"A Boy Named Konfidence is the book I wish I'd had as a young Black boy growing up in the city. Dr. Shaahid writes the streets with respect and the classroom with honesty. The fact that Konfidence comes back to his block instead of running from it will sit with my students for years."
"I bought this for my nephew and finished it before he did. The mentors in this book: the teacher, the librarian, the ER doctor, even the hospital janitor, reminded me that every adult in a child's orbit has a role to play. Required reading for anyone who works with young people."
"Dr. Shaahid does not flinch. The police stop, the suspension, the shooting on the sidewalk, none of it is softened for comfort. But neither is the hope. Konfidence feels like a real boy from a real block, not a sanitized version of one. This is the storytelling our young men deserve."
"As someone who grew up in a neighborhood like West Baltimore, I saw myself in Justice. Her struggle to hold onto her dreams while the people around her kept falling is painfully real. But her refusal to give up? That's the kind of hope every young person needs."
"Dr. Shaahid understands that the path out of poverty is rarely straight. Justice's story captures the complexity of chasing greatness while loving people who are still struggling. This book should be in every school library."
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