Punching the Air Summary
Ibi Zoboi

Punching the Air Overview

Punching the Air is a novel by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam. The novel is written in verse, and it tells the story of Amal. Amal is a teenage Black boy who finds himself incarcerated in a juvenile facility after a fight with a white boy. Amal explores art, poetry, and rap as forms of self-expression to cope with the painful reality of living life behind bars. The novel delves into themes of escapism, hope, the ocean, home, and racism.