Anything by Torrey Maldonado is a must buy in my middle school library. Real stories that my students want to read. Page count is not to overwhelming, so I am always able to book talk this book to all readers.

Cover: Perfect for my middle schoolers. Grabs their attention and main character looks their age.

This is a poignant snapshot of the interior life of a boy. A meditation on "promise" and what it means when you have it, when you are it, when you make one... and how you navigate the conflicts that arise in precarious surroundings. Family, friendship and heart take center stage in this thought provoking and evocative text.

Trev thinks a lot about throwing hands. He starts learning how to box so he could protect his mom and sisters when his stepdad gets out of jail. But when his Uncle Larry, Quick and Uncle Frankie all ask him why and encourage him to use his brain, Trev sees how fighting could make things even more of a mess. And that if he wants to have a future, he can use his hands differently than fighting, including for his drawings. I love that this book is short — it will appeal to more readers that way!

My Thoughts:
This book for middle level males is a great choice for struggling male readers because Maldonado, a teacher himself, really understands the young, urban male voice. This is an engaging, fast read. It is both poetic and complex in its simplicity. When students need a fast read for SURF (silent uninterrupted reading for fun), this is a great book that can pull reluctant readers in for those short 10 minute stints in class. Students will want to read more than just their ten minutes, but this will be a sought after read. The chapters are short, about 2-5 pages per chapter, and the dialogue pushes the action along.

The protagonist Trev has always been told that he has "promise" but he has his own self-inflicted promises to keep that put extra responsibility on him. He really cannot plan for the future when his present is so uncertain. Readers will root for Trev and the people who step forward for him.

From the Publisher:

Trev would do anything to protect his mom and sisters, especially from his stepdad. But his stepdad’s return stresses Trev—because when he left, he threatened Trev’s mom. Rather than live scared, Trev takes matters into his own hands, literally. He starts learning to box to handle his stepdad. But everyone isn’t a fan of his plan, because Trev’s a talented artist, and his hands could actually help him build a better future. And they’re letting him know. But their advice for some distant future feels useless in his reality right now. Ultimately, Trev knows his future is in his hands, and his hands are his own, and he has to choose how to use them.

Publication Information:
Author: Torrey Maldonado
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (January 24, 2023)
Grade Level: 5-6

I loved this book. It reminded me of Jason Reynolds Long Way Down. Trev has to make a choice: which way should he use his “hands”: to fight or to draw. People say he has promise, he just wants to protect his family from his abusive step-father. He’s tired of hearing the word “promise” because promises have been broken. He knows his future is in his “hands” and it’s up to him, with the guidance of his “uncles”, to guide him down the best path for him.

This little book packs a big punch. It covers some pretty heavy topics, without an overwhelming, bleak outlook. Trev is unsure of the best ways to protect his family or how to best make use of his hands. He's been taught by some that the only way to stay safe is to practice his boxing skills, so that he is prepared to fight for his own. But others suggest that there may be another way. As Trev navigates his own thoughts and feelings, he receives support from various parts of his community, illustrating the fact that family is often more than just blood. The story is both hopeful and uplifting. Readers that enjoyed the Track series by Jason Reynolds will likely enjoy this book.

A small book absolutely filled with thoughtful conflict and richly developed characters. The author does a marvelous job of making the characters act and sound real.

This is such a powerful book. Kids need it, teachers need it, grownups who have kids in their lives need it.
Such a real and honest look at WHY we need a village, HOW to be a village, and even how to access that village just by being real with people and admitting we need help.
I'll be thinking about this one for a long time and will definitely be giving this to kids to read.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this fabulous book. As a teacher of 6th grade inner-city kids, I could not give this book enough praise. I can't wait to get my hands on a hard copy so that I can share it with my students. I know that my students will be able to see themselves in this book and will be able to identify with the main character. Trev is faced with the traumatic experience of seeing his mom abused and it's by the hands of his stepdad. He now feels that it is his responsibility to protect his mom and step-sisters. I loved how the author had the main character work through his problem and rely on his community. This is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it for your middle grade reader.

Torrey Maldonado does not get enough credit for his truly fantastic MG/YA novels. They are all accessible due to their shorter page count compared to others, and the topics addressed are true to life and from personal experiences. The characters in this book have the reader wishing and hoping everything turns out ok, because they are so likable!

How do you use your hands? Trev wants to learn to box so he can take care of his stepdad, who threatened Mom before going to prison. Trev thinks that “throwing hands” is the answer to his family problems. His friends and family members, especially the uncles, try to point Trev in a different direction. You see, Trev is smart. Never gets anything lower than 85% in school and is a fabulous artist. He could use his hands for good. The question is, what will Trev ultimately decide?

Hands is a story about a loyal family member who struggles with how to handle life. He’s “all good,” but not really. He worries. He tries to find solutions. He strives to discover himself as he works to use his hands. Metaphors include “throwing hands,” which lead Trev through his own story.

Middle schoolers will love this look at life: the dialogue is real, the inner and outer conflicts drive the plot, and the characters seem like family you want to talk with and protect.

Torrey Maldonado’s hands wrote another engaging, quick-but-meaningful text that teachers should add to their classroom libraries and librarians need to offer on their shelves. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

This book shows how there are many ways to support a child and to keep dialogue going with extended family.

I have loved the work of Torrey Maldonado since I was first given Tight several years ago.

It is hard not to - his voice jumps off every page inviting you in - compelling you to think of the span of identity that young boys reside in.
How much space do we allow them to take up?
And what kind of space do they get?

Hands, Torrey's latest middle-grade book coming out in January, is his best one yet. It is one of the best books I have read in 2022, and I don't say that lightly, I read a lot of books.

Hands asks us to consider the choices we make with our hands when we think that there is only one best answer, and provides us with a beautifully nuanced portrayal of toxic masculinity, while also snatching the attention of kids from the very first page.

It is about community, about choices, about finding your path, about discovering what your own superpower is.

It is about being a role model and deciding on your own who holds the power.

The characters are complex, the topic is as well, and the freshness of the story jumps off the page.

It is a book that will enthrall you while also leaving you thinking.
What are the choices we make with our hands every day?
How do we affect the world?
It is an art form to take a complex story and makes it come alive in fewer than 150 pages.

To write books where kids feel seen, validated, and helped to find their own power. You may even call it a bit of a superpower.

This needs to be translated into Danish for all the kids that need it here too.

What a middle-grade book, pre-order it now.

This story is fast-paced, thought-provoking, and real. Maldonado has created multi-dimensional characters within a story that stands as an example of the way we all have choices in our actions, even when we may few that we don’t.

Torrey writes the best books for middle grade. Hands is no different. A story line that will reach kids and guide them in making the right choices in their life. Trevor’s issues are those that so many students will be able to relate to, and the growth that Trevor has will drive students to reconsider bad decisions they may have done or positions they’ve been put in.

“Be a rainbow in somebody’s cloud.” —Maya Angelou
🥊
Trev would do anything to protect his mother and sisters, especially after his stepdad is sent to prison for hitting his mom. Suddenly Trev is taller and he used his height to his advantage, learning to box so he can stand up for his family when the time comes. The stress of his worrying, though, starts to get to him and when he ends up punching through a window to protect his sister, he realizes that maybe using his hands for anger and violence isn’t the way. Perhaps using them for his artwork is a better decision.
✍🏾
What a beautiful MG book that hits the nail on the head in relation to our young male students who feel the need to be “the man of the house”. I used to see it all the time when I worked as a social worker and then when I was a teacher in the classroom in a low socio-economic school district. Maldonado does an amazing job of showing how our actions have consequences and how we are perceived by those actions to those around us. It writes like a Jason Reynolds novel and is short in length—both HUGE benefits for our struggling readers, as well as those students who are apathetic about reading and for book clubs in general. This book needs to be out NOW, but we will wait impatiently for 1.24.23.

CW: violence, domestic abuse, prison, blood

4.5 ⭐️

Really great read on how decisions can affect your future and how many people are in your corner. Love the language in this one that appeals to tweens and the conflict for the main character. Really great read for lots of kids in our area!

Excellent book about choosing what’s best for you and your family. Trev’s stepdad is in jail for violating parole and he blames Trev’s mom and says he will get her back. Because the stepdad told his mom she was raising Trev soft, Trev knows he doesn’t want to hurt anybody or throw punches, but when his friend Pete says let’s go to the boxing gym, they go. Different uncles tell Trev don’t think with your fists and that solving problems with anger won’t help. One day Trev sees his neighbor Little Cole drawing and it reminds him of the power he felt when he drew. What will pull Trev in: the power of drawing or throwing punches?

I recieved a free eARC so I could read this book. Thank you for the opportunity.

Trev got one order from his step fqther-don't let anyone mess with your mama and sisters. Except that Trec's stepdad is now in jail for beating up his wife. This book discusses the impact of family, extended families, and the pain abuse causes.

This would be a strong book to use for a bookclub or discission group. It deserves a place in school libraries and classrooms.