Julian Randall ’11 Nominated for National Book Award

Some exciting news to share! Julian Randall ’11, who many Parker teachers had the chance to teach and was the 9th Annual Jeanne Harris Hansell Endowed Poet in 2023, is a finalist for the National Book Award in the young people’s literature category for his novel in verse, Shook.

It’s a brilliantly crafted story (his most impressive yet) that I’m hoping we can bring to our Middle School students in the second semester.

Here is an excerpt from the Kirkus Review:

Malik “Shake” Page has honed his basketball skills, never missing morning shooting sessions in Marshall Grove, a lower-income Chicago neighborhood. He inherited his love of basketball from his father, “a legend / in Philly street ball” who played for Loyola and is now a coach but not his coach: “Mom won’t let him. / Too much pressure / for him to be just like you.” Shake believes he has what it takes for the NBA. Everything revolves around improving his game and showing up for his team—but their last game of the season stretches him in unexpected ways when he fractures his ankle and has to stop playing ball for the rest of the summer. Shake isolates himself, turning down invitations and ignoring texts. He even distances himself from best friend Kyla, and he doesn’t know how to repair what he broke between them. As his anxiety grows and he struggles with panic attacks, Shake enters therapy. Randall’s creative use of layout, fonts, and other visual effects adds flair to this engaging narrative. The team and friendship dynamics in this story centering on Black characters are well written and feel genuine, and readers will connect with the clever word play and Shake’s appealing voice. Shook vividly explores the complexities of being vulnerable and different ways of showing up in relationships.