05 Feb Review: Stay Up
Stay Up
By Khodi Dill
Annick Press, 2023
9781773218083 (paperback)
9781773218076 (hardcover)
$18.99 (paperback
$29.99 (hardcover)
296 pages
Reading level: Grade 8 and up
Interest level: 14 years old and up
Review: Cassandra Ricafort
In his Own Voices YA non-fiction book, Canadian author, Khodi Dill, offers us a poignant recollection of how racism, his identity and history, and his efforts in fighting racism have shaped him. In a language that is accessible to teens, he offers an inclusive look on what racism is, how it impacts the readers’ lives, and how they can bring about change. Although he is sensitive to changing terminology and includes territorial land acknowledgement, Dill also includes a trigger warning in the author’s note, to warn readers that he does use the racial slur used to target Black people, when relevant. Although the illustrators’ collages are beautiful, due to the lack of colour, the images do not create much of an impact. An educator’s guide for this book can be found on the publisher’s website. This book would be a great addition to any library, but should be used with caution in the classroom, due to the use of the racial slur.