Mighty Inside
by Sundee T Frazier (Author)
Melvin Robinson wants a strong, smooth, He-Man voice that lets him say what he wants, when he wants--especially to his crush Millie Takazawa, and Gary Ratliff, who constantly puts him down. But the thought of starting high school is only making his stutter worse.
And Melvin's growing awareness that racism is everywhere--not just in the South where a boy his age has been brutally killed by two white men, but also in his own hometown of Spokane--is making him realize that he can't mutely stand by.
His new friend Lenny, a fast-talking, sax-playing Jewish boy, who lives above the town's infamous (and segregated) Harlem Club, encourages Melvin to take some risks--to invite Millie to Homecoming and even audition for a local TV variety show. When they play music together, Melvin almost feels like he's talking, no words required. But there are times when one needs to speak up.
When his moment comes, can Melvin be as mighty on the outside as he actually is on the inside?
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Publishers Weekly
In this richly layered historical novel set in 1955 Spokane, Wash., Frazier (The Other Half of My Heart) recounts the first few months of high school for freshman Melvin Robinson, one of two Black boys in his class. Always feeling inferior to his accomplished siblings, Melvin loves science, reading, and music, but is painfully embarrassed by his stutter, which has recently ramped up. The narrative follows Melvin's successes and setbacks in gaining control of the stutter, building a friendship with jazz-loving Jewish boy Lenny, fending off a bully, and shyly pursuing a relationship with Millie, who is of Japanese American descent. Frazier skillfully weaves in interpersonal moments (Melvin's brother is admonished as "not those kind of Negroes") and historical signposts (the lynching of Emmett Till) to shine a light on systemic racism in the United States. Young and adult characters are well developed, tension builds slowly and expectantly to a satisfying climax, and the author's familiarity with the landscape (per an author's note) is evident in the solid, detailed sense of place. A well-constructed and movingly told story of a thoughtful Black boy making his place in his family and in 1950s America. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)
Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.JUV016150 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - 20th Century
JUV039150 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Special Needs
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
