The New York Times Book Review - Nalini Jones
Fans of Reynolds's best-selling Track series will already know the dexterity with which he writes from different perspectives, and those shifts are especially effective in this book of interconnected stories…For young readers, the structure of this "tale told in 10 blocks" is bound to be deeply satisfying, a way to zoom in on the everyday mysteries of this neighborhood…Reynolds's crackling, witty prose is a joy to read. The tales come in a sprightly variety of modes, from a handwritten list to a meditation on school buses that brushes up against poetry…[Here] is a book about life, a book to encourage us not just to look both ways but to look down at the sidewalk and up at the sky, to look in every direction we can. Because we don't want to miss a single page.
Publishers Weekly
★ 08/12/2019
Reynolds (the Track series) packs the 10 blocks surrounding multiple schools with 10 relatable slice-of-life stories that start after school ends, each beginning with a black-and-white drawing by Nabaum. An overlapping cast of black characters populates the tales as they experience the tribulations of familial love (“Ookabooka Land”), fears (“Satchmo’s Master Plan”), first crushes (“How a Boy Becomes a Grease Fire”), near-death experiences (“The Broom Dog”), and more. Among the most memorable of these stories are “The Low Cuts Strike Again,” about a group of free-lunch students who are all children of cancer survivors (and rock low-cut haircuts in solidarity); “Skitter Hitter,” about Pia Foster, skateboarder extraordinaire, her deceased expert skateboarder sister Santi, and the boys who bully them about their skill; and “Call of Duty,” which portrays one hopeful, compassionate outcome of standing up against homophobic bullying. In Reynolds’s signature style, each story rings with emotional authenticity and empathy, and not a small amount of rib-tickling humor offsets the sometimes bittersweet realities of the characters’ lives. Ages 10–14. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Oct.)
Shelf Awareness
"An unconventional, clever exploration of the secret trials and tribulations of middle schoolers."
starred review BookPage
*"Superb storytelling."
starred review BCCB
*Reynolds proves once again that he has a knack for marrying the emotionally gripping to the unabashedly silly in ways that read as both new and familiar....Charming."
May 3, 2019 - EW.com
One of the most exciting, constantly surprising voices in children’s literature...is back with another book that’s as innovative as it is emotionally arresting.
starred review Booklist
"This is storytelling at its finest, a true masterpiece."
starred review Horn Book
*"Filled with the heart and humor."
AudioFile Magazine Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award
"Ten African-American narrators read these ten interconnected stories, and their performances are uniformly excellent, bringing the cast of characters to vivid life. Listeners follow the varied adventures of students as they walk home from school. In 'Call of Duty,' read by Kevin R. Free, Bryson stands up for a boy who gets kissed by another boy at school; in 'Satchmo's Master Plan,' read by Guy Lockard, Satchmo devises an elaborate escape plan in case the new dog next door gives chase. Author Reynolds's vibrant language, delivered by the narrator ensemble with style, makes every situation and detail—whether funny, outlandish, sad, or tender—feel genuine, relatable, and full of heart. Reynolds reads the final chapter himself, a poetic conclusion that connects all of the threads in this perfect middle-grade novel."
School Library Journal
★ 10/01/2019
Gr 5–8—Ten short stories paint a picture of what happens one particular afternoon after the dismissal bell at Latimer Middle School. Each tale focuses on one student or group of friends. The magic of this book is Reynolds's ability to weave the same teachers and various students in and out of the ten stories. Students after school swirl and eddy. Ms. Post the crossing guard helps everyone cross the street while her son looks on from his spot by the stop sign; Ms. Wockley, the principal, stands in the hall yelling at students; and Ms. CeeCee sells penny candy from her house. Some backstory in each piece puts the characters' actions into perspective, with each entry ending with a bit of a surprise. The very last one ends where the first one begins, with a mythical flying school bus. Poetic language is used throughout to help distinguish one character from the next. VERDICT The perfect book to hand to reluctant middle grade readers, who will relate to the hectic and uncertain lives of these characters.—Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Avondale, LA
OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile
Ten African-American narrators read these ten interconnected stories, and their performances are uniformly excellent, bringing the cast of characters to vivid life. Listeners follow the varied adventures of students as they walk home from school. In “Call of Duty,” read by Kevin R. Free, Bryson stands up for a boy who gets kissed by another boy at school; in “Satchmo’s Master Plan,” read by Guy Lockard, Satchmo devises an elaborate escape plan in case the new dog next door gives chase. Author Reynolds’s vibrant language, delivered by the narrator ensemble with style, makes every situation and detail—whether funny, outlandish, sad, or tender—feel genuine, relatable, and full of heart. Reynolds reads the final chapter himself, a poetic conclusion that connects all of the threads in this perfect middle-grade novel. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2019 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2019-07-14
In each of 10 stories, kids reentering the neighborhood from their school day reveal their unique narratives.
BFFs T.J. and Jasmine find their yearslong friendship getting them through parental separation, illness, and foster care. A group of four, all children of cancer survivors, has been brought together by a school counselor. A female skateboarder is the target of a bully—to the relief of his usual victim. A teen with the signs of OCD meets a street musician who changes her outlook. Two ardent gamers are caught up in the confusion of sexual questioning, and there's an odd couple of friends whose difference in size is no barrier to their bond. A teen with a fear of dogs devises an elaborate plan to get past his neighbor's new pet, and the class clown tries to find a way to make her overworked mother laugh. Three boys work to make their friend presentable enough to tell a classmate that he likes her. An accident sustained by the school crossing guard causes her son significant anxiety. There are connections among some of the stories: places, people, incidents. However, each story has its own center, and readers learn a great deal about each character in just a few lines. Reynolds' gift for capturing the voices and humanity of urban teens is on full display. The cast adheres to a black default.
The entire collection brims with humor, pathos, and the heroic struggle to grow up. (Fiction. 10-14)
