The author takes readers on a poetic journey through her childhood in Harlem. León explores love and loss, melody and bloodshed as she navigates the intricacies of foster care, mourning, self-love, and resilience. She invites readers to dream with abandon-- because it is a privilege to dream at all. -- adapted from front flap.

A young girl expresses what she loves about life.

A collection of poems, including "First Braids," "Grandma's Way," and "Mama's Glory," in which an Afro-American girl celebrates herself, her family, and her heritage.

"Much of what twenty-first century culture tells black girls is not pretty: Don't wear this; don't smile at that; don't have an opinion; don't dream big. And most of all, don't love yourself. In response to such destructive ideas, internationally recognized poet Mahogany L. Browne challenges the conditioning of society by crafting an anthem of strength and magic undeniable in its bloom for all beautiful Black girls"--Dust jacket.

"Set in New York City in the '90s, Angela Shanté's poems and stories paint a mosaic of childhood that is shaped by the past and reverberates into the present. As Shanté navigates the city through memory, this timeless book illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or boxed in, through stories and poems about expectations, exploitation, love, loss, and self-realization. Her poems center on pivotal moments of Black childhood, using footnotes...