The release date for the English version of 'Punching the Air' by
Ibi Zoboi is Sep 2020. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
A compelling young adult poetry book about a youngster who is unjustly imprisoned comes from award-winning, best-selling author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform campaigner Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five. Ideal for lovers of Elizabeth Acevedo, Walter Dean Myers, and Jason Reynolds.
The narrative I imagined
was my existence
didn't begin that day
My birth
Amal Shahid has consistently been a poet and artist. However, he is seen as disruptive and uninspired by a biassed system even at a diverse art school. Then, on a fateful night, a fight in a neighbourhood that is gentrifying becomes deadly. The statement "boys just being boys" is accurate—but only if the lads are Caucasian.
The narrative I believe
my life will be
begins now
Amal's promising future is abruptly shattered at the age of sixteen when he is imprisoned after being found guilty of a crime he did not commit. He almost succumbs to despair and fury before turning to his art and words for solace. It was never his tale to tell. Can he alter it, though?
Award-winning novelist Ibi Zoboi and prison reform campaigner Yusef Salaam write a powerful and poignant narrative of a youngster who fights for the truth and maintains his humanity in the face of a system that wants to take both from him, with lyrical prose that will enchant readers.