Content: G (1 mild swear, threats)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
8th grader Henson Blayze is already on the high school football team. The whole town, 95% white, sees him as the next great hope. In his first game, however, Henson leaves after he finds out that his best young friend has been beaten by the police and is in the hospital. The town, lead by Dem Delta Boys, doesn’t take Henson’s defection well. Meanwhile, Henson’s father is trying to cultivate Henson’s connection to their land - they are one of the few Black families in the county that own such a large property. And the Blayze family has an obligation to the land and to their larger community.
The magical realism of Barnes’s story is a bit confusing. I think Henson could have learned his lessons without it. There is not enough football for me to point this at sports boys. The commentary on Blacks being “required” to entertain white folk to “earn” their place is the best part for me.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
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