Title: Holler of the Fireflies
Author: David Barclay Moore
Genre: middle grade
Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.
Middle-grade books are really important. Having a middle grader, I know how hard it can be to keep them engaged in reading. And as much as I love a book that has a purpose in educating children, some books try to take on more than they should. This book was one of those. Instead of tackling racism, police brutality, classism, pollution, queerness, and wealth, just pick a couple and expand upon them. This book was very shallow in a lot of subjects instead of deep in a couple.
From Goodreads: Javari knew that West Virginia would be different from his home in Bushwick, Brooklyn. But his first day at STEM Camp in a little Appalachian town is still a shock. Though run-ins with the police are just the same here. Not good.
Javari will learn a lot about science, tech, engineering, and math at camp. And also about rich people, racism, and hidden agendas. But it’s Cricket, a local boy, budding activist, and occasional thief, who will show him a different side of the holler–and blow his mind wide open.
Javari is about to have that summer. Where everything gets messy and complicated and confusing . . . and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
This book just never came together. Javari is a fun kid, but the dialogue is just not authentic. Cricket is a cool friendship, but some unnecessary wrenches are thrown in. The wealth and class issues are forced. And while the racism is the predominant issue that Javari faces, it’s more just vignettes of microaggressions rather than a deep dive into the real issue. I wanted to like this book, and it was okay, but I can’t say I’ll be trying to get my middle grader to read it.
Pleasant Nights 