Punching the Air

Punching the Air is a young adult novel in verse that tells the story of sixteen-year-old Amal Shahid, an aspiring artist and poet who is wrongfully convicted and incarcerated. Co-written by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five, the book follows Amal as he navigates a biased criminal-justice system and the harsh realities of prison life. The narrative also explores his earlier experiences at a diverse art school where he is perceived as disruptive, and it addresses themes of racial injustice, systemic bias, and the impact of imprisonment on his identity.