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Baptist, Kelly J.

The Swag Is in the Socks

240 pp. | Crown | November, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-593-38086-4 $16.99 | Library ISBN 978-0-593-38087-1 $19.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-593-38088-8 $9.99
(2) 4-6 From the author of Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero (rev. 9/20) comes another relatable story that effectively combines the humor and pain of coming of age. Xavier Moon lives with his sister and great-aunt; his parents are both incarcerated. A quiet boy with a pronounced stutter, he prefers to take in the neighborhood action from his bedroom window. But on the day after his twelfth birthday he receives a package from his peripatetic piano-playing great-uncle, Frankie Bell. Inside are some fancy socks and a not-so-sweet letter challenging him to step out and "get your sad self together." Day after day, more socks arrive, all with bright colors and bold patterns. Xavier is about to embark on a new school year--seventh grade--and his number one goal is to be accepted into the Scepter League, an elite afterschool club for which only the most confident, popular boys are chosen. Will Uncle Frankie Bell and his mysterious socks make the difference? Readers get a front-row seat to Xavier's journey to find confidence and follow his dreams in this thoughtfully written book with lots of Black boy joy thrown in for good measure.
Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

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