Identity, Family, and Resilience in All Boys Aren't Blue

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson (2020), 297 pages

Awards and Recognition

• New York Times Bestseller

• Amazon Best Book of the Year

• ALA Rainbow List Pick

• Kirkus Reviews Best Book

• New York Public Library Top Book

• Chicago Public Library Top Book

    Johnson's memoir is heartfelt and emotional as he chronicles his upbringing and young adulthood. He's a young black boy who is also queer. The love of his family is palpable in his story as he talks warmly of his relationship with his grandmother, "Nanny" and his relationships with his parents, siblings, and cousins. 

Nanny won't win any awards from GLAAD. She won't have her picture hung up during Black History Month, or make any headlines for operating out of a place of love. But because she saw me, I get the chance to tell everyone about her. And maybe, just maybe an LGBTQIAP+ person's family members or peers will read these words and enough of her spirit will rub off. (pg. 143)

    I chose to read this book because it was a memoir about someone who is completely different from me and because the author embodies someone that many marginalized young men--and women--can relate to. I also chose this book because of it's controversy and being a highly-banned book in school districts across the country. NPR-George Matthew Johnson Interview

    There are so many themes a teacher could have their students explore through this text including identity, family/community (using Johnson's homage to his Nanny quoted above), and social justice advocacy! I could envision teachers using this text to explore memoir as a genre. Some examples for focus could be text structure and voice. Students could even use All Boys Aren't Blue as anchor texts to create their own memoirs.

Many of us are still here. Still living and waiting for our stories to be told--to tell them ourselves. (pg. 14)

I can see Johnson's memoir as an inspiration for others to share their stories--including all the parts that are so often kept secret/quiet.  Journaling and/or blogging could be a way for students to share their own memoirs--but an integrated art project could also be a cool way for students to examine their own identities and share them with others. 

The book could be a catalyst for advocacy writing projects that are aimed to provide resources and further readings for students. These projects could be part of a larger project that explores young adult identities and communities of belonging. 

    While All Boys Aren't Blue has the potential for many rich conversations and writing projects for high school-aged students; I also know that certain moments in the text may keep teachers/schools/districts from utilizing Johnson's text for educational purposes. 

    Reading All Boys Aren't Blue has me wondering about family culture and dynamics that aren't like mine? George Matthew Johnson writes so lovingly about his family and how they helped shaped the man he is today. I oftentimes found myself comparing and contrasting my family dynamics and culture to his as I read his memoir. I would like to use his text as a springboard for learning more about other unfamiliar family dynamics and cultures that are part of the students I currently teach. How does the size of a family influence the dynamics and culture? What traditions do families of certain cultures embrace? How can a community of friends become one's family--or second family--as they become young adults? What do families value most? Who is the "rock" (matriarch/patriarch) of the family? Why? 

Johnson, G. M. (2020). All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto. First edition. New York, Farrar Straus Giroux, of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.