Betty Before X

This week I had the chance to read Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz with Renee Watson. I'm already a fan of Renee Watson so when I saw that she had paired with the daughter of Malcom X for this thrilling tale of the life of a young Betty Shabazz (the wife of Malcom X and Ilyasah's mother) then I knew I would love it. 

Betty Before X tells the story of Betty as a young girl. Narrated in the first person, it gives us a glimpse into what type of girl would grow up to be the strong woman that eventually married Malcolm X and continued the fight for civil rights and education long after his death. It tells of Betty being given up by her birth parents as a teen and adopted by a woman already involved in the local community. We learn of her experiences in joining with other women in the community to boycott businesses and the church and friends that were central to her becoming the woman behind Malcolm X. 

The author's note at the end of the book details which characters they took liberties of creating and which are factual people. It was based mostly on what had been told to them by Betty and what they could glean from records. I think that the additions they seemed to make obviously kept within the spirit of Betty's life and were very fitting with the facts as well.

It made me want to learn even more about Betty and her life. Of course, I had heard of Malcolm X previously though I couldn't tell you very much about his life before the civil rights movement. I hadn't heard of Betty before reading this book and I think that this reminded me that there are so many women out there that make movements and make waves and make things happen that we are unaware of. 

It gives a look into some of the grassroots movement work that women were doing during the civil rights period. I feel like I always hear more about the men of the civil rights movement, like Martin Luther King Jr, John Lewis, Malcolm X, and then occasionally women like Rosa Parks. So it was refreshing to learn more about other women in the movement.  

This is just an excellent example of historical fiction and the importance that it can have for students in learning about periods of time and groups of people that are frequently forgotten in history books. I would recommend this book to any of my middle grade or young adult readers looking for a good historical fiction book. You can purchase a copy here!