I Am Alfonso Jones

Medina, Tony

ISBN 10: 0606403949 ISBN 13: 9780606403948

Publisher: Turtleback Books, 2017

Synopsis

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Alfonso can't wait to play the role of Hamlet in his school's hip-hop rendition of the classic play. But as he is buying his first suit, an off-duty police officer misatkes a clothes hanger for a gun and shoots Alfoso. When Alfonso wakes up in the afterlife, he's on a ghost train guided by well-known victims of police shootings, who teach him what he needs to know about this subterranean spiritual world. Meanwhile, Alfonso's family and friends struggle with their grief and seek justice for Alfonso in the streets.

About this title

About the Author:

Tony Medina is the author of six beloved books for young readers, as well as multiple volumes of poetry for adults. A Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and a professor of creative writing at Howard University, Dr. Medina is a two-time winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. He lives in the Washington, DC area.

Review:

Alfonso Jones loves to play trumpet and is thinking of trying out for his class s hip hop themed Hamlet. On a shopping trip with his crush Danetta, the African American teen, who is looking for his first suit to wear in celebration of his father s release from jail, is shot by a white off-duty cop who incorrectly assumes the suit hanger is a gun. The rest of the graphic novel jumps among Alfonso s past, the aftermath of the shooting, and his experience on a possibly never-ending train ride with other victims of police violence, including Amadou Diallo as his guide. Medina s juggling of the three threads isn t always graceful, but the variation of Robinson and Jennings s panels and design pushes the narrative forward. A teacher s dialogue with Alfonso s classmates is illuminating and realistic. The outrage and grief are palpable, and the black-and-white illustrations enforce the gut-punching pull of each character s journey. And as Alfonso meets the historical figures who preceded him, readers will understand the systemic racism that underlies these violent cases. VERDICT A brutally honest and bleak but necessary selection for all graphic novel collections. --School Library Journal, Starred Review

We are so fortunate that Tony Medina and his generation have taken on their shoulders the classic responsibilities of telling stories that embrace the hearts and souls of not only the individuals but the neighborhoods. A comic book is no longer something to laugh with but something to learn from. I Am Alfonso Jones is incredibly enlightening. --Nikki Giovanni, Author and Activist

In the aftermath of his senseless murder at the hands of a policeman, Alfonso s story powerfully illustrates the value inherent in every human life and the tragedy of loss suffered by all who are impacted. With echoes of Capra s "It s A Wonderful Life," by the book's conclusion, you too will be saying, I Am Alfonso Jones. --LeVar Burton, Actor, Director, Author, and Reading Activist

About this edition

• Publisher: Turtleback Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0606403949
• ISBN 13: 9780606403948
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 176
• Illustrator: Robinson Stacey, Jennings John