Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 12/01/2018 Gr 5–8—Theodore "Trace" Carter has moved from Baltimore to Brooklyn to live with his flamboyant Aunt Lea following the death of his parents when their car swerved to avoid hitting a deer and plunged into a river. Haunted by guilt and dreams of the accident which he mysteriously survived, Trace struggles to fit in at his new school until he is chosen to lead a team of fellow students researching the 1860s for a class presentation. But just before his classmates arrive at the New York Public Library to begin their work, Trace finds himself in a private, deserted part of the building where the strange apparition of a little, ragged boy leads him on a search into the history of the Colored Orphan Asylum fire that took place on the library's original site, the Civil War–era draft riots, and the connection between the ghost and his own ancestry. Rich detail fleshes out a cast of multiethnic characters (Trace's friend Presley with her clairvoyance and outrageous vocabulary stands out in particular); the voice is hip, appealing, and humorous; the setting is vividly and authentically presented; and the touch of the supernatural adds texture and intrigue. VERDICT From its dramatic opening to its satisfying conclusion, this is an absorbing, multi-layered novel; an excellent choice for all middle school collections—Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2019 After losing his parents, Trace Carter is forced to go live with his Aunt Lea in New York. Although she welcomes him with open arms, he is still uneasy about his new life. Making friends and managing crushes on girls is all new to Trace. It doesn’t help that Aunt Lea is eclectic and has her own style. One day, Trace believes he sees ghost or spirit, yet he is unable to convince anyone that he’s telling the truth. As the story unfolds, Trace, who is the last leaf on his family tree, has to adjust to his new life and the peculiar challenge of being able to see a 150-year-old ghost. Picture-book creator Cummings crafts a well-written debut novel with a likable main character, though readers seeking the excitement of a traditional ghost story won’t find it in this quiet tale. However, Trace helps to fill the void in children’s literature regarding paranormal fiction with an African American male as the main character. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

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