Public Library Of Youngstown & Mahoning County: YA For The Super Bowl Half-Time Show

Press release from the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County:

Sarah

February 18th, 2022

So, after the Super Bowl halftime show, maybe you were left a little bit disappointed (because who were those people and why did nothing big happen?) and confused (because how does your mom know all the words to all the songs?!) about what you just saw.  Here’s the thing…well, two things really: the fact that all of those legends were together on one stage was the big thing, and your parents had lives before you were born.  (Shocking, I know.)   

But that’s why I’m here –  to help you make sense of the halftime show by recommending some books.  This is a library blog, after all.  Pick up any of these books to gain a clearer understanding of just how awesome that show was! 

The Hate U Give, On the Come Up, or Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas 

These books all take place in the same neighborhood, but you can read any or all of them.  And they rely heavily on musical references, especially late 1990s/early 2000s rap and hip-hop. So much so, in fact, that Thomas has shared playlists that inspired her while writing.  (A quick internet search will pull these up for you.)  The titles are listed in order of publication, but if you’d like to read them chronologically, you’ll go in this order: Concrete Rose, The Hate U Give, and On the Come Up.   

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson 

Yes, the halftime show was an ode to California, but you can’t talk about rap and hip-hop from that time frame without also bringing up the East Coast.  And this book focuses on Brooklyn kids and their dream of making it big in the rap world.  A dream that has them pretending their recently murdered friend is still alive so his music can reach the world the way he (and they) wanted it to.  Jackson also created a soundtrack to accompany the book. (Again, a quick internet search should lead you right to it.) 

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo 

Technically, this book isn’t about music.  But it is about slam poetry and being true to yourself as you break free of expectations, and both of those things parallel rap and hip-hop.  (Acevedo is actually a former national slam poetry champion!)  Rap & hip-hop are often looked at as examples of poetry, and Tupac even had a book of his poetry published after his death.  Plus, this novel is written in verse, so it reads very fast.  I would highly recommend the audiobook, which Acevedo narrates. 

Hopefully you’re starting to get a better idea of why the halftime show meant so much to so many people.  And don’t forget – one day you’ll be explaining to your kids why it’s so awesome that Lil Nas X or Lizzo performed at the Super Bowl halftime show! 

Happy reading! 

Sarah

Sarah is a youth services librarian in Canfield. She pretty much only reads YA books, but she is easily distracted by a good picture book or anything Doctor Who related. Sarah loves to crochet and knit and can usually be found with a pile of yarn in her lap with one of her three dogs nearby. Originally from Texas, she still says “y’all” all the time and refuses to call carbonated beverages “pop.”

This press release was produced by the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County. The views expressed here are the author’s own.