In 1968, Joseph joined the Black Panther party when he was 15 yrs old. In 1969, he was the youngest Black Panther arrested in the infamous Panther 21 case. Joseph recounts his time as a Black Panther, what attracted him to the party in the first place and the social/ political climate in which the party was needed in the first place. Panther Baby was engaging, hard to put down and one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time.
Panther Baby is marketed toward adults, since much of the memior is focused on Joseph's teen years its has wonderful teen crossover appeal. While reading it I found myself thinking about Magoon's The Rock and The River and wondering about Stick the brother of the main character Sam, who joined the Black Panthers.
Panther Baby is a 2012 favorite.
Publishers Weekly review
Kirkus review
Read a lengthy excerpt and enjoy the great trailer
I've linked this post to Black History Month Hop which is being hosted by Reflections of Bookaholic and Mocha Girls Read
