Not an Easy Win

Starred review from January 9, 2023
Expelled from largely white Andrew Jackson Middle School after being blamed for the fights that see him regularly beat up by bullies, a Black 12-year-old learns the game of chess in this heartfelt novel from Giles (Take Back the Block). When his now-incarcerated father left the family, Lawrence, his mother, and his eight-year-old sister moved from Charlotte to his religious grandmother’s country house in Larenville, N.C., where they live with his twin cousins. Despite attempts to stay under the radar, Lawrence is expelled for the rest of the year, and Granny makes it clear that “a man that don’t work don’t eat.” Listening to old-school music on his father’s left-behind iPod as a means to feel his dad’s presence, Lawrence looks for ways to spend time while completing the school year online. His luck starts to change
when neighbor Mr. Dennis introduces him to an extracurriculars program at Carver Recreation Center, where he encounters Black peers, including chess queen Twyla, who “filled up the whole room with her sureness.” Fans of Akeelah and the Bee and Brooklyn Castle will cherish this well-characterized, compassionately told story that touches on financial precarity, intergenerational community, and the school-to-prison pipeline. Ages 10–up. Agent: Elizabeth Bewley, Sterling Lord Literistic.

Starred review from January 1, 2023

Gr 3-7-This empowering sophomore novel from Giles skillfully depicts a combination of tween topics rarely seen: the challenges and joys of growing up in a multigenerational household, persevering with an absent or incarcerated parent, and the very real struggle of identifying and expressing one's emotions. Lawrence has just moved from Charlotte, NC, and a school that was mostly Black to rural Larenville to live with his granny. His ma and sister Nikko are also missing his father, who has been in and out of prison, but they know living with Granny is their best shot at making it. Lawrence gets expelled for fighting in an almost all-white school and Granny says, "a man that doesn't work doesn't eat." She's hard on him, but he pushes himself to connect to Mr. Dennis, who helps run an after-school rec club. There Lawrence finishes his seventh-grade year online and learns competitive chess. It's a mind game, living with all this shame and embarrassment, but chess teaches him to harness this power to win and to build a caring circle of family and friends. He develops his first crush on confident Twyla and finds that Deuce, the kid who was hardest on him at first, becomes his good friend. The rising action is long, but it helps readers empathize with Lawrence. The climax and resolution are quick but satisfying. Giles writes confidently about too-often misunderstood boys who act out aggressively, and satisfactorily shows the power of logic and mental strength to win. Readers will learn the value of telling their stories. VERDICT This is an all-consuming read about a young Black boy finding community and purpose. Essential middle grade and tween realistic reading.-Jamie Winchell

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2023
Twelve-year-old Lawrence is in a losing season of his young life. Due to his father's incarceration, Lawrence, his mom, and his little sister relocate from their home in Charlotte to rural North Carolina to live with his strict, no-nonsense grandmother. Then he's expelled from his predominantly white school for fighting. Feeling bullied and betrayed, Lawrence starts volunteering at the Carver Recreation Center in order to keep busy and get out of the house. There he meets Deuce, a possible nemesis, and Twyla, a crush who gets him interested in learning chess. When the opportunity to return to Charlotte as part of a chess team comes up, it could be just the thing to turn around his current losing streak. Giles (Take Back the Block, rev. 7/21) gives readers another memorable character in Lawrence, a relatable middle schooler who feels misunderstood and alone but finds support in his community. Chess becomes a metaphor for life as he learns to navigate his current challenges. A sensitive yet joyful narrative about redemption, the story also nods to issues such as inequitable disciplinary practices in schools; the negative impact of incarceration on families; racism; and classism. The importance of caring adults and of working through conflict are highlighted in this well-written story about a boy who deserves a win. Monique Harris

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from February 1, 2023
Grades 4-6 *Starred Review* Since his dad left the family and wound up in jail, Lawrence has had to trade his beloved Charlotte home for a small North Carolina town, move in with his exacting grandmother, and start a new middle school as one of the few Black kids in attendance, where frequent fights with bullies leave Lawrence freshly expelled. Granny insists he can't sit at home all day, but luckily an understanding neighbor taps Lawrence to help facilitate an after-school program at the nearby rec center. A burgeoning crush leads him to the competitive chess club there, though he quickly learns that there's far more to the game and its real-life applications than he could have imagined. Giles' rewarding story is incredibly clever and kind, and the nimble narration will draw in even reluctant readers. Relationships here follow realistic and gratifying progressions (the multigenerational house is a particular joy), and the forged bonds feel organic and true. Giles tackles a pile of tough topics--continuing school segregation, absent parents, and the frequent unfairness of life--but it never feels overstuffed or heavy. Chess proves a perfect lens through which to observe Lawrence's struggles and growth, and the appealing protagonist is sure to inspire readers to get their hands on a game board of their own. A wise and wonderful story.

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Starred review from December 15, 2022
After getting expelled from Andrew Jackson Middle School after getting in another fight with his bullies, 12-year-old Lawrence finds friendship, community, and healing in an unexpected space. Lawrence's family has had a "double dose of hard lately." Pop is in jail again, and Lawrence, his mother, and his little sister have left Charlotte to move in with their no-nonsense Granny in her small North Carolina town to make ends meet. Lawrence feels that everything going wrong is his fault. Granny has made it clear that he can't just sit around in front of the TV, so he ends up helping out at a local recreation center and spending time in an after-school program run by Mr. Dennis, Granny's neighbor. There, Lawrence finally meets other kids who are Black, just like him, including Twyla and Deuce, a boy who doesn't seem to want Lawrence around, though Mr. Dennis says they are very much alike. At the center, Lawrence is introduced to chess, "a game for thinkers," and it helps him develop tools for mastering his emotions and a framework for considering how he's been reacting to bullying and other events in his life. The characters are multidimensional and authentic: Complex issues, including poverty, parental incarceration, and racism, are explored with sensitivity, offering readers opportunities for reflection. Giles skillfully illustrates the nuances and cultural tensions that arise in multigenerational homes and masterfully captures the origins, cadences, and mannerisms common to many African American elders with compassion. Stellar. (author's note) (Fiction. 10-13)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023
Twelve-year-old Lawrence is in a losing season of his young life. Due to his father's incarceration, Lawrence, his mom, and his little sister relocate from their home in Charlotte to rural North Carolina to live with his strict, no-nonsense grandmother. Then he's expelled from his predominantly white school for fighting. Feeling bullied and betrayed, Lawrence starts volunteering at the Carver Recreation Center in order to keep busy and get out of the house. There he meets Deuce, a possible nemesis, and Twyla, a crush who gets him interested in learning chess. When the opportunity to return to Charlotte as part of a chess team comes up, it could be just the thing to turn around his current losing streak. Giles (Take Back the Block, rev. 7/21) gives readers another memorable character in Lawrence, a relatable middle schooler who feels misunderstood and alone but finds support in his community. Chess becomes a metaphor for life as he learns to navigate his current challenges. A sensitive yet joyful narrative about redemption, the story also nods to issues such as inequitable disciplinary practices in schools; the negative impact of incarceration on families; racism; and classism. The importance of caring adults and of working through conflict are highlighted in this well-written story about a boy who deserves a win.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)