Thursday, February 16th at 4:30 p.m.
Click here to register for our Book Bunch

Join Caroline for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th through 8th graders! We will be reading Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. This is a perfect book to read during Black History Month!

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is a book about a boy who is grieving the loss of his friend Eddie. The only memories left behind are in a journal full of stories written by Eddie. Tristan is sent to a farm in Alabama to recover from the tragedy of his friend’s death but discovers that there is a magical tree. As he wrestles with a creature who stole Eddie’s journal, Eddie accidentally punches the tree and opens the door to a battle where he meets Black American gods – John Henry and Brer Rabbit. Tristan and his friends will have to convince Anansi (the trickster in Ghanaian mythology) to help them get back home.

The Trove will provide a free copy of the book for the first eight individuals to register for the discussion. When the books are available, we will email to arrange pickup; please list an email address and phone number when registering. You can place a hold on the book using our catalog. If you prefer the eBook, you can find it on Libby here.

Recommended Reads:

Amari and the Night Brothers
For grades 4-8
Library Collection: book & audiobook
Libby: eBook & audiobook
“A 13-year-old girl learns she’s an all-powerful magician and faces trials as she seeks her missing brother. Amari Peters is tired—tired of being belittled and dismissed at her rich private school, where she is bullied for being poor and Black. On the last day of school—fueled by emotions connected to her brother Quinton’s disappearance—Amari loses her cool, costing her the scholarship she needs. Next, a mysterious man shows up with news that Quinton has sent her a Broaden Your Horizons kit. Inside she finds items that open her eyes to a secret supernatural world, one that must remain hidden because people’s fear of things they don’t understand too often turns into hatred. Amari is invited to a magical training camp hosted by the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, which her mom believes is the same leadership program Quinton attended that helped him gain full-ride scholarships to Ivy League colleges. There, she discovers that she’s a magician, with powers that are illegal. Amari’s single-minded intent on finding Quinton leads her on the path to becoming a Junior Agent. With the help of those she meets along the way, Amari makes shocking discoveries and finds the power to overcome. The author weaves magical whimsy with honest, realistically portrayed circumstances, allowing Amari’s literal #BlackGirlMagic to shine even when she doesn’t believe in herself. This timely, energetic, first-person narrative moves quickly with clear descriptions, a thrilling buildup, and strong messages about profiling.  –Kirkus Reviews

Amari and the Great Game
For grades 4-8
Library Collection: book & audiobook
Libby: eBook & audiobook
“A 13-year-old magician must face her fears and learn to control her magic in hopes of preventing a supernatural war in this follow-up to 2021’s Amari and the Night Brothers. Amari Peters returns in the trilogy’s thrilling, action-packed middle volume with another mystery to solve. Nearly one year after Amari proved that magicians can be good, the state of Georgia experiences a momentary time freeze, leaving the Supernatural World Congress trapped in time. A powerful magician must be behind this dastardly event. Amari turns to the secret League of Magicians, hoping to get help and disprove popular opinion about magicians. Instead she is offered the Crown of Count Vladimir, a rare treasure that confers powers she doesn’t feel ready to accept. Her refusal triggers the Great Game, a deadly competition between born magicians to determine who will inherit these forces. As newly minted Junior Agent Amari is thrust back into the beguiling supernatural world, she must find the mastermind behind the time freeze. She also enters the Great Game in order to save her brother from the curse he’s under. Luckily Amari has Elsie, her weredragon best friend, and other allies who help her save the world again. Readers who fell in love with Amari will not be disappointed by this refreshing, energetic, first-person narrative that deftly weaves the playfulness of magic with real-world issues of misinformation and discrimination. Amari is Black; Elsie is cued Latinx. A superb, marvelously satisfying sequel.”  –Kirkus Review