Johnson, Kim. The Color of a Lie. 2024, 978-0-593-11880-1. $19.99. 336 p. Grades 7–12
It’s 1955, and Calvin and his family are moving from Chicago, Illinois to Levittown, Pennsylvania. While he and his family are Black, they are light-skinned enough to pass for being White. After moving into their new house, Calvin finds himself caught between two very different worlds. The longer Calvin and his family live in their new city, the more racial division and injustice he starts to see.
THOUGHTS: This book was phenomenal. I cannot wait to book talk it when my middle schoolers do their historical fiction novel unit in the fall. While there are historical elements like the Greenbook and redlining within districts it is written in such a way that is super engaging for teen and young adult readers. There also are elements of mystery woven throughout the novel which keeps readers wanting to know more!
Historical Fiction
After tragedy strikes, Calvin and his family relocate from Chicago, Illinois to Levittown, Pennsylvania in search of a new start. Light skinned enough to pass as white, Calvin and his family must hide their true selves in order to fit into their new neighborhood and town. While his mom’s cooking becomes bland and his dad doesn’t listen to the same music he once loved, Calvin perhaps experiences the greatest burden. Going to an all white school means that Calvin never feels at ease, constantly worried he’s going to slip and blow his family’s cover. When a local Black student from the neighboring school starts attending Heritage (high school), Calvin feels like he’s met someone with whom he can be himself. Emboldened by her bravery, Calvin decides there are some risks worth taking and reconnects with his older brother who lives in a neighboring community. Will getting closer to Lily and Robert risk too much, or can Calvin find a way to balance the two parts of his life. With towns observing sundown laws all over the country, and racially motivated crimes escalating, Calvin has to decide if he’ll remain true to himself or the self everyone around him sees. Watching his tongue and hiding who he really is to “play white” proves to be more difficult than Calvin thought, especially when tragedy threatens to strike again.
THOUGHTS: Known for powerhouse realistic YA novels like Invisible Son (2023) and This Is My America (2020), Johnson transitions to historical fiction with ease. YA readers who enjoy historical titles focused on race and familial relations like Last Night at the Telegraph Club, We Deserve Monuments, The Weight of Blood and historical nonfiction titles like Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice, A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School, and March (trilogy) and Run by Lewis will devour this one and be anxious to learn more. Pennsylvania readers will appreciate that Johnson selected the setting in response to her book This Is My America being challenged in Bucks County (PA) which also has a Levittown. Highly recommended for young adult collections.