This latest addition to the Rick Riordan Presents family of books is important in several ways. It is a story with its roots in African mythology and features a number of characters that are somewhat familiar to North American readers from African-American stories. I think many readers may be somewhat ignorant of the origins of characters such as Brer Rabbit, John Henry and Anansi but that is part of the fun of this and other books in the series. We are able to learn a lot more about the great stories and characters of many cultures. There are also characters that are new to me and maybe should not have been new. The real fun is in a story filled with quests and adventure as Tristan Strong is thrust into a position where he must save the world in a place that is far from home, at a time in which he feels anything but at his best. Tristan uses his brains and his brawn, learning the power of belief in oneself and of a good story itself.

When I first was offered a copy if this book it intrigued me - I remember stories of Br'er Fox, etc from when I was a little girl. They seem to have fallen by the wayside over the years, but they are no less important in history than any of the mythology books written for kids in recent years (thank you, Rick Riordan, for the fabulous introduction to Tristan's story, and for your contribution to children's stories of mythology!)

Tristan's story is a hero's quest, as are most dives into mythology. He is twelve years old, has just lost his first boxing match, to the disgust of his father and grandfather. He is suffering the loss of his best friend Eddie, and then he is sent to Alabama to spend a month with his grandparents. The adventure begins his first night in rural Alabama - the crickets are so loud, and what is that sticky footprint sound on his bedroom floor? It's a doll trying to steal Eddie's journal of collected stories and antidotes; but the doll quickly informs him she is NOT a doll, she is Gum Baby, and off she goes, into the night with Eddie's journal. So begin's Tristan's adventure into a unique world of stories told to him by his grandmother. As Tristan falls deeper into the adventure, he discovers characters from traditional African-American stories told by his grandmother; those of Br'er Fox, Br'er Rabbit, John Henry, along with Ayanna, a girl his age, and a man named Uncle C, plus a host of others. Eddie's journal keeps disappearing, and finding it is indeed a quest, but Tristan also finds himself fending off disagreeable characters and traveling on a hero's journey to find himself and more. Sometimes the hero's quest is more about learning to live with the hand that life has dealt us, and Tristan's story is no exception.

What a great addition to mythological reading and traditional African American folklore. Tristan's adventure is a reminder that each of us has a story hidden away inside of us, and it is a reminder that stories are what keep our histories alive.

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Book Group through NetGalley.
Refreshing to see a book on mythology other than Greek, Roman or Norse. Mbalia takes readers on an adventure exploring West African gods and African American folk heroes.
Tristan is dealing with grief (friend's death) and family expectations and disappointments. A rather humorous character, Gum Baby, comes and steals his friend Eddie's journal. He chases him and gets angry when he escapes. Tristan punches the "bottle tree" and creates a tear between the worlds. He ends up in a world where these gods and folk heroes are real. He has caused disasters in their world and released an evil haint when he shattered a bottle on the tree.
The story covers his adventures to save their world and his own. Along the way, he meets and forms bonds and friendships that sustain him and help him heal his own wounds. Throughout the book, readers see him think about this theme - adults often do aas they choose regardless of the rules they give younger people.
Some intense mature themes based on death and grief, family dynamics ( pressure from grandfather and father to be someone he's not), evil intentions and actions.
Mbalia provides humor throughout as well with his Gum Baby character. She brings light moments to more intense scenes.
Looking forward to future books in this series.

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it-–is that a doll?-–and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree.

In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky.

But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?- Goodreads

I am so happy I got the chance to read this book because once I got into it, I GOT INTO IT.

Let first start off by saying a lot of the mythology mentioned within this book I was only briefly familiar with. For instance, I knew the names and maybe a snippet of the story but I in fact did not know the details. My family did not sit down and pass these stories around, which is unfortunate because there was a lot of history to them.I found out about this by reading :) 

So I really loved this book. But I didn't think I was because I had issues with Tristan's parents and grandparents. Although they make brief appearances in this novel, I felt the grandfather was toxic, old school but still toxic. And felt that his parents just sent him away without much effort in helping/understanding him. I thought I was going to have to read through a novel of Tristan battling otherworldly things while listening to his Grandfather tell him how weak he is and how he needs to work more. I was so expecting the Grandfather to change his mind once Tristan does something amazing or he finds out the truth of Tristan's actions and then they would be friends. . .  I am so glad the author did not go that route otherwise I would have been disappointed. 

Tristan is a joy and I loved the fact that the author allowed Tristan to feel everything and to convey those feelings without himself being toxic. Tristan had a lot of pressure coming at him from all areas and at one point I was just like this child is fighting to save a world he didn't know existed, give him a break. I was so frustrated for Tristan. I just wanted to give him a hug and then encouragement. 

I loved how the author was able to bring new life to these African and African American mythologies. The pace of the novel kept you invested without you feeling the overpowering need to finish the book in one sitting. This read is something you take your time with and its what I did. I completely see not only middle school readers falling in love with this series but adults too. 

Overall, 

4 Pickles

Tristan Strong is a seventh grader mourning the death of his best friend and resentful of being sent to his grandparents in the country when his friend's magical journal propels him into a land where African and African-American myths--Anansi, Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit, John Henry, gods and monsters, and more--come to life. But Tristan inadvertently punches a hole in the sky to this world, letting lose an evil haint that sets forth a destructive chain of events. Tristan discovers he is an Anansesem, a storyteller, and now must use his skills to repair the damage he's made, along with new allies, a hilarious, wisecracking Gum Baby and imposing gods and legends,

This is a fast-paced, adventure- and heart-filled story that middle graders will enjoy greatly. It's the second book I've read in the Rick Riordan Presents series, and it's proven to be just as compelling. Highly recommend it!

It was very exciting to read a book that focuses on African folklore and myth. In true Riordan fashion, it begins with some tragedy that morphs into a mystery. The main character, Tristan, is believable, yet at times, clueless as to what is happening around him. The story moves along with him getting into situations the get him into further trouble. The antagonist is creepy and definitely exudes maleficence. The plot moves along as characters are introduced, however the book was easy to put down. As a lover of folktale and myth I was disappointed with the story line. It would be hard for some for my struggling students to keep all the characters straight, and therefore frustrating for them to read.

Life just walloped Tristan with a nasty one-two punch: his best friend Eddie died, and his first ever boxing match ended in ignominious defeat. His parents ship him off to Alabama to spend some time with his grandparents to recuperate, but his first night there Eddie's journal is stolen by a sticky, loud-mouthed homunculus called Gum Baby. Things only get weirder from there. Tristan falls into Alke, a world where all the African and African American legends are real, and in jeopardy. The reluctant hero may not look like much compared to John Henry and Nyame, but he has a fighting spirit and a storyteller's soul. A rip-snorting adventure.

I am a huge fan of Rick Riordan, so when he introduced the “Rick Riordan Presents” imprint, I knew I could trust the books that were offered. I have enjoyed all the books I’ve read before from the imprint, but I think this book may be my new favorite.

Even though I went into this book with essentially no knowledge of West African and African American mythology and folklore, I was instantly able to follow the story and the characters. I was impressed how well Mbalia shared who each figure was without feeling like an info dump or encyclopedia entry. Of all the Rick Riordan-inspired books I have read, this one felt the most like its own story. The humor and snark of Percy Jackson was there, but Tristan was totally his own character.

Tristan and the bigger side characters all had a unique voice that I could just hear jumping off the page. I found myself completely engaged and not wanting to put the book down, which does not always happen with middle grade novels. I knew this was a book I wanted to share with my son in our homeschool mythology study and keep on my personal bookshelf as well.

This is a story that I think could transcend middle grade and work for a younger YA reader as well. The character has dealt with some pretty heavy emotions, and I think a young teen could relate well to his struggles. This is also great for a reader who has an interest in mythology (like mine) who has been searching for something “new” after exhausting a lot of the easier to find European mythologies. I’m excited to see where this series goes in the future.

The movie-style action and extensive folklore/mythology covered this juvenile fiction title coming in mid-October are sure to enchant young fantasy readers & Percy Jackson fans alike. I feel some of the characters could have been written with a bit more depth, which is possibly part of why this took me longer than usual to finish for a jFic title. Well, that and it is also 498 pages.

Overall it was a solid introduction to some Black & African folklore I was pretty unfamiliar with outside of Disney's rather racist stereotype cartoon from the 40s, Song of the South. I loved the dynamic between Nyame & Anansi, which made me think a bit of Odin & Loki. Gum Baby is amusing if not a little annoying. It also made me think of how stories are constantly overlapping and changing.

Anyhow, excited to recommend this book to kids looking for adventure/fantasy stories!

I enjoyed this story, which was fast-paced with good character development. The author, Kwame Mbalia, has done a fantastic job assembling a cast of characters that this reader really cared about.

Rick Riordan Presents does it again! Always great recommendations for the middle grade (and up) crowd. Tristan is a kid any middle grade reader can relate too and want to hang out with. I loved that it introduced an area of mythology that many know nothing about. Can't wait to follow this series!

I really liked the idea of African American gods and how the old myths and legends came through as heroes and gods in this story. I loved Tristan and how he learned to be who he was, rather than who his father and grandfather wanted him to be. I love how he became a hero in his own right and all the legends that helped him along the way. And having the element of him grieving for his best friend also lent a lot of emotional depth to the story, which was great (but also, BRING BACK EDDIIIIEE)

Review: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
By Kwame Mbalia

Rick Riordan Presents delivers another engaging, kid-friendly, mythological tale in Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. When the story opens, Tristan Strong isn’t having the most ideal seventh-grade year. His best buddy, Eddie, died in a school bus crash, and Tristan blames himself for not being able to save him. All he has left of Eddie is the journal in which his friend wrote down folktales told by Tristan’s Nana.

Tristan’s getting into fights at school, but in the boxing ring, where family tradition dictates he should shine, he loses his first match. He’s sent to his grandparents’ farm in Alabama to heal and regroup, but truth to tell, he’d rather be anywhere else.

From the start of his visit, the trees on the farm seem to be whispering to him, and Eddie’s journal begins to glow. On Tristan’s first night at his grandparents’ farm, a sticky, doll-like creature called Gum Baby steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan gives chase, they struggle over the book beneath a Bottle Tree, and during the fight, Tristan slugs the tree.

That fateful punch rips open a hole into the MidPass, a land where the characters of black American folklore (John Henry, Brer Rabbit, and so forth) are real. As Tristan and Gum Baby fall through, he discovers a “haint” that had been imprisoned in the tree has now come along with them into this new world. It tries to convince Tristan to hand over Eddie’s journal because, as everyone knows, stories have power.

Once in MidPass, Tristan encounters a world in torment. The sea is burning, and haunted Bone Ships and iron monsters called Fetterlings are hunting the MidPass inhabitants. Although the story tone is mostly heroic or quippy (Gum Baby in particular delivers comic relief), Mbalia plumbs darker subject matter when it comes to his antagonists. The Bone Ships, brand flies, and Fetterlings echo the horrors of the slave trade, lending the story welcome depth. And the author isn’t afraid to drop some truth into what’s essentially a middle-school Hero’s Journey:

“Nana used to tell me stories about how, over in Africa, before the horrors of slavery, people used to fly all the time. Brothers raced sisters. Mothers and fathers carried babies over shining lakes and snow-covered mountains. Then came the chains and ships, and pain and whips, and the people’s wings fell or were torn off. But the words of power were never forgotten.”

Teaming up with his new allies, Tristan tries to fix the harm he’s done by enticing the African god Anansi to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster god is always a dicey thing. Can Tristan save this world before losing more of his friends and the things he loves? Young readers will gobble up every word of this story to find out.

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an exciting ride! Tristan just kept punching out one exciting adventure after another. My 12-year-old daughter and I were wildly entertained by Tristan ("gaaaah!"), Gum Baby ("sap attack!"), Chestnutt ("yup, yup, yup!"), Ayana, and the gang as they faced one mythological, story-telling challenge after another! We're finished, but we have no intention of letting these characters out of our minds and hearts!

Tristan is such an endearing and unlikely hero, as he struggles to overcome guilt and grieve the loss of a beloved friend, while at the same time reluctantly rising to the occasion to help those in need of his special talents -- talents he first has to discover deep inside himself. The colorful cast of characters had my daughter and me laughing out loud at every turn. I highly recommend this book to adventure-seeking and mythology, fantasy, and story loving tweens, teens, and adults!

Kwame Mbalia makes a "Strong" entry into the world of Rick Riordan presents. This book was packed with adventure and emotion from the very beginning. Tristan is reeling from the loss of his best friend, loses his first official boxing match, and then is sent to his Grandparents farm for the summer. When some strange creature makes off with his best friends journal, the only thing Tristan has left of his friend, Tristan goes after it with everything his has. The result is that he and Gum Baby (the thief) fall into Gum Baby's world along with an evil that had long been banished. Tristan has to wrap his head around the fact that Brer Rabbit, Anansi, John Henry, and all the other stories his grandmother told him are actually alive and are "gods". Tristan must help them save their world and his from from the evil that he released and figure out exactly how Strong he is.

I keep repeating the same think but here I go again. The Rick Riordan Presents are true masterpieces. Kwame Mbalia does a terrific job writing about a person struggling with the death of his best friend and feeling that he is disappointing his family. Mbalia knows how to combine African mythology and American fold tales. The story is about young Tristan and how he accidentally punches a hole in the sky. Because of the hold the evil forces can come to Earth and destroy it. Tristan has to find Anansi and convince him to sew up the hole. The problem is the Anansi is missing. In addition to be being a great adventure story it also a great coming of age story.

Tristan Strong isn't doing too well. He lost his best friend, Eddie, in a bus accident, lost a boxing match, and lost his main home for the summer to stay in Alabama with his grandparents. His biggest comfort is Eddie's journal, filled with stories he used to tell. When a weird creature sneaks into his room on his grandparents' farm and tries to steal the journal, he runs after it...and ends up in a world he never expected, in the middle of a war he's suddenly at the heart of.

TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY is one of the most important and needed stories published this decade. Truly, I think all of the Rick Riordan Presents books so far are worthy of that sentiment. Kwame Mbalia shines in a story that balances hope and history, epic figures and human fault, and the weight of a flawed world with the lightness of a perfectly timed joke. This book does not shy away from America's horrific history and presents it in a way that middle grade readers will find accessible.

As is part of the Rick Riordan Presents signature, the humor in TRISTAN STRONG is utter perfection. I personally enjoyed Gum Baby's entire character so much and laughed out loud, nearly to the point of tears, because of her dialogue on multiple occasions. This humor is part of what makes TRISTAN STRONG so great for young readers. Even when the world is on the verge of collapse, TRISTAN STRONG reminds you that humor, friendship, family (biological or found), and courage can go a long way.

With TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY, Kwame Mbalia has gone straight to my auto-buy authors list. Classrooms, libraries, and homes would be sorely lacking without this epic middle grade fantasy in their collection.

I loved this mythology and all of the characters. The plot was well developed and very engaging the entire time. Highly recommend.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia took me right out of my comfort zone of known mythos and plunked me down in an unfamiliar world that I ended up totally invested in.

I loved the main character. Tristan Strong – who feels like he’s failed every time something important has happened – has no desire to be a hero. If he tries, who knows what else bad will happen. I feel that. Feel that down to my bones. I know there are many younger readers who will be unfortunately familiar with that feeling as well. Still, when push comes to shove, and lives are at stake, Strong holds to his name.

Gum Baby is his perfect companion. She’s an annoying, mouth brat that gives some much-needed comic relief when things are getting a bit too tense. She’s the mouth that runs before the brain thinks; the sass-attack that serves to keep on their toes. She is also (as she will be the first to tell you) one of the heroes of this story.

As for the rest of the characters, they were all well-done and I found myself almost surprised by a reveal made near the end.

Mbalia’s world is a well-crafted one. Some of the scenes come alive in your head. It’s easy to say that this would be great if adapted for the big screen. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is an excellent read for both kids and adults. A story this good knows no age limit.

Tristan's parents send him from his home in Chicago to stay with his grandparents in Alabama for the summer so that he can try to find a new way forward after the death of his best friend Eddie in a bus accident. He feels inadequate for several reasons; he failed to save his friend, he doesn't box as well as his father, and his Granddad thinks he is soft and doesn't work hard enough. His Nana, who tells him lots of stories, is the only one who seems to understand. He has his best friend's journal, and only he can see it glowing green, with an unusual symbol on the front. One night, Tristan hears odd sounds in his room, and the Gum Baby appears to him. Talking continuously in the third person, Gum Baby demands the journal, which of course Tristan does not to part with. The resultant fighting causes Tristan to get sucked into another world, ripping the titular "hole in the sky" in the process. Once in this other world, he meets a host of characters who are from traditional African-American stories: Brer Fox and Rabbit, John Henry, Nyame, two flying women named Rose and Sarah, Thandiwe, High John, and a girl his age named Ayanna and a man named Uncle C. The journal keeps getting misplaced, so finding it is an important quest, but Tristan also finds himself fending off the fetterlings and traveling into the Golden Crescent on a mission to find a Story Box. He has found that he is an Anansesem and has a keen ability to tell stories in a riveting fashion, which he does frequently. The force that the group is fighting is called Maafa, and he wants to power of the stories within the journal and Story Box. Tristan is able to gain insights into his own grief by understanding Maafa's motivation, and finds a way to silence his threat. Unfortunately, there are other adversaries who are not so easily subdued. Will Tristan be able to retrieve Eddie's journals and return to his own world?
Strengths: I really enjoyed the parts set in the real world, and I loved Granddad's philosophy that more work solves everything! This very cleverly uses a lot of African and African American folk tales to good effect. The characters work well together, and there is LOTS of action and adventure. It is great to see speculative fiction by #ownvoices writers that represent cultures that are NOT Anglo-Saxon-Celtic.
Weaknesses: There were a lot of characters and places, as well as some allegory, and I spent most of my time trying to figure out one thing, thereby missing something else. It is telling that when I looked up other reviews, most did not include a plot synopsis that would have clarified some of these points for me. I think I am not the only who was confused. It might have helped to have an index with some of the references.
What I really think: I will purchase, but I wish it were a bit shorter (the E ARC was 498 pages!) and less confusing. I fear that only my most avid fantasy fans (i.e. the students who adore Eragon) will be able to get through this.