Kwame has hit this book out of the park. He has a solid book that kids today will love, and kids of tomorrow will still be reading far into the future. Rick Riordan Presents looks to tell mythology stories in #ownvoices and unlike some other famous author imprints, he has not had a dud yet. This book takes african american folklore and spins it into a story that is action packed, heart warming, and full of the “messages” so many authors aim for but can’t make seamless to the story. This one does it all. Tristan Strong is just any regular american POC boy. He has an exacting father, a legacy to live up to, and a tragic backstory after his best friend dies in a bus accident.

He is sent to spend some time with his Nana and grandfather after a lost boxing match. The hope is that he will heal from his grief and learn from hard work on the farm. But his first night is a doozy. He has his friend’s Eddie’s journal. It’s been glowing and that first night some slimy, sticky little thief broke into his room to steal it. That is where we first meet Gum Baby. Every time Gum Baby speaks I hear Cardi B. I can’t help it. A wild chase results in an accidental hole in the sky when Tristan breaks a bottle from the bottle tree and falls through a hole.

The world below is in turmoil and the hole in the sky is just making things worse. Fetterlings are capturing the people in the land below and taking over all the land. Only a story teller will be able to put the land back to rights, as it will take a story boxl to get Anasi out of hiding. Then with some help from legends John Henry, Brer Rox, Brer Rabbit, and even High John, it will really be up to Tristan to help fix the hole he created and bring stories back to the land.

This book was amazing and I can not wait for the sequel. And as has been my tradition, I will await the next tale from RRP because I know adventure awaits.

#LitsyAtoZYA
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#ReadHarder
#booked2020 #spring
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