Eb & Flow

January 1, 2023
Suspended from school, seventh graders Eb and Flow find peace even as life doesn't make it easy for them. Ebony's on her eighth suspension from Brookside Junior High, and 10 days at home in her strict grandmother's crowded house isn't exactly where she wants to be, but with both parents all but out of the picture, it's the only option. De'Kari goes by Flow, a nickname from his rapper father, but he wants to forge his own path. Yet hitting Eb over her dirtying his new sneakers makes him reflect during his 10 restless days at home on the type of person he wants to be--and on memories of his dad hitting his mom. In parallel first-person verse narration, the two Black tweens reveal that they have a lot in common, including struggling with fathers away in the military. Throughout their suspensions, they unknowingly stay so close to each other that they peacefully pass one another by during a snowstorm. Breadcrumbs--sometimes heartbreaking, always poetic--scattered throughout the story gradually offer readers a path toward what really happened in the now-viral fight between the two, and as tensions escalate and extended families get involved along Brookside crew lines, the future is especially murky. A shared nightmare of the worst-case scenario puts a lot into perspective for Eb and Flow, returning optimism to the negotiating table and potentially pointing toward reconciliation. A moving and layered story of reflection and connection. (Verse novel. 8-13)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 23, 2023
In this dual-POV novel in verse, Black seventh graders Ebony “Eb” Wilson and De’Kari “Flow” Flood contemplate the conflict that sees them both suspended from school. Following a heated exchange resulting in Eb sullying the sneakers that Flow’s father gave him for Christmas, and Flow hitting Eb, the tweens face a 10-day stint at home, and neither of their families is happy. Eb, who lives at her grandmother’s bustling, full house, spends her eighth suspension doing as her Granny says and contemplating her perception of herself as a “bad” kid. Flow spends his time taking care of chores, doing boot camp–style workouts with his uncle Reggie, and considering his recent actions alongside a memory of his dad hitting his mom. While the tweens evaluate their families, friendships, and futures, their fight—which has gone viral online—grows into a dispute that threatens to involve their extended community. Personal-feeling lines slowly reveal the duo’s similarities and the truth behind the fight as Baptist (The Swag Is in the Socks) expertly taps into the minds of two tweens navigating accountability. Ages 8–12. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House.

February 15, 2023
Grades 5-8 Two seventh-graders throw punches over a stepped-on pair of shoes and earn a 10-day suspension in this novel in verse that follows both Ebony and Flow over the course of the suspension. While the two find themselves at odds, through their dual points of view, readers see they are both dealing with similar issues: single-parent homes, military fathers, older siblings with their own baggage, and a desire to change their own destinies to avoid more trouble. Baptist's verse flows easily and nicely captures the voices of Eb and Flow, and while the mundanity of 10 days out of school comes and goes, there's an underlying current of possible violence that keeps the reader on their toes. Though the pace occasionally drags, it picks back up when new twists unfold. Baptist, a teacher herself, knows how to capture the interest of students, and following two kids out of school for violence allows the chance to look at how our environments shape the choices we make. Hand to fans of Jason Reynolds and Jacqueline Woodson.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2023
Ebony (Eb) and De'Kari (Flow), both seventh graders, are suspended from school after a fight in the cafeteria that neither thinks is their fault. On the surface, this looks like a case of two unruly adolescents acting out. Flow is hurt and angry that Eb ruined the shoes his deployed father gave him; Eb says, "It was all just an accident! / Nobody was trying to mess up / his Stupid Ugly Shoes." Over the course of their two-week suspensions, both narrators have the opportunity to reflect and to rethink their actions. Are they really "bad kids," or are they just kids dealing with bad situations? This engaging verse novel reveals the complexities of their home lives, which, despite the kids' enmity, have similarities and are intertwined in surprising ways. Their alternating narratives employ authentic language and tone that give readers the opportunity to empathize with them as their stories unfold. Baptist (The Swag Is in the Socks, rev. 11/21) explores the effects of parental absence, inequitable school discipline, and social issues such as gang violence. This story will resonate with readers struggling to express their emotional lives in ways that society deems appropriate. Monique Harris

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2023
Ebony (Eb) and De'Kari (Flow), both seventh graders, are suspended from school after a fight in the cafeteria that neither thinks is their fault. On the surface, this looks like a case of two unruly adolescents acting out. Flow is hurt and angry that Eb ruined the shoes his deployed father gave him; Eb says, "It was all just an accident! / Nobody was trying to mess up / his Stupid Ugly Shoes." Over the course of their two-week suspensions, both narrators have the opportunity to reflect and to rethink their actions. Are they really "bad kids," or are they just kids dealing with bad situations? This engaging verse novel reveals the complexities of their home lives, which, despite the kids' enmity, have similarities and are intertwined in surprising ways. Their alternating narratives employ authentic language and tone that give readers the opportunity to empathize with them as their stories unfold. Baptist (The Swag Is in the Socks, rev. 11/21) explores the effects of parental absence, inequitable school discipline, and social issues such as gang violence. This story will resonate with readers struggling to express their emotional lives in ways that society deems appropriate.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)