As submitted to Brain Mills Press on October 1st:

African mythology and folklore aren't exactly common knowledge. When you think of gods and goddesses, it's usually Greek and Norse gods like Zeus and Thor that come to mind. Now, characters and stories such as High John The Conqueror and Anansi are being introduced to a new generation through Kwame Mbalia's dynamic middle grade fantasy Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky. The book will be released on October 15th.

Tristan Strong is a 12 year old boy grieving the loss of his best friend Eddie and smarting from the loss of his first boxing match. While visiting his grandparents' farm in Alabama, he accidentally unleashes an evil haint and creates a hole between the real world and a magical world of African American folk heroes and West African gods. Now, he must work together with them and undergo an epic quest to retrieve Anansi's story box to save the world.

One of the best aspects of this book is how accessible the folktale and mythology characters are. These characters are modernized without losing their roots and inspire awe with their strength, humor, and sprinkles of humanity. One of my personal favorites is the character Gum Baby, who was originally a doll that the trickster Anansi made to capture a fairy. Although she is commonly known as the sometimes derogatory term Tar Baby, the author makes her a fully fleshed out character who is spunky, hilarious, and a clever fighter.

Another notable aspect of the book is Tristan Strong, the book's main protagonist. Due to my exposure to images of Black boys and men who were pressured to be hyper-masculine at all times, I was pleasantly surprised to see Tristan Strong be a bit insecure and emotionally vulnerable. It was heartwarming to see him grow as a character and come into his own as a hero as a person. One of my favorite parts of his character arc is Tristan slowly facing his fear of heights. Initially, he screams really loud at being in the air, but eventually he comes to realize there are things more important than his fear.

Besides Tristan himself, his friendship with Eddie, another Black boy, was wonderful. Even though he has passed away, Eddie lives on in a journal of stories and memories that become increasingly precious to Tristan. Tristan's flashbacks to good and bad times with Eddie are a key part of Tristan coming to terms with his grief and his journey as a hero.

In fact, Eddie, Tristan, and Gum Baby are a few of the amazing cast of characters in this book. There is also Ayanna, a Black girl that has the makings of a strong leader and fighter. Another Black girl, Thandiwe, is a fierce warrior that reminded me a lot of the Dora Miljae from the Black Panther comic books. Although I would've liked to see more Black female folklore and mythical characters besides Gum Baby, I did enjoy seeing two of them embody Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly.

In addition to the characters, the world building was also very well done. Despite being a lot to keep up with without a map or index of places, the world of the African folk heroes and gods being a parallel of the real world was compelling, especially given how that world has allegorical references to post colonialism and slavery. Some parts of it were dark, but it is subtle enough that middle grade readers wouldn't be terrified. Also, the world building as it applies to the book's main antagonist was brilliant.

All in all, Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky was a dazzling adventure that will sweep you away. Reluctant middle grade readers will tear through the book's 400 pages for the action and magic, while older readers will appreciate the book's in depth world building. It is a grand start to a new series and a perfect introduction to African myth and folklore.

Wow! Loved this book! This book will be recommended to every one I know. African American myths and legends, heroes and tricksters, this book has it all. Tristan is having a bad year and is sent to live on the farm with his grandparents to "fix his problems." On his first night there he manages to open a portal to a parallel world and allowed an evil force to enter. I loved that this book didn't shy away from tough issues such as slavery and grief. The storytelling is amazing and it really shows that a hero is not always the sword fighting knight on a white horse.

I love the exploration of different versions of black masculinity and of tensions between West Africans and African Americans--both of which are done with a light touch. Tristan is a very believable kid voice struggling with his best friend's death and disappointing his grandfather, who finds himself forced into being a hero to help rectify his own error. I struggled, though, with keeping track of characters and settings. The two girls were poorly differentiated, for instance. At first, I found Gum Baby's quips annoying, but I soon settled into their rhythm and enjoyed the levity they brought to the story. And while I was confused by many of the earlier conflicts (possibly because I'm not a strong fantasy reader), the final showdown was compelling and satisfying. It is a long, complex book for strong readers or those with a strong interest in the folktales or mythology, and ultimately rewarding.

"Nana used to tell me stories about how, over in Africa, before the horrors of slavery, people used to fly all the time. They'd whisper the powerful words, the phrases dripping in old magic, and shoot off into the sky ... Then came the chains and ships, and pain and whips, and the people's wings fell or were torn off. But the words of power were never forgotten."

While still reeling from grief and guilt over the death of his best friend Eddie and suffering the humiliation of having lost his first boxing match (disappointing both his father and grandfather), Tristan Strong is being sent to Alabama to his grandparents' farm, where his grandfather firmly believes that hard work will fix everything wrong with Tristan. In the middle of his first night on the farm, Tristan wakes up to find a small creature in his room, rifling through his things with one object in mind: Eddie's beloved journal, full of African-American folklore tales.

Desperate to retrieve the journal, Tristan follows the creature--who happens to be a sticky, sentient doll named Gum Baby--and, while fighting over the journal, punches his grandmother's bottle tree, shattering one of the bottles. This causes a hole to appear in the sky, sending Tristan into a parallel world called Midpass that is under attack from sentient shackles called fetterlings, poisionous insects that brand the skin, and other horrors that steal and hurt the people who live in this world. Worse, it appears that Tristan let in an evil haint when he broke the bottle and punched a hole in the sky.

As Tristan navigates this new land and meets legends such as John Henry, Brer Rabbit, and more, he also learns more about himself. Namely, he is an Anansesem: he has the storytelling power of the spider Anansi. These powers of his could change the game entirely, and save the world. But is he the right hero for the job?

Another phenomenal title from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, focusing on African-American folklore, mythology, and essentially the development of African-American culture itself. I'm rather enjoying the rise of Afro-Fantasy novels, and am especially pleased with this middle-grade novel and the handling of hard subject matter such as slavery, but also grief, survivor's guilt, and the weight of adults expectations while still being a kid. And Tristan's power? It's amazing. Like nothing I've ever seen before. Tristan's strong, and a good fighter, but also knows how to wield words to make a difference, showing that there are different ways to be strong and be a hero.

I also am extremely pleased with how Tristan's interactions with the men in his family and the men in Midpass (particularly John Henry) differ, and by doing so subtly address toxic masculinity and the power of positive male influences in the lives of young men (a concept that is important in all cultures).

So. Read this book. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll wish that you had a doll that attacks people with sap as a sidekick. But, please, leave all punching holes in the sky to Tristan.

This latest addition to the Rick Riordan Presents family of books is important in several ways. It is a story with its roots in African mythology and features a number of characters that are somewhat familiar to North American readers from African-American stories. I think many readers may be somewhat ignorant of the origins of characters such as Brer Rabbit, John Henry and Anansi but that is part of the fun of this and other books in the series. We are able to learn a lot more about the great stories and characters of many cultures. There are also characters that are new to me and maybe should not have been new. The real fun is in a story filled with quests and adventure as Tristan Strong is thrust into a position where he must save the world in a place that is far from home, at a time in which he feels anything but at his best. Tristan uses his brains and his brawn, learning the power of belief in oneself and of a good story itself.

When I first was offered a copy if this book it intrigued me - I remember stories of Br'er Fox, etc from when I was a little girl. They seem to have fallen by the wayside over the years, but they are no less important in history than any of the mythology books written for kids in recent years (thank you, Rick Riordan, for the fabulous introduction to Tristan's story, and for your contribution to children's stories of mythology!)

Tristan's story is a hero's quest, as are most dives into mythology. He is twelve years old, has just lost his first boxing match, to the disgust of his father and grandfather. He is suffering the loss of his best friend Eddie, and then he is sent to Alabama to spend a month with his grandparents. The adventure begins his first night in rural Alabama - the crickets are so loud, and what is that sticky footprint sound on his bedroom floor? It's a doll trying to steal Eddie's journal of collected stories and antidotes; but the doll quickly informs him she is NOT a doll, she is Gum Baby, and off she goes, into the night with Eddie's journal. So begin's Tristan's adventure into a unique world of stories told to him by his grandmother. As Tristan falls deeper into the adventure, he discovers characters from traditional African-American stories told by his grandmother; those of Br'er Fox, Br'er Rabbit, John Henry, along with Ayanna, a girl his age, and a man named Uncle C, plus a host of others. Eddie's journal keeps disappearing, and finding it is indeed a quest, but Tristan also finds himself fending off disagreeable characters and traveling on a hero's journey to find himself and more. Sometimes the hero's quest is more about learning to live with the hand that life has dealt us, and Tristan's story is no exception.

What a great addition to mythological reading and traditional African American folklore. Tristan's adventure is a reminder that each of us has a story hidden away inside of us, and it is a reminder that stories are what keep our histories alive.

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Book Group through NetGalley.
Refreshing to see a book on mythology other than Greek, Roman or Norse. Mbalia takes readers on an adventure exploring West African gods and African American folk heroes.
Tristan is dealing with grief (friend's death) and family expectations and disappointments. A rather humorous character, Gum Baby, comes and steals his friend Eddie's journal. He chases him and gets angry when he escapes. Tristan punches the "bottle tree" and creates a tear between the worlds. He ends up in a world where these gods and folk heroes are real. He has caused disasters in their world and released an evil haint when he shattered a bottle on the tree.
The story covers his adventures to save their world and his own. Along the way, he meets and forms bonds and friendships that sustain him and help him heal his own wounds. Throughout the book, readers see him think about this theme - adults often do aas they choose regardless of the rules they give younger people.
Some intense mature themes based on death and grief, family dynamics ( pressure from grandfather and father to be someone he's not), evil intentions and actions.
Mbalia provides humor throughout as well with his Gum Baby character. She brings light moments to more intense scenes.
Looking forward to future books in this series.

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it-–is that a doll?-–and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree.

In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky.

But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?- Goodreads

I am so happy I got the chance to read this book because once I got into it, I GOT INTO IT.

Let first start off by saying a lot of the mythology mentioned within this book I was only briefly familiar with. For instance, I knew the names and maybe a snippet of the story but I in fact did not know the details. My family did not sit down and pass these stories around, which is unfortunate because there was a lot of history to them.I found out about this by reading :) 

So I really loved this book. But I didn't think I was because I had issues with Tristan's parents and grandparents. Although they make brief appearances in this novel, I felt the grandfather was toxic, old school but still toxic. And felt that his parents just sent him away without much effort in helping/understanding him. I thought I was going to have to read through a novel of Tristan battling otherworldly things while listening to his Grandfather tell him how weak he is and how he needs to work more. I was so expecting the Grandfather to change his mind once Tristan does something amazing or he finds out the truth of Tristan's actions and then they would be friends. . .  I am so glad the author did not go that route otherwise I would have been disappointed. 

Tristan is a joy and I loved the fact that the author allowed Tristan to feel everything and to convey those feelings without himself being toxic. Tristan had a lot of pressure coming at him from all areas and at one point I was just like this child is fighting to save a world he didn't know existed, give him a break. I was so frustrated for Tristan. I just wanted to give him a hug and then encouragement. 

I loved how the author was able to bring new life to these African and African American mythologies. The pace of the novel kept you invested without you feeling the overpowering need to finish the book in one sitting. This read is something you take your time with and its what I did. I completely see not only middle school readers falling in love with this series but adults too. 

Overall, 

4 Pickles

Tristan Strong is a seventh grader mourning the death of his best friend and resentful of being sent to his grandparents in the country when his friend's magical journal propels him into a land where African and African-American myths--Anansi, Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit, John Henry, gods and monsters, and more--come to life. But Tristan inadvertently punches a hole in the sky to this world, letting lose an evil haint that sets forth a destructive chain of events. Tristan discovers he is an Anansesem, a storyteller, and now must use his skills to repair the damage he's made, along with new allies, a hilarious, wisecracking Gum Baby and imposing gods and legends,

This is a fast-paced, adventure- and heart-filled story that middle graders will enjoy greatly. It's the second book I've read in the Rick Riordan Presents series, and it's proven to be just as compelling. Highly recommend it!

It was very exciting to read a book that focuses on African folklore and myth. In true Riordan fashion, it begins with some tragedy that morphs into a mystery. The main character, Tristan, is believable, yet at times, clueless as to what is happening around him. The story moves along with him getting into situations the get him into further trouble. The antagonist is creepy and definitely exudes maleficence. The plot moves along as characters are introduced, however the book was easy to put down. As a lover of folktale and myth I was disappointed with the story line. It would be hard for some for my struggling students to keep all the characters straight, and therefore frustrating for them to read.

Life just walloped Tristan with a nasty one-two punch: his best friend Eddie died, and his first ever boxing match ended in ignominious defeat. His parents ship him off to Alabama to spend some time with his grandparents to recuperate, but his first night there Eddie's journal is stolen by a sticky, loud-mouthed homunculus called Gum Baby. Things only get weirder from there. Tristan falls into Alke, a world where all the African and African American legends are real, and in jeopardy. The reluctant hero may not look like much compared to John Henry and Nyame, but he has a fighting spirit and a storyteller's soul. A rip-snorting adventure.

I am a huge fan of Rick Riordan, so when he introduced the “Rick Riordan Presents” imprint, I knew I could trust the books that were offered. I have enjoyed all the books I’ve read before from the imprint, but I think this book may be my new favorite.

Even though I went into this book with essentially no knowledge of West African and African American mythology and folklore, I was instantly able to follow the story and the characters. I was impressed how well Mbalia shared who each figure was without feeling like an info dump or encyclopedia entry. Of all the Rick Riordan-inspired books I have read, this one felt the most like its own story. The humor and snark of Percy Jackson was there, but Tristan was totally his own character.

Tristan and the bigger side characters all had a unique voice that I could just hear jumping off the page. I found myself completely engaged and not wanting to put the book down, which does not always happen with middle grade novels. I knew this was a book I wanted to share with my son in our homeschool mythology study and keep on my personal bookshelf as well.

This is a story that I think could transcend middle grade and work for a younger YA reader as well. The character has dealt with some pretty heavy emotions, and I think a young teen could relate well to his struggles. This is also great for a reader who has an interest in mythology (like mine) who has been searching for something “new” after exhausting a lot of the easier to find European mythologies. I’m excited to see where this series goes in the future.

The movie-style action and extensive folklore/mythology covered this juvenile fiction title coming in mid-October are sure to enchant young fantasy readers & Percy Jackson fans alike. I feel some of the characters could have been written with a bit more depth, which is possibly part of why this took me longer than usual to finish for a jFic title. Well, that and it is also 498 pages.

Overall it was a solid introduction to some Black & African folklore I was pretty unfamiliar with outside of Disney's rather racist stereotype cartoon from the 40s, Song of the South. I loved the dynamic between Nyame & Anansi, which made me think a bit of Odin & Loki. Gum Baby is amusing if not a little annoying. It also made me think of how stories are constantly overlapping and changing.

Anyhow, excited to recommend this book to kids looking for adventure/fantasy stories!

I enjoyed this story, which was fast-paced with good character development. The author, Kwame Mbalia, has done a fantastic job assembling a cast of characters that this reader really cared about.

Rick Riordan Presents does it again! Always great recommendations for the middle grade (and up) crowd. Tristan is a kid any middle grade reader can relate too and want to hang out with. I loved that it introduced an area of mythology that many know nothing about. Can't wait to follow this series!

I really liked the idea of African American gods and how the old myths and legends came through as heroes and gods in this story. I loved Tristan and how he learned to be who he was, rather than who his father and grandfather wanted him to be. I love how he became a hero in his own right and all the legends that helped him along the way. And having the element of him grieving for his best friend also lent a lot of emotional depth to the story, which was great (but also, BRING BACK EDDIIIIEE)

Review: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
By Kwame Mbalia

Rick Riordan Presents delivers another engaging, kid-friendly, mythological tale in Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. When the story opens, Tristan Strong isn’t having the most ideal seventh-grade year. His best buddy, Eddie, died in a school bus crash, and Tristan blames himself for not being able to save him. All he has left of Eddie is the journal in which his friend wrote down folktales told by Tristan’s Nana.

Tristan’s getting into fights at school, but in the boxing ring, where family tradition dictates he should shine, he loses his first match. He’s sent to his grandparents’ farm in Alabama to heal and regroup, but truth to tell, he’d rather be anywhere else.

From the start of his visit, the trees on the farm seem to be whispering to him, and Eddie’s journal begins to glow. On Tristan’s first night at his grandparents’ farm, a sticky, doll-like creature called Gum Baby steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan gives chase, they struggle over the book beneath a Bottle Tree, and during the fight, Tristan slugs the tree.

That fateful punch rips open a hole into the MidPass, a land where the characters of black American folklore (John Henry, Brer Rabbit, and so forth) are real. As Tristan and Gum Baby fall through, he discovers a “haint” that had been imprisoned in the tree has now come along with them into this new world. It tries to convince Tristan to hand over Eddie’s journal because, as everyone knows, stories have power.

Once in MidPass, Tristan encounters a world in torment. The sea is burning, and haunted Bone Ships and iron monsters called Fetterlings are hunting the MidPass inhabitants. Although the story tone is mostly heroic or quippy (Gum Baby in particular delivers comic relief), Mbalia plumbs darker subject matter when it comes to his antagonists. The Bone Ships, brand flies, and Fetterlings echo the horrors of the slave trade, lending the story welcome depth. And the author isn’t afraid to drop some truth into what’s essentially a middle-school Hero’s Journey:

“Nana used to tell me stories about how, over in Africa, before the horrors of slavery, people used to fly all the time. Brothers raced sisters. Mothers and fathers carried babies over shining lakes and snow-covered mountains. Then came the chains and ships, and pain and whips, and the people’s wings fell or were torn off. But the words of power were never forgotten.”

Teaming up with his new allies, Tristan tries to fix the harm he’s done by enticing the African god Anansi to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster god is always a dicey thing. Can Tristan save this world before losing more of his friends and the things he loves? Young readers will gobble up every word of this story to find out.

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an exciting ride! Tristan just kept punching out one exciting adventure after another. My 12-year-old daughter and I were wildly entertained by Tristan ("gaaaah!"), Gum Baby ("sap attack!"), Chestnutt ("yup, yup, yup!"), Ayana, and the gang as they faced one mythological, story-telling challenge after another! We're finished, but we have no intention of letting these characters out of our minds and hearts!

Tristan is such an endearing and unlikely hero, as he struggles to overcome guilt and grieve the loss of a beloved friend, while at the same time reluctantly rising to the occasion to help those in need of his special talents -- talents he first has to discover deep inside himself. The colorful cast of characters had my daughter and me laughing out loud at every turn. I highly recommend this book to adventure-seeking and mythology, fantasy, and story loving tweens, teens, and adults!

Kwame Mbalia makes a "Strong" entry into the world of Rick Riordan presents. This book was packed with adventure and emotion from the very beginning. Tristan is reeling from the loss of his best friend, loses his first official boxing match, and then is sent to his Grandparents farm for the summer. When some strange creature makes off with his best friends journal, the only thing Tristan has left of his friend, Tristan goes after it with everything his has. The result is that he and Gum Baby (the thief) fall into Gum Baby's world along with an evil that had long been banished. Tristan has to wrap his head around the fact that Brer Rabbit, Anansi, John Henry, and all the other stories his grandmother told him are actually alive and are "gods". Tristan must help them save their world and his from from the evil that he released and figure out exactly how Strong he is.

I keep repeating the same think but here I go again. The Rick Riordan Presents are true masterpieces. Kwame Mbalia does a terrific job writing about a person struggling with the death of his best friend and feeling that he is disappointing his family. Mbalia knows how to combine African mythology and American fold tales. The story is about young Tristan and how he accidentally punches a hole in the sky. Because of the hold the evil forces can come to Earth and destroy it. Tristan has to find Anansi and convince him to sew up the hole. The problem is the Anansi is missing. In addition to be being a great adventure story it also a great coming of age story.