A review by bickie
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

4.0

Chicagoan Tristan Strong, reeling from the loss of his best friend Eddie in a bus accident, loses his first major boxing match and goes to spend some time with his grandparents in Alabama. Eddie’s journal keeps glowing green, and when a sassy sticky doll tries to steal it in the dead of night, Tristan runs after it, accidentally punching a whole in the sky and breaching his world with that of Midpass. Weaving black history from both West Africa and the United States, this adventure story features Anansi the trickster storyteller, Nyame the sky god, and legendary characters High John, John Henry, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Gum Baby. As Tristan faces his grief and guilt, he learns the power of telling stories, even those that are difficult.