Black Star

By: Kwame Alexander

Narrated by: Angel Pean, Nile Bullock, Karen Chilton, Aaron Goodson, Dominic Hoffman

Set during the turbulent segregation era and the beginning of The Great Migration, this second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Door of No Return trilogy stars Kofi’s granddaughter, Charley, as a baseball phenom with big dreams in a spellbinding story of struggle, determination, and the unflappable faith of an American family

You can’t protect her from knowing. The truth is all we have.

12-year old Charley Cuffey is many things: a granddaughter, a best friend, and probably the best pitcher in all of Lee’s Mill. Set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional ball, Charley doesn't need reminders from her best friend Cool Willie Green to know that she has lofty dreams for a Black girl in the American South.

Even so, Nana Kofi's thrilling stories about courageous ancestors and epic journeys make it impossible not to dream big. She knows he has so many more to tell, but according to her parents, she isn't old enough to know about certain things like what happened to Booker Preston that one night in Great Bridge and why she can never play on the brand-new real deal baseball field on the other side of town.

When Charley challenges a neighborhood bully to a game at the church picnic, she knows she can win, even with her ragtag team. But when the picnic spills over onto their ball field, she makes a fateful decision.

A child cannot protect herself if she does not know her history, and Charley's choice brings consequences she never could have imagined.

In this thrilling second book of the Door of No Return trilogy, set during the turbulent segregation era, and the beginning of The Great Migration, Kwame Alexander weaves a spellbinding story of struggle, determination, and the unflappable faith of an American family.

©2024 Kwame Alexander (P)2024 Little, Brown Young Readers

Great introduction to a chapter book

Kwame Alexander’s Black Star was the perfect choice for my four-year-old son, who recently asked to read a chapter book. The way the chapters were structured made it engaging and accessible for him. I appreciated how the story seamlessly transitioned from poem format to prose, offering a unique reading experience. The shorter poem segments often included level one and two sight words, which allowed my son to read many of the pages independently.

One aspect that stood out was the ending, which concluded in a somber tone. While I wasn’t entirely keen on the despair that lingered with the conclusion, I couldn’t help but reflect on the author’s opening statement: this book is for everyday people who were Black stars in their own way, living normal lives that often go overlooked. As Kwame Alexander expressed, "Black History is more than a timeline of ‘firsts’ and ‘inventions.’ It’s also about the regular families that lived, laughed, loved, danced, worked, failed, hoped, cried, and died just like everybody else.” That message resonated deeply and added a layer of poignancy to the entire story.

Overall, Black Star was an enriching read, balancing moments of joy, resilience, and realism that left a lasting impression.