On The Come Up

Sixteen-year-old Bri, a talented female rapper, faces many challenges as her family lives in poverty, her mom is a recovering drug addict who loses her job and they face homelessness, her rapper father was killed when she was young, and she faces racism and stereotyping. As she deals with her struggles and successes she learns about herself, her family, that violence is pointless, and how to understand other people’s perspectives. This contemporary novel addresses racism, stereotyping, poverty, resilience, violence, and relationships, is suitable as an independent or literature circle novel, and lends itself to an array of creative writing and language activities. Social considerations noted.