Hands

With help from his friend and neighbor Pete, 12-year-old Trev begins learning how to box, hoping to use these skills to defend his mother and sisters from his jealous and violent stepfather, who maintains he's the "only man in the house" and is returning home from two years in jail for physically abusing Trev's mom. Trev also finds solace in artistic pursuits, particularly his love of illustrating superheroes, after whom he models his athletic goals: he also often pushes himself to his limits while training to become a competent boxer like his grandfather. This training starts impacting Trev's studies and his relationship with his community, however: after he smashes a window with his bare hands, scaring a younger neighbor, he reckons with the consequences of unchecked emotions surrounding his newfound physical strength and stemming from internalized toxic masculinity. Trev navigates his trauma by seeking advice from older men in his neighborhood and adapts to what he believes is positive masculinity. This intense page-turner by Maldonado (What Lane?) perceptively explores the complexities of one Black tween's experience facing difficult situations, the effect that violence has on one family's future, and the value of community when working through hardship. Ages 10-up. (Jan.)

Gr 5 Up--Maldonado's latest tells a story many middle grade kids will have an immediate personal connection to: shouldering adult problems and taking them on as their own. Trev is scared after his abusive stepfather is sent back to jail and tries to prepare for the man's imminent release by learning to box so he can defend himself and his family by fighting with his hands. Trev is a gifted artist and is constantly being told by the adults around him that he has promise and a future; fighting is not intuitive to him. He dreams of taking his mother and sisters away from the projects to a place that he will not have to "throw hands" as a method of defense. Maldonado's story moves quickly, but it packs a punch with a rapidly progressing plot and short chapters. Tweens will appreciate the tight prose. When the novel concludes, readers will feel a sense of the real community Trev has beyond his immediate family. They will also appreciate the complex supporting characters and feel hopeful for Trev's future. Those who have enjoyed Maldonado's earlier books as well as fans of Jason Reynolds "Track" series will love this one too. VERDICT This is an absolute must-have for every middle grade library collection.--Kim Gardner

"Based on Maldonado's own experience of growing up in Brooklyn's Red Hook Houses, this is an accessible, engaging, and heartfelt story." —Horn Book