Black Star by Kwame Alexander is a powerful and heartbreaking continuation of the Door of No Return trilogy that left me in tears. This second installment centers on Charley Cuffey, the granddaughter of Kofi, as she pursues her dream of becoming the first female pitcher in professional baseball. Set against the backdrop of a segregated Southern town, Charley's journey is both inspiring and deeply poignant.

At just 12 years old, Charley is not only a talented pitcher but also a beloved granddaughter and friend. Fueled by her Nana Kofi's captivating stories of their courageous ancestors, she is determined to break barriers in a world that constantly reminds her of the challenges she faces as a Black girl. However, her innocence about the harsh realities of her history is shattered when she confronts a neighborhood bully, leading to unforeseen consequences that force her to grapple with her identity and the weight of her family's legacy.

Alexander masterfully weaves themes of struggle, determination, and the importance of understanding one’s history into this riveting narrative. His lyrical prose and compelling characters make Black Star a must-read, not only for its engaging story but also for its vital exploration of racial and social issues. This book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of dreams, and I believe everyone should read it.

I really enjoyed reading this novel and I can't wait to recommend it to my students. I enjoy reading novels written in verse and encourage my reluctant readers to try verse novels first when they are hesitant to read. Black Star is another novel I would add to my list of recommendations. Thank you for an advanced reader copy of this novel by Kwame Alexander.

Kwame Alexander is one of my auto-read authors, whether its middle grade or adult, picture book or YA, non fiction or historical or contemporary, I’ll read it.

Here, we’re back with a second book in a trilogy, but for those who have missed the first, this could easily be read as a stand-alone because of his interesting framing. The first book, The Door of No Return, was based in 1860s West Africa, following a young boy Kofi in his life in his home village, before he is captured, enslaved, and shipped across the Atlantic. The ending of that book was left very out in the open, and we didn’t know what happened to Kofi.

This second installment picks back up some 60 years following that story, with 12 year old Charley, granddaughter to Kofi, living among her whole large family in the American South. More than anything, Charley wants to be the major league’s first female pitcher, and she will stop at nothing to chase her dreams, even if that means running headfirst into the dangers of Jim Crow.

This series feels a bit like a middle grade version of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, following different generations of a family shaped by enslavement, and this particular installment reminded me a lot of one of my favorite middle grade’s of all time Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Charley has the same spunky determination as Cassie Logan, and tends to hang out with a bunch of boys who all give each other a hard time despite their affection for each other, just like Cassie. As with No Return, Alexander also doesn’t shy away from the violence and hardships faced by Black Americans, trusting that young readers can handle the truth.

This was another excellent addition to the middle grade historical fiction canon, and one that is incredibly approachable for young readers, given its sport-driven subject matter and verse novel format. I can’t wait to see where he takes us in this trilogy next.

As a teacher, I felt blessed to rely on specific authors to convert reluctant readers into enthusiastic readers. Kwame Alexander is one such author, so I was excited to pick up a DRC of Black Star from @littlebrownyr and @lbschool.

Black Star is the story of Charley, a young, strong, inquisitive, baseball-playing 12-year-old girl growing up in Virginia during the segregation era. Told in verse, Charley’s voice is powerful and beautifully accessible for young readers. The novel’s extremely relatable characters will appeal to middle-grade students as will the baseball narrative at the forefront of the story.

Although I’m no longer in the classroom, I constantly thought about how I would have used this novel in my history and language arts classes for small group reading or a whole-class unit study. Brutal truths are delicately woven throughout Charley’s story, exposing the cruelty within American history while also underscoring the necessity for courage, compassion, sensibility, and honesty in our world.

Black Star is the second in the series, but the first I’ve read. It easily reads as a stand-alone. I’ll be picking up the first in the series for my library and looking for the third when it publishes.

Black Star publishes September 24. Thank you to Little Brown Young Readers for the DRC.

** Review will be added to the blog and X prior to pub day

Kwame Alexander continues Kofi’s story from The Door of No Return. Alexander skips a generation and the story is told from Kofi’s granddaughter’s perspective. Charley loves to play baseball and hear her grandfather’s stories from before. A fabulous historical novel in verse!

Black Star by Kwame Alexander:
Rating: 5⭐️s

This is the second book in The Door of No Return series. I absolutely loved how this book tied into the first one. I enjoyed how Alexander’s lyrical words flowed across the page like they always do. I will say that if you’ve read another Alexander book, you’re prepared for some sadness…and this one is no different.