b"Zoboi was editor of the newspaper at Hunter College and was astonished to discover that Salaam was in one of her classes. (When she married, she changed her name from Pascale Philantrope to Ibi Zoboi, taking her husband's last name.)tenby Salaam w h e n hewas are not Salaams story, theincarcer-main character, Amal, isated. The inspiredbyhim.Asann o v e l artist and an incarceratedalsofea-ported by his family, read lots of bookstypography thatTHteenager,Salaam,sup- graphics and uniquet u r e sT HIISSIISSHHOOMMEEand made art as a way to free his mind. tell the story in other ways, as well as We wanted to take the version ofchapters that bring to mind classicalSusan Blodgett, ABR himself (Salaam) in 1989 and updateart. Broker / Sales Associate it for 2020, and thats how Amal wasBut the book also, through verse,973-214-4636 born, Zoboi says. She describes herdelvesintoserioustopics:slavery,Susan.Blodgett@cbmoves.com novel as more akin to having a con- rights, liberty and the plight of AfricanGinny Spiegel versation with society than a referen- American youth.Sales Associate dum on a failed justice system. In one poem, Zoboi draws a stark973-219-8865 Youngpeopleabsolutelyneededcontrast between Amal and his friends,Virginia.Spiegel@cbmoves.com to understand what had happened towho are Black, and the white teenagers145 Maplewood AvenueMaplewood, NJ@WeKnowNJRealEstate 973-378-8300him (Salaam) and to get into the heartwho they encounter in the park. One of who he was at 16 years old, she ex- group is a mob, a gang, ghetto, a packSERVICE KNOWLEDGE EXPERTISE plains. She added, We didnt want toof wolves, animals, thugs, hoodlums, say something about the system. Thatmen,whiletheother,whoarethe was not my intention going in. same age, are described as kids, hav-Zoboi says their goal was to focusing fun, home, loved, supported, pro- May your thirston the childAmalevery step oftected, full of potential, boys.the way: his range of emotions, mak- Its a message that she repeats timefor lifeing mistakes, and being influenced byand again, as she seeks to give Amal never run dryhis environment.and other young, Black boysa voice, Whatdoesragelooklikeforaa name, and a face behind their skin child? What does regret look like? Itscolor.Experience the best ofa study of human emo- There are different systems for dif- Irelands Pub traditionstions through the lens ofFamily Friendly a 16-year-old boy grap- Good Cheerplingwithinjustice, she says. OKTOBERFEST!For that reason, they decidedtowritetheGerman Food &novel in verse. Beer SpecialsWewantedtotap into the raw emotion ofWe Are Open For:thisboy.WebothfeltIndoor Dining at 25% Capacitythat poetry was the bestAuthentic Irish Cuisine, Irish Coffee,Outdoor Diningway to do that, ZoboiFine Wines and Irish Whiskey Beer, Wine & Cocktails to Gosays, explaining how sheworthy of Celtic Kingswas part of the spokenPick Up or Delivery Availablewordmovementinthe 1990s and had a back- 167 Maplewood Avenueground in poetry.Maplewood Village 973-378-2222Maplewood resident, Ibi Zoboi is an award-winning Thefiverapsthatauthor of young adult novels. Her novel American Street Amalperformsinpris- was a National Book Award finalist and a New YorkST. JAMESS GATE APPAREL AND GIFT CARDS AVAILABLEon, which are in italic inTimes Notable Book. She is also the author of Pride andwww.stjamesgatepublickhouse.comMy Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, a New York Times the novel, were all writ- best-seller.feature story /11"