Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2022 Gr 3–6—Can you feel the funk, my friends? Ellis and his family invite you to Sunset Strip Cookies where you are served the most amazing cookies by a family who is strong, Black, and proud of it. Ellis's life has been a little upside down lately: his parents just divorced, his mom left him with his dad for the summer to "put herself first for a change," and his dad has this zany idea of opening a chocolate chip cookie shop on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. While getting the shop ready, Ellis will go through trials (it's not his fault he's the shortest kid in his grade), tribulations (his grandma says, "listening is tougher than talking," but it feels like his dad never listens), and triumphs (discovering kindness and good neighbors go a long way). Author Amos—and yes, the last name Amos should give readers an idea of how famous these cookies really are—sets a fantastic scene in the summer of 1976 on the Sunset Strip. Music, family dynamics, friends, and cookies are all delivered with imagery so strong that readers will taste those cookies while listening to Muddy Waters. Amos adds a nice touch by including a cookie recipe and a playlist at the end of the book. There are a few instances of period-typical racism and abuse (a "switch" is mentioned). VERDICT Best to read this with a glass of milk and all the ingredients to make Amos's recipe. Recommended as a solid historical fiction purchase.—Kerri L. Williams - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2022 In 1976, Ellis struggles with his parents' divorce, but salvation comes in the form of summer vacation. Alas, relaxation is put on hold after his dad announces he needs Ellis’ help to bring his latest business enterprise to life: a shop devoted to selling his chocolate-chip confections. The proposed bakery space is dismal and remote, his dad hasn’t finalized a recipe, and there are only six weeks to get things up and running. Can the family pull together and pull it off? The author, Amos, is the real-life son of Wally “Famous” Amos, cookie entrepreneur, and this ode to his upbringing is offbeat and enchanting. The humorous narration is breezy and conversational, though it’s often punctuated by serious topics: divorce, racism, deep family wounds, and the experience of being a Black household in a predominantly white neighborhood. But there are also exquisite descriptions of musical transcendence, an uplifting community, and a gorgeous father-son relationship that evolves and deepens throughout. A sweet treat with a warm center. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.