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The Season of Styx Malone

Caleb and his older brother Bobby Gene have led a sheltered, idyllic life in a small Indiana town where everyone knows one another. That’s the way their father likes it—ordinary. Theirs is the only African American family in town, and he wants his sons to fit in, so they can grow up safe and protected. But Caleb longs for something more. Even the science museum in Indianapolis would be a great adventure to him. Enter Styx Malone, a streetwise older African American boy who’s come to live with a foster family nearby. Styx is full of ideas that take both brothers out of their comfort zone. He partners with them in a series of escalator trades that starts with a bag of fireworks and ends with a motorbike. It all seems to be working like a dream until some of the trades start to involve illegal and dangerous moves. Caleb’s wry observant voice recounts the boys’ escapades through a summer that proves to be anything but ordinary, and also shows Caleb’s growth and maturity as he wrestles with trust, relationships, and ethical dilemmas. ©2019 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-12
Age Range: Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format: Novel
Subjects: African Americans Ethical/Moral Choices Families Friendship Humor Small Town Life
Diversity subject: Black/African

Publishers: Random House, Wendy Lamb Books
Publish Year: 2018
Pages: 297
ISBN: 9781524715953

CCBC Location: Fiction, Magoon

The Season of Styx Malone