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.

Tristan Strong isn't doing too well. He lost his best friend, Eddie, in a bus accident, lost a boxing match, and lost his main home for the summer to stay in Alabama with his grandparents. His biggest comfort is Eddie's journal, filled with stories he used to tell. When a weird creature sneaks into his room on his grandparents' farm and tries to steal the journal, he runs after it...and ends up in a world he never expected, in the middle of a war he's suddenly at the heart of.

TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY is one of the most important and needed stories published this decade. Truly, I think all of the Rick Riordan Presents books so far are worthy of that sentiment. Kwame Mbalia shines in a story that balances hope and history, epic figures and human fault, and the weight of a flawed world with the lightness of a perfectly timed joke. This book does not shy away from America's horrific history and presents it in a way that middle grade readers will find accessible.

As is part of the Rick Riordan Presents signature, the humor in TRISTAN STRONG is utter perfection. I personally enjoyed Gum Baby's entire character so much and laughed out loud, nearly to the point of tears, because of her dialogue on multiple occasions. This humor is part of what makes TRISTAN STRONG so great for young readers. Even when the world is on the verge of collapse, TRISTAN STRONG reminds you that humor, friendship, family (biological or found), and courage can go a long way.

With TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY, Kwame Mbalia has gone straight to my auto-buy authors list. Classrooms, libraries, and homes would be sorely lacking without this epic middle grade fantasy in their collection.

I loved this mythology and all of the characters. The plot was well developed and very engaging the entire time. Highly recommend.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia took me right out of my comfort zone of known mythos and plunked me down in an unfamiliar world that I ended up totally invested in.

I loved the main character. Tristan Strong – who feels like he’s failed every time something important has happened – has no desire to be a hero. If he tries, who knows what else bad will happen. I feel that. Feel that down to my bones. I know there are many younger readers who will be unfortunately familiar with that feeling as well. Still, when push comes to shove, and lives are at stake, Strong holds to his name.

Gum Baby is his perfect companion. She’s an annoying, mouth brat that gives some much-needed comic relief when things are getting a bit too tense. She’s the mouth that runs before the brain thinks; the sass-attack that serves to keep on their toes. She is also (as she will be the first to tell you) one of the heroes of this story.

As for the rest of the characters, they were all well-done and I found myself almost surprised by a reveal made near the end.

Mbalia’s world is a well-crafted one. Some of the scenes come alive in your head. It’s easy to say that this would be great if adapted for the big screen. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is an excellent read for both kids and adults. A story this good knows no age limit.

Tristan's parents send him from his home in Chicago to stay with his grandparents in Alabama for the summer so that he can try to find a new way forward after the death of his best friend Eddie in a bus accident. He feels inadequate for several reasons; he failed to save his friend, he doesn't box as well as his father, and his Granddad thinks he is soft and doesn't work hard enough. His Nana, who tells him lots of stories, is the only one who seems to understand. He has his best friend's journal, and only he can see it glowing green, with an unusual symbol on the front. One night, Tristan hears odd sounds in his room, and the Gum Baby appears to him. Talking continuously in the third person, Gum Baby demands the journal, which of course Tristan does not to part with. The resultant fighting causes Tristan to get sucked into another world, ripping the titular "hole in the sky" in the process. Once in this other world, he meets a host of characters who are from traditional African-American stories: Brer Fox and Rabbit, John Henry, Nyame, two flying women named Rose and Sarah, Thandiwe, High John, and a girl his age named Ayanna and a man named Uncle C. The journal keeps getting misplaced, so finding it is an important quest, but Tristan also finds himself fending off the fetterlings and traveling into the Golden Crescent on a mission to find a Story Box. He has found that he is an Anansesem and has a keen ability to tell stories in a riveting fashion, which he does frequently. The force that the group is fighting is called Maafa, and he wants to power of the stories within the journal and Story Box. Tristan is able to gain insights into his own grief by understanding Maafa's motivation, and finds a way to silence his threat. Unfortunately, there are other adversaries who are not so easily subdued. Will Tristan be able to retrieve Eddie's journals and return to his own world?
Strengths: I really enjoyed the parts set in the real world, and I loved Granddad's philosophy that more work solves everything! This very cleverly uses a lot of African and African American folk tales to good effect. The characters work well together, and there is LOTS of action and adventure. It is great to see speculative fiction by #ownvoices writers that represent cultures that are NOT Anglo-Saxon-Celtic.
Weaknesses: There were a lot of characters and places, as well as some allegory, and I spent most of my time trying to figure out one thing, thereby missing something else. It is telling that when I looked up other reviews, most did not include a plot synopsis that would have clarified some of these points for me. I think I am not the only who was confused. It might have helped to have an index with some of the references.
What I really think: I will purchase, but I wish it were a bit shorter (the E ARC was 498 pages!) and less confusing. I fear that only my most avid fantasy fans (i.e. the students who adore Eragon) will be able to get through this.

I hate to feel so lukewarm about a book coming from such a cool storytelling tradition (as soon as I saw that it's based on African-American folklore, I was all over it), but honestly it was a slog. It is a very long book for middle grade, with lots of locations, characters, and SYMBOLISM.

The best parts of the story were in the beginning, where Tristan is interacting with his family. I think Tristan's recurring thoughts on adults are a great theme - adults are always telling him what to do, without always modeling the lessons they're imposing on him. Tristan's voice is wry and funny in the beginning (strong echoes of <i>Bud, Not Buddy</i>), but as soon as he descends to MidPass, he spends all his time being confused and asking questions that take a long time to get answered.

The adventure is overall a huge bummer, which makes sense. The monsters (fetterlings, hullbeasts, brandflies, the Maafa) all represent African enslavement and transportation through the Middle Passage. Your typical middle grade novel doesn't deal with such a long and horrific history of human cruelty. (I mean, imagine if Camp Halfblood's gods and monsters were from a more recent past. Like we were the great-grandkids of the conquered Trojans. It would make the fantasy much less fun.)

The beginning half has a lightness to it that the latter half is missing. Thank goodness for the annoying Gum Baby to bring some levity. For a storytelling tradition populated with iconic tricksters, there wasn't much cleverness to be found in the gods of the story. They're all grim and powerless against the forces that are stealing their people. The system of magic didn't always make sense - honestly, what I really wanted was for Tristan to tell some of the classic folktales with the heroes sitting right there arguing over interpretations. Or better yet, relive them and use their lessons to beat his enemies.

The end of the story does make me hope that the sequel will take place more in Tristan's world than MidPass, with his family front and center.

Received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The note by Rick Riordan made me think this was going to be more like his Percy Jackson series but with African-American folklore and myths. That part is there, but the Percy part isn't as much - Tristan doesn't interact with others his age, only with the myths (John Henry, Gum Baby, etc.). There's more of a quick dive rather than the slow immersion into those stories which may be a problem for readers who don't understand the terms (Maafa) or the significance of Uncle C in that world.

eARC provided by publisher.

Definitely a reason this one ended up with Riordan's imprint! Will certainly appeal to fans looking for that mix of mythology and action, and the African/African-American stories were a really interesting element. It did feel as if the story meandered a bit in places, and that the mythological figures had more distinct personalities than the original supporting characters (Gum Baby clearly jumps off the page, while Ayanna and Thandiwe had almost interchangeable identities). Overall, though, a fully enjoyable and compelling read.

Tristan Strong is grieving the loss of his best friend from a bus accident and travels with his grandparents to Alabama for a change of scenery. In the middle of the night, Gum Baby tries to steal the journal, the only thing that he has of Eddie’s. Tristan follows her into the bottle forest, breaks a bottle and slips down the hole into Midpass. Here all the stories come to life and we are introduced to Bret fox and others from African-American folklore, Tristan has torn a hole between the two worlds and must find a way to fix it.
#TristanStrongPunchesAholeInTheSky #NetGalley #ARCv

Get ready for a wild ride with Tristan Strong! Tristan is grieving over the death of his best friend and upset over losing his first boxing match when he arrives at his grandparents in Alabama. He and his best friend, Eddie were working on a project for school. Eddie was keeping a journal of traditional African American diaspora stories that Tristan's grandmother told. When Tristan discovers someone stealing the journal, he takes off after him to discover a world that values stories and needs Tristan's help. The action and suspense that ensue are boundless. The characters are wise, funny, and enchanting.I can't wait to recommend this book to my middle schoolers who love Percy Jackson. This book will definitely be prominently displayed in my library. Can't wait!

Tristan Strong accidentally finds himself in a world where all the legends that his grandmother told him as a boy come to life. Stuck between wanting to believe, but also being incredibly skeptical of what is happening around him and his purpose for being there, Tristan must decide if he is a hero. Full of self-doubt, readers of all ages will be able to identify with Tristan and his internal struggles throughout the book. Action-packed and fast-paced, this book will keep readers engaged from begin to end. Like any good hero story, Tristan finds himself with a sidekick, whether he wants one or not, who is the comic relief for the book. This is a great addition to any library with its wonderfully complex diverse characters and introduction into African American legends during the time of slavery.

I know only a little of the African-American mythology this references but the story makes me want to look up the originals.

In a similar vein to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books (this is a Rick Riordan Presents book), Kwame Mbalia puts together a fun, high-adventure story that presents some often overlooked African/African-American mythology and folklore. Tristan will lead the reader on exciting adventures while still feeling like an authentic character.

Tristan has lost his best friend and the only thing he has left of him is his notebook of stories. But one night at Tristan's grandparent's house he sees something odd but is stealing the notebook so he chases it and falls though to a very different place, a place he has only heard of through his grandmother's stories. Now he has to find his inner strength the one only his best friend know he has to save the people here and to get him home, but will Tristan believe he has the strength to get the job done.

This was a wonderful book filled with characters that everyone will know and enjoy. There is action all throughout, and suspense that will keep you reading well past your bedtime. The main character is a boy but the second is a girl that whips him into shape in this new land real quick so don't think this is just a boy book and for that matter don't think this is just a kids book, as adults will love hearing some of the stories come alive again for them that they have not heard for many years. This book supports a wonderful cast of characters and I can not wait for book 2 as this was such a fun book to read and I can not wait to see where the characters take us next time.

This will appear on my blog OCT 15

Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky is an incredible forte into African American Folklore. Honestly, a person of any age could read this book and be completely immersed in the story and culture. I'm so happy books like these exist. The Rick Riordan Presents imprint is delivering an impressive number of quality MG books but I think this might be my favorite one yet. The action humor and wit of this story goes along with the Rick Riordan style. The characters were diverse and fun. The author was able to make you care about what happened to them which is always a plus in a MG book. The fast paced tone of this book is sure to pull in any reader! The only problem is its over too soon! Can't wait to see where Tristan Strong goes from here!

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia is the book my students have wanted for years. A book with fast-paced action, an epic plot, fully realized (and hilarious!) characters, but most of all African-American folklore & African gods.

Tristan feels like he’s failed everyone. He couldn’t save his best friend Eddie who died in a tragic accident and he’s disappointed his dad and granddad by losing a big boxing match. Sent to his grandparents’ Alabama farm to heal, all Tristan wants is to be left alone. His grief turns to rage when Gum Baby, a sticky sassy doll, attempts to steal Eddie’s story journal (the only thing he has left of his friend) and Tristan accidentally rips open a hole between our world & MidPass.

He suddenly finds himself in a world full of the African American folk heroes and West African gods from his Nana’s stories. And the only way to get back home is to convince Anansi, the weaver, to come out of hiding & fix the hole in the sky.

The level of detail & complexity in this book was amazing, and it would make a fantastic read aloud or book club selection. I’m planning to book talk it alongside the folktale & traditional tale stories featured in the book. This book will have broad appeal for middle grade students. Readers will appreciate it even more if they have some background knowledge about the American South pre-Civil War, enslaved Africans and their folklore and mythology.

I have to admit to being a bit biased when reading this book because I met the author at Book Expo and he was so enthusiastic and had so much great energy. However, the book stands on it's own as a wonderful, creative amazing book that brings to life the traditional tales of people in the African diaspora that I really had to make myself slow down reading this book because I really wanted to savor the tale. Tristan Strong is a young man from Chicago from a family of boxers, he had just had his first match and he lost. He is a young man dealing with a huge loss, his best friend Eddie died in an accident and he'd been dealing with that tragedy in the best way he knew how. Sent off to spend the summer with his grandparents in Alabama he has his prized possession his best friend's journal in his backpack. When it is stolen and he in the struggle to reclaim it punches his grandmother's bottle tree and is drawn to a MidPass he has to discover just how strong he can be. Stories carry power in MisPass and in discovering his own power to tell stories Tristan Strong finds his way to healing after his loss and finds out he can be a hero after all.

I've loved all of Rick Riordan's books and I appreciate that he collaborated with other, more knowledgeable authors to bring us Rick Riordan presents. My sister has lived in Africa for 15 years and I've loved all of the souvenirs she's brought me back so I loved hearing about the West African Gods & Folk Heroes. I hope this is the first of many in this series.

The Riordan imprint only gets stronger and stronger and TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY is no different,

Tristian Strong was a story I think young adults are going to love espcially those who love stories like Harry Potter or any bike by Rick Riodon. Tristian is a young man at a crossroads in his life. His father wants him to be something that Tristian is not sure he wants to be. Much like Alice in Wonderland, Tristian is dragged into another world but this world needs to be saved. Tristian needs to be that person but le learns along the way that there are those there to help. He has to learn to trust even the crazy gum baby.

This book involves characters from both American and African folklore come to life in search of a way to save the world they live in from being destroyed. Tristian is a wonderful African American character that kids can look up to while learning about folklore from their own history.