Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 10/01/2021 *Starred Review* Not many kids enjoy receiving socks for a gift, and Xavier Moon is no exception. On his twelfth birthday, Xavier’s great-uncle Frankie Bell gifts him a pair of colorful, funky socks. Along with the socks is a tough-love letter challenging the normally shy Xavier to stop hanging back from life and find some confidence. At the beginning of the novel, a lingering speech impediment and his parents’ incarceration for an unspecified crime have stripped Xavier of what confidence he did have. To Xavier, the epitome of confidence is mustering up the courage to join the Scepter League, an exclusive after-school boys’ club that Frankie Bell and his father belonged to when they were younger. When he doesn’t get invited to join the club due to a lack of leadership qualities, Xavier is devastated; however, another opportunity to prove himself comes from the unlikeliest of places. Baptist (Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, 2020) has crafted a lighthearted and laugh-out-loud narrative about a Black boy overcoming adversity in her second novel. Readers, no matter their age, will be able to relate to Xavier’s struggle to find confidence and express his authentic self. An excellent read-alike to Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me (2018) or Janae Marks’ From the Desk of Zoe Washington (2020). - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 11/01/2021 Gr 3–7—Xavier Moon, a 12-year-old boy living with his older sister and his great-aunt Kat while his parents are incarcerated, has big plans for seventh grade: He's going to join the Scepter League, an elite leadership group for young men at his school. Just before the start of the school year, Xavier begins receiving strange mail from Frankie Bell, Kat's brother who is a touring musician. Each package includes a pair of outlandish socks and a cryptic letter with advice. When the Scepter League rejects Xavier's first bid to join, he does not give up; instead he leans on Frankie Bell's advice—and the socks—and discovers some unexpected talents and leadership skills. Told in the first person in a conversational tone, the narrative is engaging right from the beginning, and readers will enjoy being introduced to Xavier's family and friends. Although it deals with some tough topics—incarceration, severe illness, and managing a stutter—the story still has a lighthearted feel to it, owing mainly to Xavier's authentic and optimistic voice. Xavier and his family are Black; other characters are cued as coming from a variety of backgrounds. VERDICT Readers will enjoy this incredibly charming lead character, and they'll root for him as he navigates the challenges of school and family life.—Sarah Reid, Four County Lib. Syst., NY - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.