Day: July 31, 2017

Solo by Kwame Alexander

| Tasha

Solo by Kwame Alexander

Solo by Kwame Alexander (9780310761839, Amazon)

Blade has grown up with all sorts of privileges as the son of a rock star, but the big house and huge parties come at a cost. His father is always humiliating him, like when he crashes (literally) Blade’s graduation ceremony where Blade is meant to give a speech. His father tries to clean up his act regularly, but it never seems to stick and he returns to drugs and alcohol. Blade also misses his mother terribly after her death. When Blade finally confronts his father about his behavior, a family secret is revealed that changes Blade’s perspective permanently. He sets off to discover his own history, a journey that takes him to Ghana, a place entirely different than the one he has been living in.

Newbery-Medal winner Alexander has crafted another amazing verse novel here. He moves firmly into teen territory here, with a 17-year-old protagonist who is truly on a journey to discover himself. Alexander starts the novel with the excess of a rock legend’s life and then beautifully changes the novel mid-course to Ghana and people who live as a strong community with few luxuries. The two settings could not be more different nor could what Blade feels while he is in each. Ghana is vividly depicted as is Blade’s reaction to it, rich with people and place.

Alexander’s poetry writing is superb in both settings. Yet it truly comes alive in Ghana, particularly with Joy, Blade’s guide and inspiration while there. Just as Blade cannot look away from Joy, neither can the novel nor the reader since she is so captivating. Throughout the book, there are questions asked that are deep, about wealth and poverty, about privilege and race, about addiction and recovery, about parenting and failure. This is a rich book filled with lots to discover and discuss.

A great read that will be enjoyed by even those teens who may not think they’d like a verse novel. Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from ARC received from HarperCollins.

Whose Moon Is That? by Kim Krans

| Tasha

Whose Moon Is That by Kim Krans

Whose Moon Is That? by Kim Krans (9781101932278, Amazon)

When the cat asks aloud who the moon belongs to, he gets many different answers. The tree and bird both insist the moon is theirs. The bear claims to have seen it first while the stars say it’s theirs because they hold it. The wolf insists that it helps him howl, so it’s his. Even the ocean thinks it is theirs because they reflect the moonlight. But the moon itself soon sets things straight and explains that the moon belongs to no one and to everyone. Still, the cat awakes the next morning with a new question about the sun!

This picture book about the moon is written in rhyming couplets that are not forced or unnatural. The book flows nicely from one natural figure to the next, each insisting that the moon is theirs with rhythm and rhyme. The illustrations are a mix of detailed fine-ink black and white with dramatic watercolor backgrounds that at times are almost tie-dyed and a mix of deep and bright colors.

A lovely bedtime book that will be welcomed especially on moonlit nights. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from e-galley received from Edelweiss and Random House.