s grandmother for her 80th birthday party. Joni remembers their last trip to Missouri when she was 12, during which she was relentlessly made fun of by her cousins for how she talked, the music she listened to, and many other aspects of their lives. In particular, her cousin Junior called her an “Oreo” for loving musicals, but not the ones about people of color.
At dinner the first night at her grandmother’s house, Ellis blurts out to the family that Joni got into Spelman. Her father is surprised and begins asking her if it is the best education she can get. Joni’s Uncle Marcus, her mother’s brother, gets offended, questioning what Joni’s father said, but her aunt breaks up the fight before it begins.
Junior is cold toward Joni the entire time, giving her attitude and generally avoiding her.
By Ibi Zoboi