Punching the Air
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- Create Date：2021-09-11 08:53:40
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Ibi Zoboi
- ISBN：0062996487
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
From award-winning， bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five comes a powerful YA novel in verse about a boy who is wrongfully incarcerated。 Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds， Walter Dean Myers， and Elizabeth Acevedo。
The story that I thought
was my life
didn’t start on the day
I was born
Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet。 But even in a diverse art school， he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system。 Then one fateful night， an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy。 “Boys just being boys” turns out to be true only when those boys are white。
The story that I think
will be my life
starts today
Suddenly， at just sixteen years old， Amal’s bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison。 Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words， his art。 This never should have been his story。 But can he change it？
With spellbinding lyricism， award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth， in a system designed to strip him of both。
The story that I thought
was my life
didn’t start on the day
I was born
Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet。 But even in a diverse art school， he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system。 Then one fateful night， an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy。 “Boys just being boys” turns out to be true only when those boys are white。
The story that I think
will be my life
starts today
Suddenly， at just sixteen years old， Amal’s bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison。 Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words， his art。 This never should have been his story。 But can he change it？
With spellbinding lyricism， award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth， in a system designed to strip him of both。
Reviews
E
，
This was the pick for a teen reading group that I was co-leading this summer。 The teens in the group were definitely impacted by the text and the way it the protagonist， Amal， uses art as boundary-breaking form of resistance。 It's also a great jumping-off point for exploring issues with teens around incarceration， the prison industrial complex， and their effect on youth， especially Black and brown youth。 This was the pick for a teen reading group that I was co-leading this summer。 The teens in the group were definitely impacted by the text and the way it the protagonist， Amal， uses art as boundary-breaking form of resistance。 It's also a great jumping-off point for exploring issues with teens around incarceration， the prison industrial complex， and their effect on youth， especially Black and brown youth。 。。。more
Vshipp
，
4。25 stars - I did both the audiobook and the regular book。 I actually preferred the real text over audio because the poetry segments were much more powerful to see written in their intended form。 The spacing and design of the format helped to portray the narrator’s viewpoints and pain。 Well done。
Kingpek1571
，
it was a good book
Kristen Majkut
，
Powerful realistic fiction verse novel inspired by the Central Park Five's wrongful imprisonment in the 1989 case that rocked NYC。 Dr。 Yusef Salaam co-wrote this the amazing Ibi Zoboi。 It makes me want to Punch the Air too。 Powerful realistic fiction verse novel inspired by the Central Park Five's wrongful imprisonment in the 1989 case that rocked NYC。 Dr。 Yusef Salaam co-wrote this the amazing Ibi Zoboi。 It makes me want to Punch the Air too。 。。。more
Kayla
，
The book， “Punching the Air” by Ibi Zoboi Yusuf Salaam， gives readers a first hand experience of the racial bias that resides within the United States justice system。 About a year ago， George Floyd， a black man， was killed in the hands of an American policeman。 Resulting in the uprise of the Black Lives Matter movement。 This book is not only beautifully written， but also relates to current events。 “Punching the Air” was an exciting， page turner。 If I could give this book 6 stars I would！
Jam
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Punching the air written by Ibi Zoboi is a fictional book a would recommend to others。 Unlike other books I’ve read this story is written and told through a series of poems！ Its amazingly written。 This story takes place in prison and as the Title “Punching the Air” suggests Amal finds himself in prison for something he didn’t even do。 He was wrongly accused。 Amal’s race played a big part in how he got there and he suddenly found himself being judged based off what someone else is saying。 As we c Punching the air written by Ibi Zoboi is a fictional book a would recommend to others。 Unlike other books I’ve read this story is written and told through a series of poems！ Its amazingly written。 This story takes place in prison and as the Title “Punching the Air” suggests Amal finds himself in prison for something he didn’t even do。 He was wrongly accused。 Amal’s race played a big part in how he got there and he suddenly found himself being judged based off what someone else is saying。 As we can see here， one of the obvious themes here is about racism。 I also like how this book talks about religion and how it pulled him through the dreadful times。 Another factor that helped him get through this tough time was poetry。 Being in a dreadful environment like a prison can have an effect on one’s mental health。 We can also observe that another theme in this book shines light on mental health。 Where Amal uses his faith and art to keep sane。 Amal also did struggle with his poetry due to the environment。 All in all， Punching the Air， written by Ibi Zoboi， it is a noteworthy book and I rate it 4/5。 。。。more
Jeslyn Jacob
，
I would highly recommend this book to any person。 I'm not a big poetry person but this book was nothing but stunning。 I truly enjoyed how it was written， allowing the readers to feel such raw and deep emotions。 I can't lie， the book was a little sad but I loved all the different emotions I felt while reading the novel。 Something I loved most about the story was how real it was。 The authors， Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam， did an amazing job showing the struggles young black men face。 Amal was writte I would highly recommend this book to any person。 I'm not a big poetry person but this book was nothing but stunning。 I truly enjoyed how it was written， allowing the readers to feel such raw and deep emotions。 I can't lie， the book was a little sad but I loved all the different emotions I felt while reading the novel。 Something I loved most about the story was how real it was。 The authors， Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam， did an amazing job showing the struggles young black men face。 Amal was written very well and the plot was good。 Like I said before， I would recommend this book！ 。。。more
Adianna Von
，
I love how this book openly tackled race issues and problems in our world and really gave readers a first-hand point of view on real-world problems。 However， I feel that most characters were very static and the lack of character arc made the book less entertaining and immersive。 I love that the narrator spoke in verse。 I have only ever read one book before that was written the way this one was， and they are both incredible。 I loved how art was used as an escape by the main character and how we g I love how this book openly tackled race issues and problems in our world and really gave readers a first-hand point of view on real-world problems。 However， I feel that most characters were very static and the lack of character arc made the book less entertaining and immersive。 I love that the narrator spoke in verse。 I have only ever read one book before that was written the way this one was， and they are both incredible。 I loved how art was used as an escape by the main character and how we get a look at his "interior life"。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
Punching the Air is a book about the many injustices people face not only because of the color of their skin but because people in our century still seem to discriminate against people based on certain aspects。 Such as race which has created many negative stereotypes。 The timely & eye-awakening novel by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam， inspired by the story of Amal Shahid， an artist， poet and Black Muslim teen。 In which on one fateful night， an altercation escalates quickly becoming a tragedy。 At jus Punching the Air is a book about the many injustices people face not only because of the color of their skin but because people in our century still seem to discriminate against people based on certain aspects。 Such as race which has created many negative stereotypes。 The timely & eye-awakening novel by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam， inspired by the story of Amal Shahid， an artist， poet and Black Muslim teen。 In which on one fateful night， an altercation escalates quickly becoming a tragedy。 At just sixteen years old， he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and is sent to prison。 Almost consumed with rage and hopelessness， he turns to the sanctuary of his words and art。 On Netflix， there was this series based on what happened to Amal which completely sparked an interest in many people of this century including myself。 “Punching the Air” is a moving and profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth， in a system that is designed to deprive him of both。 I rate this book a 5/5。 。。。more
Mathews Perez
，
A seriously great novel！ I really like structure and perspective。 Reading some portions brought me to tears， and I definitely recommend all black youths to read it。
Aleena Toro
，
Punching the Air is an eye opening story about racism。 The book really does a good job describing the difference between how people of color are treated differently in the justice system， rather than white people。
Tristan
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I think the book was great。 It had me intrigued and was very interesting。 One thing that pulled me in was the story of the boy。
Emmanuel
，
dog water but better than frankenstein tbh
Cristal Hubbard
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book shines a light on the injustice that has been happening to the black community since the beginning of time。 The main character 16 year old Amal was arrested and sentenced to seven to thirteen years in jail for assaulting a white male in a park。 While pleading his innocence in court everyone refused to hear his story they refused to believe that he was defending himself， the truth was Amal was defending himself from the boy that had assaulted him first but they all look at him as somebo This book shines a light on the injustice that has been happening to the black community since the beginning of time。 The main character 16 year old Amal was arrested and sentenced to seven to thirteen years in jail for assaulting a white male in a park。 While pleading his innocence in court everyone refused to hear his story they refused to believe that he was defending himself， the truth was Amal was defending himself from the boy that had assaulted him first but they all look at him as somebody who wanted to start trouble because of his skin color， it was black vs white。 。。。more
Sophia
，
I gave “Punching the Air” by IbI Zoboi a 5 out 5 star review because this became one of my favorite books。 I absolutely loved this book。 This book is about a 16 year old kid named Amal， who is incredibly artistic and talented， and has a “promising future”。 Amal was put in prision for throwing a punch。 I would definitely recommend this book。
Alfred Krasniqi
，
This book was a phenomenal and beautiful piece of literacy。 The usage of a plethora of different poem formats to tell the story of this young boy who was convicted of something he hadn't caused is amazing。 As he serves time for being convicted of beating Jeremy Mathis half to death， we can see him try his best to have hope that when Jeremy awakes from his coma， he will tell the truth。 He encounters several setbacks while serving time， but preservers through it all in hopes that he will get to se This book was a phenomenal and beautiful piece of literacy。 The usage of a plethora of different poem formats to tell the story of this young boy who was convicted of something he hadn't caused is amazing。 As he serves time for being convicted of beating Jeremy Mathis half to death， we can see him try his best to have hope that when Jeremy awakes from his coma， he will tell the truth。 He encounters several setbacks while serving time， but preservers through it all in hopes that he will get to see his friends， family， and love， once he is found innocent。 。。。more
Gabriel。Est
，
It was ok but the story started to pick up then it become a lot better
Sophie Carbone
，
This was so wonderfully written， and the fact it’s written in verse makes it even more impactful。 I really enjoyed this story and the authors note at the end made it even more intense and real。 This was not an easy read。
Eliza Rowna
，
I personally don't like reading but I had to purchase this book for my summer reading assignment。 I wasn't expecting the book to be this good。 The author explained one of societies problems which is racism and how white people don't deny the fact that it is an issue in todays world。 Ibi Zoboi had a clever way on demonstrating how racism is affecting today's world and how white individuals should be embarrassed by the way they are treating others。 I was also impressed by the way she incorporated I personally don't like reading but I had to purchase this book for my summer reading assignment。 I wasn't expecting the book to be this good。 The author explained one of societies problems which is racism and how white people don't deny the fact that it is an issue in todays world。 Ibi Zoboi had a clever way on demonstrating how racism is affecting today's world and how white individuals should be embarrassed by the way they are treating others。 I was also impressed by the way she incorporated different poems into her novel。 。。。more
Anjelina Ila
，
In my opinion， the novel “Punching the Air” by Ibi Zoboi was an excellent novel。 It addresses an important topic in the world; racism。 Even while Amal Shahid was wrongfully convicted for something he didn’t do and gets sent to prison， he doesn’t let himself thing negative about being in jail and focuses on the positivity of his love for art。
Kailee Haong
，
This YA novel written in free verse is impeccable。 There is a beautiful rhythm and cadence that carries you from one part to the next， almost in a way that blurs time--perhaps mimicking Amal’s complex relationship with time。 Wrong place， wrong time， not having enough time， how time passes while incarcerated… The story follows Amal as he is wrongly incarcerated for a fight with a white boy。 This book examines what it means to be a young black boy in an unjust world。 It is timely， heartbreaking， a This YA novel written in free verse is impeccable。 There is a beautiful rhythm and cadence that carries you from one part to the next， almost in a way that blurs time--perhaps mimicking Amal’s complex relationship with time。 Wrong place， wrong time， not having enough time， how time passes while incarcerated… The story follows Amal as he is wrongly incarcerated for a fight with a white boy。 This book examines what it means to be a young black boy in an unjust world。 It is timely， heartbreaking， and absolutely worth reading。 。。。more
Kesta Fleming
，
This was SUCH a good book。 If I were still teaching， I'd want this to be on the syllabus。 This was SUCH a good book。 If I were still teaching， I'd want this to be on the syllabus。 。。。more
Elisia
，
Reading this book was a great experience I enjoyed everything from the settings， the characters， and the story。 I think it was amazingly written and emotionally honest。 It is in poetry style， so not the standard paragraph writing。 It's about a kid who is wrongly convicted of attempted murder， goes to juvie， and uses his writing and language arts skills to keep him sane and his story in there。 Reading this book was a great experience I enjoyed everything from the settings， the characters， and the story。 I think it was amazingly written and emotionally honest。 It is in poetry style， so not the standard paragraph writing。 It's about a kid who is wrongly convicted of attempted murder， goes to juvie， and uses his writing and language arts skills to keep him sane and his story in there。 。。。more
Muhammad
，
This novel is prefect fit for my likings because I am always interested in what's happenings in the outside world 。 What is wrong and what is right in the outside world。This novel is about a boy named Amal Shahid that was put through many hard times because of his race 。Its also about his talent as an artist 。 Poetry and art was very well discussed in this book 。This book shows how wrong the judicial system and prison system worked against the boy 。He was seen as many thing such as criminal and This novel is prefect fit for my likings because I am always interested in what's happenings in the outside world 。 What is wrong and what is right in the outside world。This novel is about a boy named Amal Shahid that was put through many hard times because of his race 。Its also about his talent as an artist 。 Poetry and art was very well discussed in this book 。This book shows how wrong the judicial system and prison system worked against the boy 。He was seen as many thing such as criminal and etc but what he actually was just a artist 。This book showed me many messages such as the power of art and how it can be used against negative ideas。 It showed me wrongful convictions and how racism is running in the United States Constitution itself。 I would definitely read this book and would prefer this book to people who like fiction novels and are interested in acts of Racism 。。。more
Melany Medina
，
"Innocent until proven guiltyBut with us， it’sguilty until proven innocent”-This verse would be such a fundamental part of the book and any reader reading this could immediately understand the discriminatory situation this young black man is being put through。 It is clear the system is prejudice and this young man is being guarded and looked at based on the color of his skin。 The whole system is based on this。 Everyone who is supposed to be protecting the characters such as Amal and guarding the "Innocent until proven guiltyBut with us， it’sguilty until proven innocent”-This verse would be such a fundamental part of the book and any reader reading this could immediately understand the discriminatory situation this young black man is being put through。 It is clear the system is prejudice and this young man is being guarded and looked at based on the color of his skin。 The whole system is based on this。 Everyone who is supposed to be protecting the characters such as Amal and guarding their life， are the same ones failing these young black folks and putting their life at risk due to their discriminatory prejudice。 This book is so important to read because it can open the eyes of many young people my age to the real world pout there and the reality many black young men go thorough every passing day。 。。。more
Shaunna
，
The style of writing created an ebb and flow of emotions。 I loved the short stanzas and poignant chapters， which caused me to pause and contemplate every time。 Beautiful metaphors and similes added layers of depth to the experience。 This might be my favorite book that I’ve read this year， if not the past few years。
Kattsbookworld
，
5/5 🌟It is brilliant！！！ If I could give it 100 🌟 I would。 This book is beautiful in all the ways。 I tried to hold myself from crying but I couldn’t anymore when it said to be based on a true story… It is one of the best books I’ve read this year。 Actually I think that the fact that I listened to the audiobook made it so much more emotional and better！
Alex
，
One of the most powerful pieces of media I've ever read that chronicles the injustices of societal and judicial racism。 It illustrates the power of hope when all seems lost and knowing your truth even when held up against a metaphorical wall at gun point。 This will be my number one book rec for a long time to come。 One of the most powerful pieces of media I've ever read that chronicles the injustices of societal and judicial racism。 It illustrates the power of hope when all seems lost and knowing your truth even when held up against a metaphorical wall at gun point。 This will be my number one book rec for a long time to come。 。。。more
Ella
，
I hate poetry but I loved this book， it was amazingly written， I've never read a poetry book that lays out such a perfect， easy to follow story with an important meaning behind it， that is clearly portrayed。 I hate poetry but I loved this book， it was amazingly written， I've never read a poetry book that lays out such a perfect， easy to follow story with an important meaning behind it， that is clearly portrayed。 。。。more
jay :）
，
YOOOOOOO THIS WAS SO GOOD I LOVED IT OMG READ IT ITS SO POWERFUL AND PAINFUL
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Punching the Air
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Punching the Air&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Punching the Air&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0