2. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Another book for children in the middle grades, Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky engages readers with fantasy and adventure. The novel pushes the importance of oral storytelling, showing the parallels between African American folklore and West African religions, creating a rare piece of diasporic literature for children to enjoy, as Strong is accompanied by African American folk legend John Henry and Anansi the trickster, a West African deity, in an adventure to save the world.
Continued on the next page.
