  | Season of Styx Malone Author: Magoon, Kekla | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
Caleb Franklin and his younger brother, Bobby Gene, spend an extraordinary summer with their new, older neighbor, Styx Malone, a foster boy from the city.
Download a Teacher's Guide
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 3.80 Points: 7.0 Quiz: 197536 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 2.80 Points: 13.0 Quiz: 75885 | |
Awards:
Coretta Scott King Author Honor, 2019
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (08/01/18)
School Library Journal (06/01/18)
Booklist (09/01/18)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/11/18)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 06/01/2018 Gr 4–7—Summertime in small-town Indiana only heightens 10-year-old Caleb's frustrations with feeling ordinary. When he and his older brother, Bobby Gene, meet smooth-talking 16-year-old Styx Malone, a whole new world of excitement, and its frequent companion trouble, opens up. Enthralled by cool kid Styx, Caleb and Bobby Gene are roped into an "escalator trade," whereby the boys attempt to trade small things for increasingly more valuable items in the hopes of eventually trading up to a shiny moped. The characters are magnetic; Styx in particular unfolds into a touchingly human young man withstanding the buffets of foster care. The themes of friendship, trust, rebellion, and safety strongly flavor the book without overpowering the easy fun. VERDICT A summertime romp filled with trouble-making, camaraderie, and substance. A solid purchase, especially for collections where realism circulates well.—Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 09/01/2018 After meeting a fascinating new friend, two brothers have the summer of a lifetime. Caleb wants more than his sheltered life in Sutton, Indiana. But his dad knows how dangerous the world can be, especially for black boys, so he prohibits Caleb and his older brother, Bobby Gene, from having the adventures Caleb craves. When Caleb and Bobby Gene meet the cool, smart, smooth-talking Styx Malone in the woods one day, the boys hatch an intricate plan to procure a moped, which promises freedom and excitement. As the boys have adventures—some fun, some scary—Caleb discovers more about himself, his brother, and Styx, whose bravado belies a sad past. Magoon creates a summer adventure with humor, heart, and a touch of melancholy. Caleb’s first-person narration is funny and effortlessly engaging as he yearns for something more than his small town and interacts with characters that both share and reject his thirst for extraordinary adventures. A hopeful story with a captivating cast of characters. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.
