Radiant
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Intermediate    Dutton    320 pp.
1/25    9780593855782    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593855799    $10.99

In this historical novel in verse, fifth grader Cooper Dale is growing up near Pittsburgh in 1963 and grappling with issues concerning her identity as a Black child attending a predominantly white school. While her family encourages her to embrace who she is, Cooper doesn’t always feel that way: “Sometimes / I don’t want to be black.” Mama tells her that she has to “study harder” and “shine brighter” in school due to racism. Wade Carter, a racist classroom bully, makes things even harder, calling Cooper “Mud Face” and “Tar Baby.” Things get worse when Cooper’s mom takes a job as the Carters’ maid. At first, this is just another thing for Wade to lord over her, but it ends up being the impetus for Cooper to see her tormentor in a new light and for him to change his behavior. Wade’s mom is seriously ill, and once she learns this, Cooper slowly begins to feel compassion for him and fully embraces Mama’s call to “be radiant” along with their church’s beliefs about mercy. Nelson has created a likable character in Cooper, and this quiet, introspective novel (with some moments of levity; e.g., Cooper’s embrace of Beatlemania) effectively examines what it means to forgive along with the importance of family.

From the March/April 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.