White author Brendan Kiely uses stories from his own life and learning as springboards to talk about white privilege and racism. His decision to share his own experiences, including events he’s witnessed, missteps he’s made, and adult reflections on events from his young adulthood, are among the things that make this work so accessible and relatable. Kiely doesn’t lecture, he shares, inviting readers to consider the ways race impacts how we are all perceived and treated, and how racism shapes those perceptions and much of that treatment for people who are not, or not perceived as, white. Throughout he references various studies and statistics, all of which are cited in the end matter, which also includes a bibliography for further reading. In his author’s note, Kiely expands on the discomfort he feels in being a white person writing about racism—something he’s never experienced—as well as the importance of white people working to combat racism and listening to and learning from those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. (Age 12 and older)

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Brendan Kiely starts a conversation with white kids about race in this “well-executed and long overdue” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) introduction to white privilege and why allyship is so vital.

Talking about racism can be hard, but...

Most kids of color grow up doing it. They have “The Talk” with their families—the honest talk about survival in a racist world.

But white kids don’t. They’re barely spoken to about race at all—and that needs to change. Because not talking about racism doesn’t make it go away. Not talking about white privilege doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

The Other Talk begins this much-needed conversation for white kids. In an instantly relatable and deeply honest account of his own life, Brendan Kiely offers young readers a way to understand one’s own white privilege and why allyship is so vital, so that we can all start doing our part—today.