GREEN EYES AND HAM

Real friendships are built on mutual support and trust.

Thirteen-year-old Abraham “Ham” Hudson’s life changes dramatically when his pastor mother has a cardiac event, forcing her to work less and focus more on her health. To help her reduce her workload, which includes being his home-school teacher, Ham agrees to attend public school. Eighth grade starts out with mixed results: Ham will be attending with his new neighbor and first ever friend, Fey, a girl whose family moves frequently due to her prison guard parents’ job transfers, making her the perpetual new girl. Ham also quickly discovers that his love of running makes him a good fit for the cross-country team, but it’s here that he runs afoul of Bijou, a competitive girl who must prove herself the best even if it means breaking others down. Ham also encounters Micah, a mysterious boy with startling green eyes and a magnetic personality. Ham is smitten and is pulled into Micah’s alluring but risky adventures—ones that lead to a near-fatal incident that helps Ham understand the true meaning of friendship. As a character, Ham is a friendly, likable, and wide-eyed narrator, which is both the strength and weakness of the story. Some readers may enjoy his good-natured innocence; others may grow frustrated at his unrelenting gullibility. The story is amusing but feels like a dessert: very sweet but ultimately just empty calories.

Earnest but verging on hammy.