{"product_id":"punching-the-air-9780062996497","title":"Punching the Air","description":"\"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 ... 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\"--\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eZoboi, Ibi:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIbi Zoboi \u003c\/strong\u003eholds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her novel \u003cem\u003eAmerican Street \u003c\/em\u003ewas a National Book Award finalist and a \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Notable Book. She is also the author of \u003cem\u003ePride \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich\u003c\/em\u003e, a \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestseller. She is the editor of the anthology \u003cem\u003eBlack Enough\u003c\/em\u003e. Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.ibizoboi.net.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSalaam, Yusef:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Yusef Salaam\u003c\/strong\u003e was just fifteen years old when his life was upended after being wrongly convicted with four other boys in the \"Central Park jogger\" case. In 2002, after the young men spent years of their lives behind bars, their sentences were overturned. Now known as the Exonerated Five, their story has been documented in the award-winning film \u003cem\u003eThe Central Park Five \u003c\/em\u003eby Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon and in Ava DuVernay's highly acclaimed series \u003cem\u003eWhen \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eThey See Us\u003c\/em\u003e. Yusef is now a poet, activist, and inspirational speaker. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama, among other honors. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Sanovia, and their children. You can find him online at www.yusefspeaks.com.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Balzer \u0026 Bray\/Harperteen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50583543251218,"sku":"9780062996497","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4b174af0-3c1e-475c-ae1f-618f8fbe967d.jpg?v=1737080828","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/punching-the-air-9780062996497","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}