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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

This novelized account of Malcolm X’s early life is full of both a young man’s promise and the pain of racism and struggle of being Black in America. Growing up in 1930s in Lansing, Michigan, Malcolm stands out as exceptional in a family that nurtured education and achievement. His outspoken father is killed when Malcolm is six. Seven years later, his mother is institutionalized. Malcolm leaves Lansing for Boston after a white teacher makes clear he thinks college is out of Malcolm’s reach. Malcolm feels betrayed by his father’s promises. “ You’re meant for great things. You have nothing and no one to fear, for God is with you… He told me these things about myself and about the world like they were true. But they were only his hopes.” In Boston and later New York, disillusioned Malcolm, whose intelligence shines from every page of this first-person narrative in how he expresses himself and in the way he thinks deeply, opts for good times. Eventually arrested for theft, he sits in prison filled with anger and thinks, “They want to write a story about me that ends behind bars … Papa would tell a different story.” His father’s beliefs live inside him, and they are nourished by the teachings of the Nation of Islam. Structurally complex, with a timeline that moves between the 1930s and 1940s, the strong narrative thread makes this fearless, penetrating work cohesive and accessible, while its themes are both timeless and all too timely. End matter includes a commentary from Ilyasah Shabazz (Malcolm’s daughter), a timeline, and additional information on historical figures and events. (Age 14 and older)

CCBC Choices 2016 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2016. Used with permission.

From Horn Book

May 1, 2021
In 1946, twenty-year-old Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X, was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison for a crime set in motion by his white girlfriend. Shabazz (X: A Novel, rev. 5/15; Betty Before X, rev. 3/18) and Jackson (Monday's Not Coming, rev. 7/18; Grown, rev. 9/20) depict his experience in a narrative interspersed with real-life quotes from the activist, fictionalized letters from his family and his then-mentor Elijah Muhammad, and dictionary definitions Malcolm records as he educates himself. Abrupt transitions from warm and empowering dreams and childhood memories (his Garveyite parents raised him to live in "self-love. Self-reliance. Unity") to scenes of inhumane prison life lend themselves to an intensely intimate look into the mind of young Malcolm, where the phrases "Wake up, Malcolm" and "Up, up you mighty race!" are repeated frequently. While an author's note explains that "creative liberties" were taken in this fictionalized retelling, the extensive back matter also includes information about the Nation of Islam, Charlestown State Prison, and the Norfolk Prison Colony, as well as a timeline and reading list. Eboni Njoku

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

Starred review from April 1, 2021

Gr 7 Up-How did Malcolm Little, the son of a Lansing, MI, Baptist minister, become the renowned Malcolm X? When Malcolm is 20, he is caught up in the robbery of an empty house. He relies on the testimony of his friend Sophia, a white woman, to minimize the amount of trouble he will be in, however, she lies and he is sentenced to eight-to-10 years in prison. The conditions in the prison are beyond wretched. He stews in anger during the first part of his incarceration while his family begins to follow the principles of the Nation of Islam. "Wake up, Malcolm" is a phrase repeated throughout the novel and helps readers identify the pivotal situations forming who becomes known as Malcolm X. During his incarceration, Malcolm reads, learns, and discovers his gift for public speaking and debate. The central momentum of this novel is how Malcolm X was motivated to learn and use his knowledge to influence others. The book concludes with valuable sections of additional information about the Nation of Islam and the prisons mentioned in the novel, a timeline from Malcolm's birth until his release, and a list of the books he read while incarcerated. VERDICT Libraries will be incomplete without the inclusion of this captivating historical novel by Malcom X's daughter.-Michelle Kornberger, Havenview M.S., Memphis

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from March 22, 2021
This fictionalized account, penned by Malcolm X's daughter Shabazz (Betty Before X) with Coretta Scott Kingâ€"John Steptoe Award winner Jackson (Grown), recounts how Malcolm Little, the 20-year-old young man who would become civil rights icon Malcolm X, was convicted of a series of property crimes in 1946, after being framed by a white woman he was dating. Incarcerated first in Charlestown State Prison and then Norfolk Prison Colony, Malcolm experiences firsthand the treatment endured by Black men facing incarceration: dehumanization, violence, and brutal isolation. Enraged at the injustice of his circumstances and nurtured by family and fellow inmates, Malcolm is encouraged to liberate himself through knowledge and then conversion to Islam. Through these studies, Malcolm eventually comprehends the backbreaking plight of Black people in America and takes a stand against it. Unresolved subplots and a considerable time jump that glosses over a period of considerable change for Malcolm X undercut this otherwise thought-provoking narrative account. Still, Shabazz and Jackson effectively illuminate not only the figure's religious and political awakening, but the injustice historically leveled against the Black community by mass incarceration and systemic racism. Ages 12â€"up.

From Horn Book

January 1, 2021
In 1946, twenty-year-old Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X, was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison for a crime set in motion by his white girlfriend. Shabazz (X: A Novel, rev. 5/15; Betty Before X, rev. 3/18) and Jackson (Monday's Not Coming, rev. 7/18; Grown, rev. 9/20) depict his experience in a narrative interspersed with real-life quotes from the activist, fictionalized letters from his family and his then-mentor Elijah Muhammad, and dictionary definitions Malcolm records as he educates himself. Abrupt transitions from warm and empowering dreams and childhood memories (his Garveyite parents raised him to live in "self-love. Self-reliance. Unity") to scenes of inhumane prison life lend themselves to an intensely intimate look into the mind of young Malcolm, where the phrases "Wake up, Malcolm" and "Up, up you mighty race!" are repeated frequently. While an author's note explains that "creative liberties" were taken in this fictionalized retelling, the extensive back matter also includes information about the Nation of Islam, Charlestown State Prison, and the Norfolk Prison Colony, as well as a timeline and reading list.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

December 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Malcolm X's daughter Shabazz teams up with YA veteran Jackson to create an affecting piece of historical fiction that focuses on the civil rights icon's young adulthood. It begins five weeks into the imprisonment of 20-year-old Malcolm Little. Through the mentorship of older prisoners and by witnessing the atrocities African Americans are subjected to behind bars, a fire is stoked within him. As his narrative unfolds, Malcolm hones his skills in rhetoric and debate to become a feared sparring partner, and, by embracing Islam, Malcolm X finds a calling to guide other African Americans to rally for true justice. The authors not only show Malcolm's intellectual and spiritual evolution, but also manage to depict the plight of his fellow inmates with equal parts compassion and revulsion. In so doing, they illustrate the social conditions that normalized injustice into everyday life. Though technically a work of fiction, this book nevertheless serves as a perfect entr�e for young adult readers to learn about the formative years of a pivotal leader in the civil rights movement.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Kirkus

Starred review from November 15, 2020
Explores historical threads of race, faith, and family as they weave together in the transformation of youthful, imprisoned Malcolm Little into empowered, purpose-driven Malcolm X. Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, partners with rising literary star Jackson to explore 20-something Malcolm's growth through reading, debate, and dialogue. This dedication and rediscovery of purpose, made manifest through newfound faith, would catapult him to the global stage as the chief spokesman for the Nation of Islam under the tutelage of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Refusing to establish his transformation as the marker of an unjust prison system's rehabilitation strategy, this fictionalized retelling spotlights the relationships, perspectives, lessons, and questions delivered by Black men imprisoned around him and the critical embrace of a family that never abandoned him. "Wake up, Malcolm" is a cue that resounds throughout, linking the familial legacy of Malcolm's parents, who held ties to ministry and served roles in the racial uplift mission of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. Readers will make connections to persistent injustices faced by Black communities--and the beautiful ways which, despite that terror, Black families have found to craft visions of freedom and lives of dignity and love. This novel showcases the ways that becoming is a social process requiring care, commitment, and community but is ultimately world-changing work. A must-read reminder that transformation is made possible through community. (more information, timeline, Malcolm X's reading list, authors' note) (Biographical novel. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2018
Ilyasah Shabazz's �cf2]X: A Novel�cf1] told her father Malcolm X's story; this affecting novel covers Shabazz's mother's life from age eleven to just before high school. Readers watch Betty struggle with the harsh realities both of her family situation and of the larger community in 1940s black Detroit. In an engaging first-person voice, the authors portray Betty as a relatable preteen while laying the groundwork for her remarkable later life. Timeline.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Horn Book

March 1, 2018
Ilyasah Shabazz's X: A Novel (rev. 5/15; written with Kekla Magoon) told the story of her father Malcolm X's young adulthood and journey to self; Betty Before X is centered on the childhood and coming-of-age of her mother, Betty Shabazz. Set mostly in the black neighborhoods of 1940s Detroit, this affecting novel covers Betty's life from age eleven?when, after one too many beatings, she left her mother's house ?to live with a couple from church, the Malloys?to just before the start of high school. Readers watch Betty struggle with the harsh realities both of her own situation and of the larger community, particularly the racial injustice she witnesses and experiences. But she learns to count her blessings ( Mrs. Malloy was right. Focusing on the good makes my heart hurt less ) and pushes through the pain to keep trying to make her world better. She joins an organization that promotes black-owned businesses; she finds ways to help her best friend's financially struggling family; she persists in nurturing her relationship with her unloving mother. The authors tell Betty's story in an engaging and accessible first-person voice; they manage to portray Betty as a relatable pre-teen who likes to dance to Billy Eckstine records and read Ebony magazine even as they lay the groundwork for the remarkable woman she will grow up to be. Extensive back matter includes an author's note about Dr. Shabazz; more about 1940s Detroit and the Bethel AME Church; and information about the real people on whom many of the novel's characters are based. martha v. parravano

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

December 1, 2017
Grades 4-6 Ilyasah Shabazz and Watson breathe life into a lightly fictionalized account of the childhood of her mother, Dr. Betty Shabazz. The story spans from 1945 to 1948, bookended by the life-changing experience of seeing lynching firsthand in Georgia, and the beating of Leon Mosley, a black 15-year-old, by a white police officer in Detroit. When the aunt who raised her dies, Betty leaves the segregated South to live with her birth mother in Detroit. Their fractious relationship forms the spine of the book, gaining complexity when Betty finds a more loving home with another family in the neighborhood. Betty finds purpose volunteering with the Housewives' League, encouraging black women to spend their money in black-owned and black-staffed businesses. Short chapters and lucid prose make for an accessible read, with key details bringing the era to life for contemporary young readers. Extensive back matter provides further context for educational use. The lessons from Betty's life are abundant: forgiveness, gratitude for life's blessings, and planting seeds for the future. Her response to hardship and injustice is timeless.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

From School Library Journal

Starred review from December 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-This novel centering the girl who would become the wife of Malcolm X and accomplish much on her own after his assassination reminds readers that even legendary figures are real people. Betty Dean Sanders was born in 1934 in Pinehurst, GA. At barely a year old, she was taken from her mother, Ollie Mae, because there was evidence of abuse. She lived with her grandmother and aunt until she was seven. When Aunt Fannie Mae died, Betty was sent to Detroit to live again with Ollie Mae. The mother-daughter relationship was never comfortable, and when there was more abuse, Betty was taken in, at the age of 11, by Lorenzo and Helen Malloy, who raised her until she left for college. The authors highlight Betty's personal trials and those of the civil rights struggle. Emotional but not melodramatic, the facts and events speak for themselves. Readers will acutely feel the confusion and pain Betty experiences with her mother, her anger at the treatment of African Americans, and the hopefulness instilled by Helen Malloy and her Housewives' League as they boycott businesses which will not hire blacks. There is also the warmth of Betty's community, the love of her sisters, the peace she finds in her faith, and the joy of her accomplishments. VERDICT An excellent work of historical fiction that will illuminate and spark discussion. Pair this with Shabazz's X: A Novel for a well-rounded picture of the couple and their times.-Katherine Koenig, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

Starred review from November 1, 2017
A passion for social justice blossoms during the middle school years for the girl who grew up to become Dr. Betty Shabazz.Loved but unwanted by her mother, 11-year-old Betty finds solace in friends and church. In 1945 Detroit, Betty's African-American church community is a hub for activism in the face of Jim Crow racism, police brutality, and economic inequality. With renowned guests such as Thurgood Marshall and Paul Robeson coming to speak and perform, Betty and her friends are swept up in the fervor and demand for social justice that would become a movement. They volunteer for the Housewives' League, a group that encourages the community to give its dollars to black-owned and -employing businesses. But the movement is also personal for Betty, who struggles to find her place in a world that treats brown-skinned black girls as lesser--less beautiful, less worthy, less deserving. Authored by her daughter Ilyasah Shabazz in collaboration with Watson, this moving fictional account of the early life of the late civil rights leader and widow of Malcolm X draws on the recollections of family and friends. The result is a heart-rending imagining of Shabazz's personal challenges as well as a rare, intimate look at the complex roots of the American civil rights movement. A personal, political, and powerful imagining of the early life of the late activist. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from October 30, 2017
The daughter of Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X, Shabazz (X: A Novel) joins with Watson (Piecing Me Together) to tell this absorbing fictionalized account of her mother's formative years. In a straightforward but engaging narrative voice, Betty describes living with three maternal figures, who offer different strategies for coping with life's difficulties. When Betty sees the victims of a lynching as a child in Georgia, Aunt Fannie Mae tells her, "Baby, some things we just have to take to the Lord." In Detroit, her stern biological mother, Ollie Mae, tries to shield her from knowledge of race riots ("You have enough years ahead of you to know pain, Betty Dean"). After a beating, Betty moves in with Mrs. Malloy, an inspiring leader in the Housewives League. In response to her growing awareness of racism, Betty ponders Malloy's philosophy ("Have faith in the Lord and find the good and praise it") and develops an affinity for community organizing. History comes alive in this illuminating portrayal of the early life of this civil rights activist, which is bolstered by substantial endnotes. Ages 10â€"14. Agent: Jason Anthony, Massie & McQuilkin.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2015
Shabazz, Malcolm X's third daughter, and YA author Magoon present a vivid, immediate fictionalized portrait of the civil rights activist. Readers are immersed in young Malcolm's world, from his tragic Depression-era childhood; through his teen years in Boston and Harlem, imprisonment for larceny, and growing awareness of racism's impact; ending with his conversion to Islam in his mid-twenties. A powerful, compelling work of historical fiction. Reading list. Bib.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Horn Book

Starred review from May 1, 2015
Shabazz, Malcolm X's third daughter, and YA author Magoon (Fire in the Streets, rev. 9/12; How It Went Down, rev. 11/14) team up to present a vivid, immediate fictionalized portrait of the civil rights activist and the forces that shaped him. Readers are immersed in young Malcolm's world, from his fractured and tragic Depression-era childhood in Lansing, Michigan (father killed, mother committed to an asylum, siblings placed in separate foster homes), through his heady teen years in Boston and Harlem (where everything's a hustle, and I got my own hustle now ), through his conviction and imprisonment for larceny, ending with his conversion to Islam in his mid-twenties. Thanks to the strength of the intimate first-person voice, readers experience right along with the adolescent Malcolm his thirst for excitement, the seductive siren call of 1940s Roxbury and Harlem street life, his increasingly risky and dangerous choices, and finally his growing awareness of the impact of racism on his and his family's past and on his present and future. In prison: The guard who knocks me down and puts his foot on my facehe didn't build these walls. He didn't invent the word nigger, however well he's learned to throw it. It's all so much bigger, and so built-in. The direct cause-and-effect connection between Malcolm's epiphany that he doesn't need to fight Papa anymore and his acceptance of Islam feels imposed, but there's very little else that doesn't ring true in this powerful, compelling work of historical fiction. Extensive back matter includes a bibliography that steers young people toward further reading about Malcolm X and black history. martha v. Parravano

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

Starred review from February 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Malcolm X's third daughter collaborates with award winner Magoon (The Rock and the River, 2009) to offer a fictionalized biography of Shabazz's late father, the powerful human rights leader. The authors depict an impoverished childhood of turmoil and trouble marked by the deathperhaps the murderof Malcolm's proud father and the forced institutionalization of his mother, followed by the dissolution of the family as Malcolm and five of his seven siblings are placed in foster homes. Shifting backward and forward through time, the story follows Malcolm from his home in Lansing, Michigan, to Boston, where he becomes a self-described creature of the street. Then it's on to drug abuse, getting caught in the numbers racket, and, ultimately, at age 23, landing in prison, where he discovers the Nation of Islam and comes to terms with his father's oft-quoted lines from Marcus Garvey, Up, up, you mighty race; you can accomplish what you will. Shabazz and Magoon bring energy, immediacy, and emotional power to Malcolm's first-person, present-tense voice. Often painfully candid, the authors effectively depict Malcolm's lifetime of racial slurs and casual injustices, symbolized by the image of a lynched man hanging from a tree. It's a satisfyingly complete, never simplistic story of one young man's journey through trouble to the promise of a life of purpose and meaning.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

From School Library Journal

Starred review from December 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little. The story opens with his departure from Michigan as a teen, though there are flashbacks to his younger years. It follows Malcolm through his time in Boston and Harlem, culminating with his conversion to Islam and his decision to change his name while in prison in 1948. The story does contain some gritty situations, most notably the use of the "n" word, non-graphic sex, drug and alcohol abuse, and criminal behavior. This was the reality of Malcolm X's early life, and make the later scenes that more authentic. While the novel stops prior to his rise as a civil rights leader, the excellent back matter provides historical context, bibliography, time line, family tree, and a note from the author (who is also the third of Malcolm X's five daughters). This is an eye-opening look at an important historical figure. The author's honesty about his early troubles serves to convey that it is possible to rise through adversity to make a positive difference in this world. A worthwhile addition to any collection.-Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

Starred review from November 1, 2014
Teaming with veteran Magoon, the third daughter of Malcolm X draws upon history and family stories to create a novel about her father's life before the "X." Malcolm Little grew up in Lansing, Michigan, during the Great Depression. Though times were hard, Malcolm felt that "when Papa was alive, I believed that I was special." But Papa was murdered, his mother entered a mental institution, and the broken family was scattered among foster homes. The unusual but effective chronology of this completely absorbing novel finds Malcolm frequently looking back from 1945 Harlem to specific years in Lansing, trying to make sense of the segregation he faced, a teacher's dismissal of him as "just a nigger" and his father's legacy. Boston was meant to be a fresh start, but Malcolm soon became "a creature of the street," and the authors' evocation of the street hustler's life is richly gritty indeed. Of course the street catches up to him, and ironically, it's in prison where he begins to remake himself. He becomes a reader, corresponds with Elijah Muhammad and, on the final page, signs a letter to Elijah Muhammad as Malcolm X. The author's note carries Malcolm's story further and discusses the significance of his voice in American history. Readers for whom pre-civil rights America is ancient history will find this poetic interpretation eye-opening and riveting. (notes about characters, timeline, family tree, historical context, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 14 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from October 27, 2014
This fictionalized account of the boy who became Malcolm X maintains a suspenseful, poetic grip as it shifts among moments in his life between the years 1930 and 1948. The first-person, present-tense narrative emphasizes the experiences that affected Malcolm from early childhood to his eventual imprisonment. Memories, such as a favorite teacher telling him, "Be as good as you want in the classroom, but out those doors, you're just a nigger," or his sighting of a lynched man, trigger a sense of hopelessness that leads to self-destructive choices. Significant people in Malcolm's life offer different messages: his white lover, Sophia, fears being seen with him, while his siblings believe he has the potential for greatness. Shabazz (Growing Up X), one of Malcolm X's daughters, and Magoon (How It Went Down) capture Malcolm's passion for new experiences, the defeatism that plagued him, and the long-buried hope that eventually reclaimed him. Author notes expand on historical context and the facts behind this compelling coming-of-age story. Ages 14—up. Agent: (for Shabazz) Jason Anthony, Lippincott Massie McQuilkin; (for Magoon) Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency.

From AudioFile Magazine

Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X's daughter, narrates her middle-grade novel about four years in her mother's life, starting in 1945, when Betty was 11 years old. The story shows how Betty became an activist in the Civil Rights movement. In clear, measured tones, the author recounts Betty's discomfort with her home life and her work with the Housewives League, which supported black-owned businesses. She also discusses speeches made by influential figures of the day in Betty's church. Shabazz differentiates between Betty and her mother, Ollie Mae Sanders, through pitch and projects the latter's frequent annoyance, showing why Betty often felt underappreciated. An afterword helps young listeners understand Betty Shabazz's importance in American history and and provides additional discussion on the other people in the narrative. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine