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All Boys Aren't Blue

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All Boys Aren't Blue
AuthorGeorge M. Johnson
Cover artistCharly "Carlos" Palmer
GenreYoung adult non-fiction
PublisherFarrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date
2020
Media typePrint
ISBN9780374312718
OCLC1246484973
306.76/6208996073
LC ClassHQ76.27.A37 J644 2020
Websitehttps://www.fiercereads.com/books/all-boys-arent-blue/

All Boys Aren't Blue is a young adult non-fiction "memoir-manifesto" by journalist and activist George M. Johnson,[1] published April 28, 2020, by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

The book consists of a series of essays following Johnson's journey growing up as a queer Black man in Plainfield, New Jersey,[2] and Virginia. In addition to describing Johnson's own experience, it directly addresses Black queer boys who may not have someone in their lives with similar experiences.[3]

Despite mostly positive reviews from critics, All Boys Aren't Blue has been subjected to multiple attempts of censorship, becoming one of the top ten most banned and challenged books in the United States in the early-2020s.

Content

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The book discusses consent, agency, and sexual abuse, alongside various other topics. It also describes two sexual encounters and statutory rape.[4]

Background

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Johnson was motivated to write All Boys Aren't Blue by Toni Morrison's maxim "If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it," which Johnson has tattooed on their right arm.[5]

The "blue" in the title carries several meanings, being a color traditionally identified with masculinity and the color of police officers, who have disproportionately invoked violence against queer Black people.[5] The title also pays homage to the character Blue from Queen Sugar, as well as the appearance of Black skin in Moonlight and the play it is based upon, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.[5]

Reception

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Critical reception

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All Boys Aren't Blue received a starred review from Kirkus,[6] as well as positive reviews from School Library Journal,[7] Booklist,[8] and Publishers Weekly.[9]

Kirkus called the book "[a] critical, captivating, merciful mirror for growing up Black and queer today."[6]

Publishers Weekly noted, "Though at first glance the book lacks the synthesizing call to action that "manifesto" would imply, its "be yourself" message remains a radical stance for doubly marginalized individuals."[9] They continued to say, “In a publishing landscape in need of queer black voices, readers who are sorting through similar concepts will be grateful to join him on the journey,” and called it "a balm and testimony to young readers as allies in the fight for equality."[9]

The New York Times called it "[a]n exuberant, unapologetic memoir infused with a deep but clear-eyed love for its subjects."[2]

HuffPost wrote that it was "an unflinching testimony that carves out space for Black queer kids to be seen."[10]

Bitch Magazine said that "All Boys Aren't Blue is a game changer."[11]

Kirkus named All Boys Aren't Blue one of the best young adult biographies/memoirs of 2020.[12] The New York Public Library[13] and Chicago Public Library[14] also included it in their list of the top ten books of 2020 for young adults.

Awards and honors

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Year Award Result Ref.
2021 ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 [15]
YALSA's Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [16]
YALSA's Teens' Top 10 Selection [17]
2020 Goodreads Choice Award for Memoir & Autobiography Nominee [18]
2019 Outstanding Books for the College Bound: Literature and Language Arts Selection [19]

Censorship in the United States

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All Boys Aren't Blue has frequently been censored because it includes LGBTQIA+ content and profanity; it is also "claimed to be sexually explicit."[20] In 2021, the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom named it the third most banned and challenged book in the United States of the year;[20] it was the second most challenged book in 2022[21][22] and 2023.[23][24] School boards in at least ten states have removed the book from their libraries.[4][25][26][27][28]

In 2021, Flagler County School Board member and retired teacher Jill Woolbright filed a criminal complaint against the Superintendent for carrying the book, objecting to mentions of masturbation and oral sex.[29][25][30] The Flagler County Sheriff's Office found that the content of the book was not a violation of law and did not warrant further investigation.[25] The removal of the book prompted student protests.[25]

In 2021, the Wentzville School Board in Missouri banned All Boys Aren't Blue, alongside three other books, from the district's high school libraries. Other books included in the ban were Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Kiese Laymon’s Heavy: An American Memoir, and Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home.[31]

In 2022, All Boys Aren't Blue was listed among 52 books banned by the Alpine School District following the implementation of Utah law H.B. 374, “Sensitive Materials In Schools,"[32] 42% of which “feature LBGTQ+ characters and or themes.”[33][34] Many of the books were removed because they were considered to contain pornographic material according to the new law, which defines pornography using the following criteria:

  • "The average person" would find that the material, on the whole, "appeals to prurient interest in sex"[35]
  • The material "is patently offensive in the description or depiction of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sadomasochistic abuse, or excretion"[35]
  • The material, on the whole, "does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."[35]

Adaptation

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All Boys Aren't Blue was adapted into a short film in 2021. The film was directed by Nathan Hale Williams and stars Dyllón Burnside.[36]

All Boys Aren't Blue was optioned to be developed as a TV series by actress Gabrielle Union.[37]

References

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  1. ^ Clarendon, Dan (June 9, 2020). "20 LGBTQ+ Books for Teens Coming Out in 2020". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  2. ^ a b Harlan, Jennifer (April 18, 2020). "From Missing Persons to Mistaken Identities, Books About Seeing and Being Seen". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  3. ^ Steele, Taylor (25 June 2020). "19 Books By Queer Authors Reviewers Fell In Love With". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  4. ^ a b McDougle, Jonathan (18 November 2021). "George M. Johnson isn't surprised their book is being banned: "America has always had an issue with anything that tells the truth"". CBS News. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Mayer, Petra (May 2, 2020). "'Give Them The Damn Information': Questions For George M. Johnson". NPR. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "All Boys Aren't Blue". Kirkus Reviews. 2020-01-23. Archived from the original on 2020-01-23. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  7. ^ Johnson, George M. (28 April 2020). All Boys Aren't Blue. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR). ISBN 9780374312718. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-01-11 – via Chicago Public Library.
  8. ^ All Boys Aren't Blue. 2020-03-01. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24.
  9. ^ a b c "Children's Book Review: All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-37431-271-8". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  10. ^ "George M. Johnson's New Memoir Reminds Us That 'All Boys Aren't Blue'". HuffPost. April 28, 2020. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Dionne, Evette (January 3, 2020). "17 Memoirs Feminists Should Read in 2020". Bitch Media. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  12. ^ "Best YA Biography and Memoir of 2020". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  13. ^ Pullen, Emily (November 24, 2020). "Introducing NYPL's Best Books of 2020". The New York Public Library. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  14. ^ "Best Teen Nonfiction of 2020". Chicago Public Library. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  15. ^ "The 2021 Rainbow Book List". Rainbow Book List. Archived from the original on 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  16. ^ "2021 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2021-01-04. Archived from the original on 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  17. ^ Serbekian, Michael (2021-11-04). "2021 YALSA Teens' Top Ten titles announced". American Library Association News and Press Center. Archived from the original on 2021-11-08. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  18. ^ "All Boys Aren't Blue". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  19. ^ "2019 OBCB Literature and Language Arts". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2020-02-14. Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  20. ^ a b "Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists". American Library Association. 2013-03-26. Archived from the original on 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  21. ^ Pendharkar, Eesha (2023-04-24). "These Were the Most Banned Books in 2022". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Archived from the original on 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  22. ^ Albanese, Andrew (2023-04-24). "ALA Releases Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  23. ^ "Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023". American Library Association. 2023-04-21. Archived from the original on 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  24. ^ Schaub, Michael (2024-04-08). "ALA Reveals Most Challenged Books of 2023". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2024-04-08. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  25. ^ a b c d Garrison, Mark (December 5, 2021). "Conservatives Target Queer, Black Memoir, 'All Boys Aren't Blue'". Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  26. ^ Cooper, Alex (November 9, 2021). "Conservatives Fight to Ban This Black, Queer Memoir State-By-State". www.advocate.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  27. ^ Perez, Suzanne (2021-11-09). "Goddard school district orders 29 books removed from circulation". KMUW. Archived from the original on 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  28. ^ Advani, Reena (2022-10-25). "Banned Books: Author George M. Johnson on the need to tell all people's stories". NPR. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  29. ^ Woronoff, Brent (November 10, 2021). "School Board member Jill Woolbright turns to Sheriff's Office over 'obscene' book at schools | Palm Coast". Palm Coast Observer. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  30. ^ Gollon, Chris (November 15, 2021). "A Full Breakdown of Jill Woolbright's Efforts to Remove 'All Boys Aren't Blue' from School Libraries". Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  31. ^ Schaub, Michael (2022-01-25). "Missouri School District Bans Toni Morrison Book". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  32. ^ "Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship". PEN America. 2022-08-01. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  33. ^ "School District Removes 52 Books From Libraries". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  34. ^ "Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship". PEN America. 2022-08-01. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  35. ^ a b c Mullahy, Brian (2022-07-28). "Alpine School District pulls dozens of books from school library shelves". KUTV. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  36. ^ Gardner, Chris (2021-01-28). "George M. Johnson Sets Filmed Reading of 'All Boys Aren't Blue'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  37. ^ Petski, Denise (June 10, 2020). "Gabrielle Union Options 'All Boys Aren't Blue' Memoir For Series Development With Sony TV". Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
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