Up in Smoke

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Award-winning author and filmmaker Nick Brooks is also a musician. As Ben Kenobe, he produced a 12-track album—also titled Up in Smoke—to accompany his book. While the novel is told through Monique and Cooper’s alternating perspectives, the album introduces the voice of a third character, offering another lens through which to experience the story.

Have students step into a similar creative space and add their own voices. Taking inspiration from the book, the album, and their own experiences, ask students to write and perform an original verse, rap, or spoken word poem that explores themes from Up in Smoke that resonate with them personally. 

To encourage students to express a clear emotional truth—something real, urgent, or reflective—read Monique’s poems together and talk about the honest glimpse they offer into her inner world. Get them thinking about what Cooper and Monique are grappling with, fighting for, what they’re afraid of, and what they’re learning about the world and themselves, and then ask: Where do I see myself in these struggles? What would I say if it were my story being told?

Student pieces can be based on personal experiences or written from the perspective of a character in the story. Their goal is to speak from the heart and to explore the emotional weight of the world they live in or imagine. Following brainstorming, drafting, and revising, students can perform their pieces live or provide recordings for an Up in Smoke showcase.

Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing

1. How did the narration coming from alternating points of view contribute to your understanding of the story? Why do you think the author chose to tell this story from multiple points of view? What would be lost if it was told only from one character’s perspective? Were there additional perspectives you wanted to hear? Whose, and why?
2. Cooper faces a tough choice when Jason, someone he looks up to, encourages him to do something he knows is wrong. What should you do when someone you care about is heading down a dangerous path? Have you ever had to choose between loyalty and doing the right thing?
3. Throughout the novel, Cooper struggles with grief, fear, guilt, and isolation. How can friends support each other during times of emotional stress or depression? What are some signs someone might need help, even if they’re not asking for it?
4. Monique isn’t afraid to speak out against injustice, even when it puts her at risk. What structural injustices are discussed in this book? What injustices do you feel strongly about? Would you be brave enough to stand up for what’s right if it meant losing friends, reputation, or safety? What makes someone courageous in the face of unfairness?
5. How does the novel portray police officers and the criminal justice system? What is Brooks’ commentary on the criminal justice system? What are some of the systemic issues Up in Smoke highlights?
6. Cooper hides the truth from Monique for most of their investigation. If a close friend hid the truth or lied to you about something serious, could you forgive them? What factors would shape your decision?
7. How is Up in Smoke about choosing who you want to be and discovering what you are passionate about? How do the decisions we make during hard moments shape our identity? What do Cooper and Monique’s choices teach us about growing up and taking responsibility? 

Related Resources

Up in Smoke album by Ben Kenobe (aka Nick Brooks)

MahoganyBooks Podcast: Empowering Young Readers: Nick Brooks Discusses Up in Smoke

Celebrating Read Across America with Story, Sound, and Song