Black excellence, black fantastic, and black family combine for a transformational story of passion and persistence.
Ailey Benjamin Lane can dance outta this world and even drop a dope rhyme, but he struggles to perform his best under the spotlight.
Henderson’s characters have such powerful names, evoking a legacy of black excellence that dovetails triumphantly with this story of facing regrets and achieving redemption. (A list of these names is appended.) At the center, there’s Ailey Benjamin Lane, named for black dancer Alvin Ailey and astronomer/inventor Benjamin Banneker. Ailey is headed into stiff competition for the role of the Scarecrow in the school’s production of The Wiz. Ailey struggles through his first audition, and his stress is compounded when he arrives home to learn that his grandfather, who has shared with Ailey his love of the stars, is hospitalized. At the hospital, Grampa now shares a secret about a prized possession he’s held onto all these years: the tap shoes of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Ailey tries on the shoes and is transported to 1930s Harlem. There, he meets a young street tapper who looks an awful lot like Grampa and who is seeking to make a name for himself but must overcome his own doubt and anxiety. Through these magical shoes and this historic journey, there’s a way for Ailey to rewrite the story and “with every bit of heart and grit you have to seize…possibility.”
Black excellence, black fantastic, and black family combine for a transformational story of passion and persistence. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4549-3406-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Meaningful cultural connections provide a solid foundation for this inventive fantasy adventure.
A Korean American tween and her friends team up to recover powerful heirlooms before they’re used to destroy the world.
Fresh off her world-saving heroics in Lia Park and the Missing Jewel (2022), expectations are high for 12-year-old Lia’s first year at the International Magic School. She is anxious to prove her abilities as a powerful spell-caster among her new classmates. Instead, it’s Joon, Lia’s best friend, whose talents impress, stirring jealousy, competition, and insecurity between the two. Complicating matters given their growing distance, Lia and Joon are matched with classmates Eugene and Chloe and sent on a dangerous mission. They must retrieve hidden artifacts before the King of Darkness uses them to unleash imprisoned monsters into the world. Along the way, Lia learns that a traitor has been sabotaging their efforts, and she has reason to suspect each of her teammates. Revelations about the double agent and a mysterious prophecy set up the next volume. As in the first installment, Korean words and phrases appear throughout the text, and Korean landmarks act as locales, adding to the sense of place. Strong worldbuilding continues to provide a captivating magical universe inspired by Korean mythology. Grounding the story is the platonic relationship between Lia and Joon, which realistically portrays the tension between establishing your own identity while preserving a close friendship.
Meaningful cultural connections provide a solid foundation for this inventive fantasy adventure. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 30, 2023
ISBN: 9781534487963
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
An entertaining, riddle-focused mystery.
A boy inherits a needlework sampler that is also a treasure map, leading to opportunity—and danger.
Grady, a White middle schooler, is grieving the tragic loss of his mother and struggling to connect with his father. To make matters worse, his family’s trailer in fictional Gifton, Georgia, is facing foreclosure. When eccentric local Eudora “Kooky” Klinch passes away, it is revealed that Grady is her next of kin. He inherits from her a cross-stitch sampler and a note suggesting that it leads to fortune (her house and the rest of her possessions are, frustratingly for Grady, left to a cat rescue organization). Motivated by his stressful financial situation, Grady works with best friends Thad (a White redhead who uses the names of architects as swear words) and Clemmie (a confident Black girl who is an emotionally intelligent leader) to solve the puzzle. The subsequent events are well paced and cleverly delineated—especially when it comes to exploring multilayered linguistic clues. The characterization and setting, however, are less successful. The small-town drama and antics of the large cast are humorous but verge on caricature, and the fictionalized setting muddies attempted investigation into Georgia’s complex history. The dialogue—especially between the kids—is lighthearted and feels genuine but unfortunately includes frequent usage of terms like dumb and stupid. Themes of family and hope are directly and carefully addressed in this gripping narrative.
An entertaining, riddle-focused mystery. (historical note, further reading) (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781728275468
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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