From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026…

Genesis Begins Again

Alicia D. Williams

Start date: February 1, 2020

Finish date: February 29, 2020

Discussion: Newbery 2020

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Showing 2 of 19 topics — 578 comments total

Newbery 2020

* 2020 John Newbery Medal Awards
By Kristen · 28 posts · 271 views

last updated Mar 28, 2021 06:44AM

Final Round - 2020 Mock Newbery Award
By Kristen · 85 posts · 307 views

last updated Feb 05, 2020 12:39PM

What Members Thought

May 23, 2019 Dest rated it liked it

Shelves: school, sad, tween, not-compelled-to-finish, bipoc

In the middle of reading this, my hold on New Kid came in. I was so excited, I set this book aside and finished New Kid the same day I started it. Then I found myself really not wanting to go back to Genesis. I feel a little guilty not finishing it, but I think I read enough to understand that even though this a good book, it's too depressing for me right now. The part where I put it down Genesis had just really hurt herself trying to exfoliate to make her skin lighter. Her grandma had just told ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 02, 2020 alisonwonderland (Alison) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, middle-grade, black-african-american, newbery-honor, kindle-borrow, 2019-publication-date, summer-reading-2020

Genesis Begins Again is a 2020 Newbery Honor book, and because it has a relatable main character with real problems but hope for the future, I think it well deserves that award.

During the time I was reading this middle grade novel, I received a Anti-Racism Daily newsletter on the topic of colorism. Defined as “the differential treatment based on skin color, especially favoritism toward those with a lighter skin tone and mistreatment or exclusion of those with a darker skin tone, typically among ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2020 Cheryl Meibos rated it it was ok

Shelves: 5th-graders, 6th-graders

A lot of self-loathing about her looks. Eventually, she starts to realize that everyone has things they don't like about themselves. Some things you can modify or change, some things you can't. ...more

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Apr 27, 2019 Maria Caplin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: multicultural, newbery-19, math

I wanted to know what happened to Genesis. This story had every complication in life almost too many for me. When Genesis found her story, I was happy I finished the book.

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