The Color of a Lie
Written by Kim Johnson
Random House Children’s Books
Ages 12-18
Available June 11th, 2024

Calvin and his family move from Chicago to the newly developed all-white Levittown, Pennsylvania after his older sister is killed in a house fire by a white mob. The family is Black, but their skin complexion is light enough that they can pass as white. But passing means Calvin can’t see his brother who works at an all-Black school, can’t talk about his love of jazz, and can’t be himself, noting it’s “hard to breathe when you’re hiding all day long” (p 57). Calvin quickly realizes Levittown has dark secrets, and he finds himself straddling a dangerous line between two worlds. When his new crush, Lily, becomes the first visibly Black student at his high school, Calvin decides to take action against the racist practices of Levittown, along with his two Black friends from his brother’s school. As racial tensions boil over into a mob threatening Lily’s life, Calvin races to save her from the fate of his sister.

This well-researched historical suspense novel weaves in moments of Black history that evoke a powerful solemn tone, such as illegal redlining policies, the Green Book, and even an appearance by Thurgood Marshall. At times the redlining plotline becomes overly detailed, but Johnson pairs these intricacies with suspenseful covert operations that give this novel its thriller sub-genre, such as when Calvin narrowly passes as Thurgood Marshall’s white driver after a secret meeting. This novel is not just historical fiction—Johnson focuses on themes of trust and bravery, centers a gay character, and includes a young love plotline that will appeal to a wide variety of teenagers. Johnson masterfully brings a modern voice to the realities of living as a young Black boy in the 1950s that culminates in a celebration of Black people, culture, and history.