TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY by Kwame Mbalia
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| FIC MBA |
This is a fast paced action packed adventure, based on African and African American folklore. Tristan Strong is a 7th grader in Chicago. He’s having a rough time; his best friend, Eddie, has died, and he just lost a boxing match, disappointing his father and grandfather. Eddie’s parents decide it would be good for him to spend some time at his grandparents’ farm to clear his head. Tristan plans to spend some time reading Eddie’s journal, which contains stories based on the tales Tristan’s Nana told as they were growing up. The trip proves to be far from relaxing for Tristan, though. On his first night the farm Tristan wakes up to find that Eddie’s journal is glowing and a doll named Gum Baby swipes it from his nightstand. Tristan runs after Gum Baby and suddenly realizes that he’s punched a hole into another world, the land of Alke. In Alke he meets folk heroes John Henry and Brer Fox and learns that he, with help from the journal, can help save the people of Alke from the iron monsters that are hunting them.
I loved all of the characters in this book, especially Gum Baby, who is hilarious. After reading the book I want to learn more about the author, Kwame Mbalia, and African American folklore. Here are a couple of links that I found:
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