I loved Isaiah Dunn is My Hero, so I knew I wanted to read The Swag Is in the Socks too. I loved Xavier’s story, and I will definitely be buying a copy for the library.

The Swag in His Socks by Kelly J. Baptist was a great read. I spotlighted it as book of the day on my social media platforms, and I will include it in a monthly roundup of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction blog.

The Swag Is in the Socks is a sweet portrayal of a boy finding his voice and growing his confidence with some help from his community. Featuring a protagonist -- with a stutter and incarcerated parents -- who doesn't let others define him, this book makes for an inspiring, charming read. With strong family dynamics and an overarching sense of community, this book is perfect for sock fiends, fans of Black middle grade books, and those who love stories featuring strong male friendships.

Xavier has been looking forward to getting into the Scepter League at school since he was little and this year he's determined it's going to happen. When his uncle sends him some funky socks in the mail, Xavier is hesitant to wear them at first. But they become his signature and they help him come out of his shell. They even help him when he gets stuck in a sewing class instead of the art class he was originally signed up for. Xavier's confidence is boosted by the socks, and help him become the leader he needs to be to get into the League.

Thanks to #Netgalley, Kelly J. Baptist and the publishers for the ARC copy of "The Swag is in the Socks".
In the story, Xavier is okay with staying quiet and staying in the shadows, but on his 12th birthday, he gets a pair of cool socks from his great uncle with a challenge to start speaking up and standing out. Xavier's goal is to get into the Scepter League. A legendary boy's club his uncle and dad were both apart of.
Soon Xavier is getting recognized for his socks and standing out. Will he be able to get into the Scepter League as he's always dreamed of?
I loved this story very much! I think Xavier is a character that many young teens could relate to. In the story, Xavier suffers from a stutter which I think sometimes impacts kids confidence. I think Xavier will help students build their confidence if they have a struggle like Xavier!

Amazing story, told through the eyes of Moonie, a young man of color, working his way through his social and personal challenges with the help of an uncle and some pretty amazing socks. This book shares the thoughts and realities of growing up and working your way through the "things" that we all go through as teens. Peer pressure, personal losses, and with luck, the love of close family members.

This book is a definite "sharing" experience. It will make you wonder what your swag is and how you can find it again.

Yes, the swag is in the socks and Xavier's newfound skills and swag attributed to him being gifted some socks and then being folded into an elite group at his school is helping him overcome some of the other issues that he's got going on include his stuttering, his lack of confidence, and some of his family.

It's a quintessential middle grade with positivity over adversity in which there still is hope in the world to make some good. And there are good people all around as long as you're willing to let them in. Xavier comes full circle and the socks are what make the (twelve-year-old) man.

This transcendantly delightful middle-grade novel is about Xavier, nicknamed Moonie, who prefers to lurk in the background mostly due to his stutter, but also because he doesn't have a "thing." He's lousy at sports, and not good at much of anything. He longs to join a group at school whose members are the leaders in everything--the best of the best, and what that means is part of the charm of this book.

Moonie lives with his delightful Aunt Kat, because both parents are in jail. His big sister Shannon lives with him, and tries her best to mother him. Right before seventh grade is to begin, he gets a letter from his great uncle, who is a one of a kind person--a jazz musician always on the move. The letter encourages Moonie to find his own thing, and to begin by wearing a pair of wild socks. At first he thinks the socks bring him good luck . . . until he gets to school and discovers that the only elective open to him is . . . sewing class?

What happens, who Moonie meets, unfolds with charm and heart. Moonie has a stutter but the story is not about the stutter. His parents are in jail, but the story is not about having parents in jail. (He still loves his parents, and looks forward to that weekly call.)

The story is about Moonie finding his own self expression, but it's also about family, and friendship, and creativity, and expression. The narrative style is so vivid I could hear the voices, echoes of my students.

I fell into this book hard, and could not get any of my work done until I'd turned the last page.

Xavier Moon’s primary goal as he enters 7th grade is to be inducted into the elite Scepter Society. There is one problem, however, Xavier isn’t much of a leader and is content to watch the world go by from his bedroom window. And he stutters. But everything begins to change when his great uncle starts sending him encouraging cryptic messages along with pairs of crazy socks. When he wears the socks to school people start to notice Xavier, some for what might be the first time. The socks seem magical and give him the confidence he needs to pursue his dream and become the leader he was meant to be. This is a wonderful middle grade read about stepping out of your comfort zone and realizing the magic within yourself. It’s presented in a fun engaging way. Highly recommended. I look forward to more from this author. Thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for giving me a digital advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Xavier's life has some tough portions - both parents are in prison and he stutters. He and his sister, Shannon, live with his Aunt Kat. His uncle, Frankie Bell, stays there when he's not on the road a jazz musician. Baptist sets the background before launching her story about Xavier finding his inner courage and becoming a leader. Though the theme could be depressing, Baptist keeps the tone encouraging and supportive. Though not openly spoken of often, love surrounds this home. Frankie offers encouragement for Xavier to step out of his quiet shell and find his passion. He does this in his own way and readers will connect with him as he does so.

This is a completely charming book with a. great cast of characters and an important message about being who you are and doing what you do and that being enough. Recommended purchase for middle grade collections.

This book was delightful and really funny! I enjoyed Xavier's voice and perspective! I can't wait for other Black Boys like him to meet him!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

Xavier Moon is getting ready to start 7th grade and he wants more than anything to become a member of the Scepter League. And then he receives a letter from his great-uncle, Frankie Bell, and thinks start to take an unexpected turn. The strange letters continue, Xavier ends up in an elective class he didn't choose, and he meets a new speech therapist to help with his stutter.

I enjoyed the authentic voice of the story and the message about pursuing your dreams.

I loved the message to kids about finding your "thing" and pursuing it...even if it's something that's not really considered socially acceptable.

A middle grade book with great themes. The author included many different important aspects to this characters story including a speech impediment. I felt really connected to the main character and think he will connect well with a lot of kids. I’ll be recommending this to a lot of kids. This is good even for you don’t readers reading at a higher level.

After his uncle sends him a pair of eye-catching socks, a Black boy with a speech impediment steps into the spotlight to try to earn a place in an elite society for young men.

A powerful story with a humorous and authentic narrative voice, THE SWAG IS IN THE SOCKS is a wonderful pick for middle grade readers and book clubs. Baptist challenges readers to stop putting people in boxes and to search for their own "thing," even if that talent or interest isn't socially acceptable. Between the humor and Xavier's quest to join the League, there is plenty to keep young readers engaged and turning pages. A great addition to any middle grade collection!

I fell hard for this book. Baptist tells Xavier’s story, a teenage boy who lives with his great-aunt and sister while his parents are incarcerated. We learn Xavier’s story, his fears and his hopes for the future, especially about joining the legendary Scepter League, an elite after-school club that the men in his family were part of. Faced with a speech challenge and confidence problems, Xavier’s great-uncle starts writing him cryptic letters and sending crazy socks for him to wear. Figuring he’s got nothing to lose, he goes all in and finds out just how much swag a pair of socks can bring and how much potential was inside himself all along.

Oh.My.Goodness. I can't explain in words how much I loved this book. I can't wait to read it aloud to my students. I know that my students will love Xavier as much as I did. It was refreshing to read a book where the MC has a disability (stuttering) that didn't define the story. Xavier was learning to overcome his stutter, but that isn't the focal point of the story. Well done!

5 stars

I was instantly hooked on Moonie, and I think most readers will join me in this space!

Xavier, a.k.a. Moonie, is the main character of this extremely charming middle grade novel. From the start, it's clear that Moonie's parents are both incarcerated, and he is living with extended family (including a total character highlight: Aunt Kat). His relationship with his parents is referenced in an organic manner. Moonie mentions short calls on important occasions, and when he thinks about upcoming milestones, it's easy to make the leap that it might be painful for him to miss having his parents there. What is so well accomplished, though, is that in addition to this disappointment, Moonie is surrounded by people who care about him deeply. The underlying messages are there, but they are nuanced in the best way.

Moonie is so fun to get to know. His relationships are developed, and it's exciting to see him interact with friends, family, and struggles. He experiences a number of challenges, including navigating pretty scary family moments and trying to manage his stuttering. The scenes around speech therapy are brief, but I really enjoy the depiction of the characters and various attitudes/experiences there. I expect many readers will enjoy seeing themselves in these spaces.

Moonie is really one of the most endearing characters I have encountered in a long time. Despite his challenges, he has an incredibly positive attitude (but not in an annoying way). Many young readers will learn to overcome adversity from watching him do so gracefully. This not-so-young reader feels like I learned a thing or two from him, too. I'll be recommending this one to students for a long time to come!

Xavier is starting the new school year with a couple of things that might seem problematic; his parents are both incarcerated, he stutters, and has braces. He's not quite sure who he is or what he wants to accomplish, although he does really want to be a part of the elite Scepter League at his school. He lives with his great aunt Kat, who is very strict but makes sure he is comfortable but also well behaved. Her means are somewhat limited (the family shops at the thrift store), but she advocates for him to recieve speech therapy at school. Kat's brother, Frankie Bell, is a musician who travels a lot and occasionally lives with the family. When he sends Xavier a pair of funky socks and a letter giving him advice, Xavier doesn't want to stand out by wearing the socks, but knows that his great uncle's advice has helped other people out and tentatively embraces his new, snazzy sock persona. When he is not picked for the Scepter League, he meets with the organizer to ask why he wasn't picked, and is told that he wasn't as much of a leader as the group wants. Armed with new self confidence because of Frankie Bell's socks and advice, Xavier uses his placement in an all-girls sewing class to set up a fundraiser, asks a girl to a school dance, and works toward improving himself so that the Scepter League might reconsider his application. When a family tragedy occurs, Xavier realizes how much his uncle meant not only to him but to his family, and redoubles his efforts to continue his self improvement while also doing good in his community.
Strengths: The best part of this book is that while Xavier has some challenges, he also has a life. I have often wondered about the effect of books that showcase issues like foster care, incarcerated parents, or physical differences in a way that makes these things seem like the only issue in a child's life. I've had students with incarcerated parents, and I think it would help them more to see a character like Xavier who is dealing with this reality and talking to his mother, but who also has a stable life, a supportive network of family and friends, and interests at school. This is true also of the treatment of his stutter. He is in therapy at school, he often has to use coping skills to speak, but goes on with his life. Sundee Frazier's new Mighty Inside is the only other book that I can recall that addresses speech challenges.
Weaknesses: Are there really elite groups like the Scepter League in public schools? This is just something outside of my realm of experience, like the paramilitary group in Johnson's Twins or the mandatory cotillion in Delle Donne's Belle of the Ball.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and looking forward to handing this one to students who want an upbeat story about a kid takes control of his own destiny and pursue activities despite less than pleasant circumstances in his life.

Xavier has one goal, to join the Legendary Scepter League. A group his father, his great uncle, and his sister's boyfriend is a part of. Xavier starts out this journey to make it in the League for those men who came before him, but his journey takes him to places he didn't imagine.

Xavier struggles with a stutter, his mother and father are both in prison and his Aunt currently fosters he and his sister in her home. I appreciate how Baptiste, takes the stigma of incarceration out of his relationship to his parents. He misses them and he loves them and from that one piece of information from the beginning of the book, a reader can already see Xavier's character.

No matter the disappointments that Xavier faces, big or small. (Sewing instead of art, changing friendships) He takes the present situation and keeps rolling. He starts out the beginning of the book waiting for others to show him his path, but as we journey with Xavier, we see he might have been leading the whole way.

A great middle grade chapter book with diverse characters, strong family and friendships and a powerful but relatable message of what leadership really looks like.