Book Review + Lesson Ideas/Discussion Prompts for Mid Air by Alicia D. Williams | Black Author | Middle Grade | Novel in Verse

Mid Air by Alicia D. Williams is a compelling middle-grade novel-in-verse that delves into themes of grief, friendship, and self-acceptance. The story centers on Isaiah, a sensitive eighth-grader grappling with the tragic loss of his best friend, Darius, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident during a record-breaking wheelie attempt. As Isaiah and his remaining friend, Drew, attempt to honor Darius's memory by pursuing their shared goal of breaking world records, they find their friendship strained. Isaiah's journey is further complicated by societal pressures to conform and suppress his true self. Through evocative verse and illustrations, the novel explores Isaiah's path toward healing and self-discovery in a world that often demands toughness over tenderness.

• Print Book: Tuma's Books | Bookshop.org
• Audiobook: Libro.fm

Woooow! I loved Genesis Begins Again, so I had high hopes for this one. But my goodness! The way the author is able to write authentically about young people and their real issues is stunning.

Packed into a 300+ page novel in verse, Williams explores so many powerful issues and experiences, such as:

• death of a friend + grief
• the impact of others' ignorance, bias, & prejudice 
• friendship
• struggle to embrace one's true self/self expression 
• fear of rejection
• impact of toxic masculinity in young boys
• violence against black boys 
• power of a village
• absentee fathers (even for reasons such as work
• food deserts/scarcity + healing power in gardening
• Intersectionality of race and socioeconomics + privilege 
• incarceration of black men 

I started reading and couldn't put it down until I finished because I was immediately invested in Isaiah and needed to make sure he would be okay by the end. 

Simon & Schuster created their own reading group guide with discussion questions and activities or this book, which you can find here. 

However, here are some discussion prompts that I came up with and would use in a 7th or 8th grade classroom:

IDENTITY: Isaiah feels as if he has to hide the things he likes and how he really is because he believes others won't understand or accept him. What parts of you do you keep hidden from others?

LOST/GRIEF/FRIENDSHIP: After losing their friend, Darius, in a horrible car accident, Isaiah struggles with maintaining his friendship with Drew as they both try to cope with their grief. How can we continue to be good friends when going through our own issues or challenges? 

Isaiah struggles with talking about his problems. Eventually, staying with his Aunt and Uncle down south helps him open up. What are healthy ways of coping with pain our in lives?

CHARACTERIZATION: Which character do you relate to most and why?

STRUCTURE: Mid Air is told in verse and art. How do these choices impact readers' experience of the story and characters?

RACE: How does this novel explode issues.of racism and racial tension?

In addition, here's some mini-projects or activities that were inspired by Mid Air: 

• Create a character map for yourself. On the outside, draw/write what others see and inside the outline, draw/write what you may hide from others. 
• Choose a character and write a journal entry from their perspective. 
• Choose a scene from the novel and create your own illustration/artwork to accompany it.
• Write a letter from Darius' Ghost or Spirit to Isaiah and/or Drew. What would he want them to know after his passing?
• Isaiah loves rock music. Create a 10+ song playlist for another character in the novel. 

Mid Air is a great novel and I recommend it highly for the upper Middle School classroom. It explores some heavy topics but in an age appropriate way. It will be a powerful book for tweens to discuss and reflect on. 

If you like these ideas or use of any of them in your own classroom, please let me know!