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The Season of Styx Malone
Caleb Franklin and his big brother Bobby Gene are excited to have adventures in the woods behind their house. But Caleb dreams of venturing beyond their ordinary small town.
Then Caleb and Bobby Gene meet new neighbor Styx Malone. Styx is sixteen and oozes cool. Styx promises the brothers that together, the three of them can pull off the Great Escalator Trade--exchanging one small thing for something better until they achieve their wildest dream. But as the trades get bigger, the brothers soon find themselves in over their heads. Styx has secrets--secrets so big they could ruin everything.
Then Caleb and Bobby Gene meet new neighbor Styx Malone. Styx is sixteen and oozes cool. Styx promises the brothers that together, the three of them can pull off the Great Escalator Trade--exchanging one small thing for something better until they achieve their wildest dream. But as the trades get bigger, the brothers soon find themselves in over their heads. Styx has secrets--secrets so big they could ruin everything.
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 2018
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November 21, 2018
And it was around this time that I started wondering why more people weren’t talking about The Season of Styx Malone. So let me tell you a little story. Back in 2013 I wrote a blog post called “2013 Middle Grade Black Boys: Seriously, People?” In it, I sat down and counted all the novels written for kids between the ages of 9-12 that starred black boys as the main characters. Not the sidekicks. Not the helpful best friend. The protagonist. And what I came up with was a total of five books. Three were by sports stars, one was historical fiction, and one was by Walter Dean Myers. That was it. Five. A lot has changed since that time, including the creation of We Need Diverse Books. And while the industry has made a sloth-like maneuver in the right direction, it’s not changing as quickly as I think many of us would like. That said, we’re doing a little better when it comes to middle grade black boys. Still, I doubt you could walk into most bookstores and find five such books face out on the shelves. Into this atmosphere comes The Season of Styx Malone. Here’s what this book is not. It isn’t historical fiction. It doesn’t brood, though it isn’t afraid to tackle serious issues. And as far as I can ascertain it isn’t getting talked about half as much as it should be. Funny and strange and smart and sublime, as far as I can tell THIS is the book everyone should be buzzing about this year. So let me take the lead for you. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
A baby sister for a bag of fireworks. What could go wrong? When Caleb and Bobby Gene make a deal with the local bully (who has always wanted a baby sis) they never thought they’d be left holding the bag (literally). But at the end of the day their sister is returned, the fireworks are theirs, and they have no idea what to do with them. It takes a chance encounter in the woods behind their house to make their path clear. Enter, Styx Malone. He’s mysterious. He’s trouble. He’s a teenager. And he makes impossible promises with a tongue smooth as silver. It isn’t long before Caleb falls completely under Styx’s sway. Caleb has always believed that he was destined for bigger, better things. Now with Styx at his side the future is shiny, bright, and involves a motorized scooter that can take him far far away. Trouble is, there may be far more to Styx than meets the eye. And it's not all good.
Recently I heard an author lament the fact that too many novels for kids fail to celebrate “Black joy”. They weren’t wrong. As I write this, the Best Books of the Year lists are coming out and let’s take a peek at the middle grade novels. Of all the books starring black kids, how many of them are fun? Certainly there’s The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson, which is a great history mystery. But beyond that the numbers are pretty darn low, particularly when the protagonist is a boy. By and large, reviewers, librarians, teachers, and other guardians place an inordinate amount of importance on deadly serious fiction over fiction with a penchant for fun. And “Styx Malone” is, right from the get-go, incredibly fun. It’s fun when the boys trade their little sister for a bag of fireworks. It's fun when they start engaging in a "Great Escalator Trade" with an eye on a shiny green scooter. It's even fun when they have to weed the garden. I'm not saying there isn't a core of seriousness beneath the glee, but isn't a relief to enjoy what you're reading once in a while?
Back in the day, 2011 or so, I remember reading Kekla’s first middle grade novel Camo Girl. She had a strong new voice and I liked a lot of what I read there. Fast forward seven years and I pick up “Styx Malone”. I hadn’t read as much of Kekla’s intervening work during those seven years, so when I got an eyeful of what she was doing with this book I was caught unaware. If before she was finding her footing, in this book she’s striding, dancing, and generally showing how good she’s become. Take, for example, a sequence where Caleb is in trouble with his mother. Caleb is supposed to be taking out the trash. When Caleb says he’ll “pencil it in for after supper” his mom doesn’t much care for that answer. “Total silence from on high. Total. The kind that pulls the hum out of the light sockets. I swiveled to meet Mom’s icy glare. Her eye lasers stabbed with shivers . . . Mom’s laser eyes continued to lop off my body parts. How did she expect me to take out the trash with no arms?” Did you hear that? Did you hear how enticing that writing is? Who wouldn’t want to know more about this situation? Who wouldn’t want to read a whole book of this kind of writing? And who wouldn’t want to know these characters?
Speaking of characters, I like to keep a running list of unreliable narrators in children’s books. It’s a subgenre, to be sure, but a consistent one. Still, there’s an active difference between characters that are purposefully unreliable and characters that are unreliable because they themselves are taken in by another. From the moment they meet, Caleb is in Styx’s pocket. For the boy, Styx represents all his hopes and dreams. And one criticism I’ve heard lobbed against the book is that Caleb’s adoration is too much. It tells the reader what to think and what to believe. What this critique misses is the fact that child readers are given every opportunity to detect the holes in Caleb’s fancy. He wants to believe in Styx so badly that he’s willing to overlook inconsistencies and problematic choices. His brother, Bobby Gene, the rock of the novel, will bring up these problems and Caleb will shoot him down as quickly as possible to avoid seeing the truth. I wonder at what point the child readers will have Styx’s number. Definitely before Caleb does, that’s for sure.
How well a work of fiction speaks to the politics and issues of the day is important. In 2018 we do not lack for issue tales. Stories that tackle head-on such topics as police brutality, immigration, homophobia, and more are pretty darn prevalent. But the light-hearted fun books have a responsibility too. Since they weren’t written in a vacuum, they have to somehow tip their hat at reality while also maintaining their own storyline and tone. It would have been infinitely easy for Kekla Magoon to place her story in some kind of an idealized Anytown, U.S.A. where racism does not exist. Instead, she does make the town pretty idyllic (it’s small and the kids have a lot of time to themselves and freedom to run around without helicopter parents) but not unrealistic. Take the dad, for example. The through line with this book is that he and Caleb have diametrically opposed worldviews. Caleb wants to leave Sutton, Indiana as soon as his two legs will take him. His dad, however, keeps hammering home the idea that in Sutton the family is “safe”. Outside the world is a dangerous place, but here they have a support network. A kid isn’t necessarily going to pick up on a lot of what the dad is saying here, but for the adult reader it’s pretty clear that dad’s fears are the fears of black parents for their sons everywhere.
Sometimes my 7-year-old daughter will catch me reading a book for kids and ask me to summarize the plot. I had a particularly hard time doing this for “Styx Malone”. Now that I’ve finished the book and can see how all the pieces fit into the whole, it’s much easier. But as I was reading it I kept thinking to myself, “I have no idea where all of this is going.” It was a novel experience and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It isn’t that Magoon doesn’t have a clear-cut plot in mind. It’s more that her path is a winding one. It meanders through Caleb’s perceptions, in out and again, so that you really can’t see the whole until you’ve taken in all the different parts. I suppose that’s a bit like life itself. It’s also how you come to know people. Styx Malone himself is seen just in bits and spits and spurts for the longest of times. When you get a better sense of his true self, it’s only after you’ve put all the pieces together.
I know that there are folks in this world that love the Newbery winning book Maniac Magee. There are definitely some surface similarities between that title and this one. In both cases the old “a stranger comes to town” trope is combined with elements of the good old-fashioned American tall tale. But for all its summer fun and hijinks, I actually feel like the core of this book is stronger than Spinelli’s classic. Because what Magoon is doing here is speaking to that spark inside of every kid that tells them that they’re special. That they count in some way. That their future is bright and open and shining. Then, while she distracts you with the core message, she effortlessly works in serious concepts like the foster care system, prejudice, and the way the adults in your life can let you down. She isn’t giving you a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. This is necessary sugar. Fun with purpose. Laughs with heart. Everything, in fact, that a good book for kids should strive to be. Don’t be fooled by the packaging. This is one little book that lands a heck of a punch and is amusing every step of the way. Unforgettable.
For ages 9-12.
A baby sister for a bag of fireworks. What could go wrong? When Caleb and Bobby Gene make a deal with the local bully (who has always wanted a baby sis) they never thought they’d be left holding the bag (literally). But at the end of the day their sister is returned, the fireworks are theirs, and they have no idea what to do with them. It takes a chance encounter in the woods behind their house to make their path clear. Enter, Styx Malone. He’s mysterious. He’s trouble. He’s a teenager. And he makes impossible promises with a tongue smooth as silver. It isn’t long before Caleb falls completely under Styx’s sway. Caleb has always believed that he was destined for bigger, better things. Now with Styx at his side the future is shiny, bright, and involves a motorized scooter that can take him far far away. Trouble is, there may be far more to Styx than meets the eye. And it's not all good.
Recently I heard an author lament the fact that too many novels for kids fail to celebrate “Black joy”. They weren’t wrong. As I write this, the Best Books of the Year lists are coming out and let’s take a peek at the middle grade novels. Of all the books starring black kids, how many of them are fun? Certainly there’s The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson, which is a great history mystery. But beyond that the numbers are pretty darn low, particularly when the protagonist is a boy. By and large, reviewers, librarians, teachers, and other guardians place an inordinate amount of importance on deadly serious fiction over fiction with a penchant for fun. And “Styx Malone” is, right from the get-go, incredibly fun. It’s fun when the boys trade their little sister for a bag of fireworks. It's fun when they start engaging in a "Great Escalator Trade" with an eye on a shiny green scooter. It's even fun when they have to weed the garden. I'm not saying there isn't a core of seriousness beneath the glee, but isn't a relief to enjoy what you're reading once in a while?
Back in the day, 2011 or so, I remember reading Kekla’s first middle grade novel Camo Girl. She had a strong new voice and I liked a lot of what I read there. Fast forward seven years and I pick up “Styx Malone”. I hadn’t read as much of Kekla’s intervening work during those seven years, so when I got an eyeful of what she was doing with this book I was caught unaware. If before she was finding her footing, in this book she’s striding, dancing, and generally showing how good she’s become. Take, for example, a sequence where Caleb is in trouble with his mother. Caleb is supposed to be taking out the trash. When Caleb says he’ll “pencil it in for after supper” his mom doesn’t much care for that answer. “Total silence from on high. Total. The kind that pulls the hum out of the light sockets. I swiveled to meet Mom’s icy glare. Her eye lasers stabbed with shivers . . . Mom’s laser eyes continued to lop off my body parts. How did she expect me to take out the trash with no arms?” Did you hear that? Did you hear how enticing that writing is? Who wouldn’t want to know more about this situation? Who wouldn’t want to read a whole book of this kind of writing? And who wouldn’t want to know these characters?
Speaking of characters, I like to keep a running list of unreliable narrators in children’s books. It’s a subgenre, to be sure, but a consistent one. Still, there’s an active difference between characters that are purposefully unreliable and characters that are unreliable because they themselves are taken in by another. From the moment they meet, Caleb is in Styx’s pocket. For the boy, Styx represents all his hopes and dreams. And one criticism I’ve heard lobbed against the book is that Caleb’s adoration is too much. It tells the reader what to think and what to believe. What this critique misses is the fact that child readers are given every opportunity to detect the holes in Caleb’s fancy. He wants to believe in Styx so badly that he’s willing to overlook inconsistencies and problematic choices. His brother, Bobby Gene, the rock of the novel, will bring up these problems and Caleb will shoot him down as quickly as possible to avoid seeing the truth. I wonder at what point the child readers will have Styx’s number. Definitely before Caleb does, that’s for sure.
How well a work of fiction speaks to the politics and issues of the day is important. In 2018 we do not lack for issue tales. Stories that tackle head-on such topics as police brutality, immigration, homophobia, and more are pretty darn prevalent. But the light-hearted fun books have a responsibility too. Since they weren’t written in a vacuum, they have to somehow tip their hat at reality while also maintaining their own storyline and tone. It would have been infinitely easy for Kekla Magoon to place her story in some kind of an idealized Anytown, U.S.A. where racism does not exist. Instead, she does make the town pretty idyllic (it’s small and the kids have a lot of time to themselves and freedom to run around without helicopter parents) but not unrealistic. Take the dad, for example. The through line with this book is that he and Caleb have diametrically opposed worldviews. Caleb wants to leave Sutton, Indiana as soon as his two legs will take him. His dad, however, keeps hammering home the idea that in Sutton the family is “safe”. Outside the world is a dangerous place, but here they have a support network. A kid isn’t necessarily going to pick up on a lot of what the dad is saying here, but for the adult reader it’s pretty clear that dad’s fears are the fears of black parents for their sons everywhere.
Sometimes my 7-year-old daughter will catch me reading a book for kids and ask me to summarize the plot. I had a particularly hard time doing this for “Styx Malone”. Now that I’ve finished the book and can see how all the pieces fit into the whole, it’s much easier. But as I was reading it I kept thinking to myself, “I have no idea where all of this is going.” It was a novel experience and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It isn’t that Magoon doesn’t have a clear-cut plot in mind. It’s more that her path is a winding one. It meanders through Caleb’s perceptions, in out and again, so that you really can’t see the whole until you’ve taken in all the different parts. I suppose that’s a bit like life itself. It’s also how you come to know people. Styx Malone himself is seen just in bits and spits and spurts for the longest of times. When you get a better sense of his true self, it’s only after you’ve put all the pieces together.
I know that there are folks in this world that love the Newbery winning book Maniac Magee. There are definitely some surface similarities between that title and this one. In both cases the old “a stranger comes to town” trope is combined with elements of the good old-fashioned American tall tale. But for all its summer fun and hijinks, I actually feel like the core of this book is stronger than Spinelli’s classic. Because what Magoon is doing here is speaking to that spark inside of every kid that tells them that they’re special. That they count in some way. That their future is bright and open and shining. Then, while she distracts you with the core message, she effortlessly works in serious concepts like the foster care system, prejudice, and the way the adults in your life can let you down. She isn’t giving you a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. This is necessary sugar. Fun with purpose. Laughs with heart. Everything, in fact, that a good book for kids should strive to be. Don’t be fooled by the packaging. This is one little book that lands a heck of a punch and is amusing every step of the way. Unforgettable.
For ages 9-12.
June 17, 2021
I straight up inhaled this book! What a joyous celebration of friendship and found family and truly LIVING ❤️ Love love love. Highly recommend as a read aloud for 4th and 5th graders.
ETA: another reviewer commented here that it would be good as a replacement for Tom Sawyer and I completely agree.
ETA: another reviewer commented here that it would be good as a replacement for Tom Sawyer and I completely agree.
August 23, 2023
I loved.loved.loved. this Book!
In the Beginning, it seems to be Boys' mischief during summer break with their baby sister. Until Caleb and his brother Benny Gene take adventurous stroll behind their house in the woods to cross paths with Styx Malone. He is nothing like they have ever known...
Caleb has grown weary of his Dad's familiarly settled Ordinary life; deciding that he's going to do All that he can to NOT be Ordinary!
As these Brothers travel on their adventure with Styx, Caleb notices the difference in Styx. His manner of talk and thinking, "All things are Possible." With Styx being a teenager, in Caleb's eyes, he (Styx) is seen as being from another World outside of the One he and his brother, Benny Gene are a part of.
Amazingly, this book holds very Important lessons about Family and working Together. It's filled with many laughable moments and I Oh, so Adored the Wonderful Mothering from their Mom. ❤️
• "Mom's eyes became like two chocolate brown lasers slicing through us from our bedroom doorway." Lol
• "Mom was "grilling" Styx just as good as the fish." 😅
It was very interesting to hear the Father's Reasonings for being the way he was with his Sons. Very Heartfelt.
A Highly recommended Book 💙✨️
In the Beginning, it seems to be Boys' mischief during summer break with their baby sister. Until Caleb and his brother Benny Gene take adventurous stroll behind their house in the woods to cross paths with Styx Malone. He is nothing like they have ever known...
Caleb has grown weary of his Dad's familiarly settled Ordinary life; deciding that he's going to do All that he can to NOT be Ordinary!
As these Brothers travel on their adventure with Styx, Caleb notices the difference in Styx. His manner of talk and thinking, "All things are Possible." With Styx being a teenager, in Caleb's eyes, he (Styx) is seen as being from another World outside of the One he and his brother, Benny Gene are a part of.
Amazingly, this book holds very Important lessons about Family and working Together. It's filled with many laughable moments and I Oh, so Adored the Wonderful Mothering from their Mom. ❤️
• "Mom's eyes became like two chocolate brown lasers slicing through us from our bedroom doorway." Lol
• "Mom was "grilling" Styx just as good as the fish." 😅
It was very interesting to hear the Father's Reasonings for being the way he was with his Sons. Very Heartfelt.
A Highly recommended Book 💙✨️
August 11, 2018
My blog review:
This book. Oh, this book. How much do I love you?
The Season of Styx Malone is not out for a couple of months yet, but I just had to write something so that you all get it on your radar. I knew Kekla Magoon from her other work, say such hard hitting urban YA works as How It Went Down , a delightful futuristic reworking of Robin Hood, and X: A Novel, her collaboration with Illyasah Shabazz which I adored, adored, adored. And now this --- one of the most delightful middle grade books I have read in some time.
The black Franklin boys, 10 year old Caleb and 11 year old Bobby Gene, have spent uneventful lives in a small town outside of Indianapolis. It is a place where everyone knows each other, where children can roam without parental worry, and where the bigger world stays away. While Bobby Gene is relatively content, Caleb is not. He wants to see the world outside of Sutton, but that isn't going to happen if his father has anything to say about it, refusing to sign permission forms for yearly field trips to the city's Children's Museum. When his father says he is extra ordinary, it infuriates Caleb; he wants to be more than ordinary not less. That it is the dangers for black boys out there that is behind this, a belief that staying under the radar is best, that it all comes from a paternal place of love and fierce desire to keep them safe, matters little to this boy yearning to break free.
And then a stranger comes to town. One Styx Malone, a sixteen year old foster child who gives them a summer to remember. They meet in the woods, not far from the boys' home, where they are trying to figure out what to do with a bag of ill-gotten fireworks. (Won't spoil how they got them other than to say it is hilarious.) Styx, exuding cool with an improbable candy cigarette dangling out of his mouth, convinces the boys that he can help them --- mediate or parlay he says --- to get rid of the loot for something better. And so begins the Great Escalator Trade in which they trade up and up and up to get the object of their dreams. The escapades and adventures are absolutely delightful, at times breathtaking, and all completely true to the circumstances of these characters and the book's setting. That is, it is all seems completely plausible. This is because Magoon has not only created a wonderful array of characters, nuanced and unique each of them, but she has placed them in a superbly constructed world. There is a timeless quality to the boys' lives that makes one understand why their father is trying so hard to keep them so penned in, yet Caleb's yearning is so beautifully rendered along the way that it makes for a contemporary feel as well.
In addition to superb character development, elegant world building, and compelling plotting, Magoon is outstanding at sentence level writing. I was too busy reading to stop and mark favorites, so will reread to do so. Meanwhile, to give a taste, here are a few I picked out randomly:
This is a book that leans toward happy while exploring deep themes that aren't so happy. There are moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity, others that will bring you to tears, and still more that will have you pondering. The Franklin family and Styx Malone will be staying in my heart for a long time. I hope they will do likewise in yours.
This book. Oh, this book. How much do I love you?
The Season of Styx Malone is not out for a couple of months yet, but I just had to write something so that you all get it on your radar. I knew Kekla Magoon from her other work, say such hard hitting urban YA works as How It Went Down , a delightful futuristic reworking of Robin Hood, and X: A Novel, her collaboration with Illyasah Shabazz which I adored, adored, adored. And now this --- one of the most delightful middle grade books I have read in some time.
The black Franklin boys, 10 year old Caleb and 11 year old Bobby Gene, have spent uneventful lives in a small town outside of Indianapolis. It is a place where everyone knows each other, where children can roam without parental worry, and where the bigger world stays away. While Bobby Gene is relatively content, Caleb is not. He wants to see the world outside of Sutton, but that isn't going to happen if his father has anything to say about it, refusing to sign permission forms for yearly field trips to the city's Children's Museum. When his father says he is extra ordinary, it infuriates Caleb; he wants to be more than ordinary not less. That it is the dangers for black boys out there that is behind this, a belief that staying under the radar is best, that it all comes from a paternal place of love and fierce desire to keep them safe, matters little to this boy yearning to break free.
And then a stranger comes to town. One Styx Malone, a sixteen year old foster child who gives them a summer to remember. They meet in the woods, not far from the boys' home, where they are trying to figure out what to do with a bag of ill-gotten fireworks. (Won't spoil how they got them other than to say it is hilarious.) Styx, exuding cool with an improbable candy cigarette dangling out of his mouth, convinces the boys that he can help them --- mediate or parlay he says --- to get rid of the loot for something better. And so begins the Great Escalator Trade in which they trade up and up and up to get the object of their dreams. The escapades and adventures are absolutely delightful, at times breathtaking, and all completely true to the circumstances of these characters and the book's setting. That is, it is all seems completely plausible. This is because Magoon has not only created a wonderful array of characters, nuanced and unique each of them, but she has placed them in a superbly constructed world. There is a timeless quality to the boys' lives that makes one understand why their father is trying so hard to keep them so penned in, yet Caleb's yearning is so beautifully rendered along the way that it makes for a contemporary feel as well.
In addition to superb character development, elegant world building, and compelling plotting, Magoon is outstanding at sentence level writing. I was too busy reading to stop and mark favorites, so will reread to do so. Meanwhile, to give a taste, here are a few I picked out randomly:
Styx twirled the candy cigarette over his knuckles. "Your old lady's really keeping the jam on you, eh?"
It didn't occur to us to study his every move or wonder what he was hiding. How could he have been hiding anything? He was too busy showing us a whole new world.
The white of the sky and the chug of the train, the speed and the rocking and the grease scent tipped me toward giddy.
This is a book that leans toward happy while exploring deep themes that aren't so happy. There are moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity, others that will bring you to tears, and still more that will have you pondering. The Franklin family and Styx Malone will be staying in my heart for a long time. I hope they will do likewise in yours.
June 7, 2022
funnily enough, i heard about this middle-grade novel through another middle-grade novel:
maizy chen’s last chance
by lisa yee, published just a few months ago. the titular character, maizy chen, borrows the season of styx malone from her local library and loves the book - which immediately put it on my radar.
the season of styx malone is not only a perfect summertime read (it takes place over the span of one adventure-filled summer) but also features such a heartfelt and funny tale of friendship, family, and finding one's place in an "ordinary" - and, for BIPOC children, at times, unsafe - world. caleb was my favourite kind of narrator: earnest and imperfect, loved and loving. his relationship with his brother bobby gene was one of the most resonant depictions of sibling dynamics i’ve encountered in fiction, middle-grade or otherwise.
the season of styx malone is not only a perfect summertime read (it takes place over the span of one adventure-filled summer) but also features such a heartfelt and funny tale of friendship, family, and finding one's place in an "ordinary" - and, for BIPOC children, at times, unsafe - world. caleb was my favourite kind of narrator: earnest and imperfect, loved and loving. his relationship with his brother bobby gene was one of the most resonant depictions of sibling dynamics i’ve encountered in fiction, middle-grade or otherwise.
July 9, 2018
A rollercoaster ride from start to finish. You know Styx spells trouble from the beginning and from there on out it's a suspenseful string of events that makes you dare to hope for a miracle but dread the worst at the same time. The ending is satisfying and heartening.
December 24, 2018
None of the shenanigans in the book would have happened if not for Caleb misunderstanding his dad's proclamation that he was extra-ordinary. Caleb doesn't want to be ordinary, let alone EXTRA ordinary. He wants to be distinguished and have grand adventures. Styx Malone offers that possibility to him.
Kekla Magoon did a great job creating some tension between the brothers (Caleb and Bobby Gene) because of their different personalities, but even more masterful was the peek into the tight bond of brother-love that the two have. And giving us a boy (Cory) who's both a bully AND gaga over babies?!? Nice.
The characters are black, but their blackness is rarely a part of the story. Without so many words, it's what accounts for the boys' dad not wanting to expose his boys to the city/places and people who don't know them. Mostly this is a story about the summer adventures of three boys. Because it's set in rural Indiana, it sometimes feels like a book set in the past. Kids who can wander around in the woods, cook hotdogs on a bonfire, ride their bikes down country roads...seems like a world away from my urban/suburban students. Good for them to know that way of life still exists (and for the ones living it to see themselves in a story NOT set in NYC for once!).
Kekla Magoon did a great job creating some tension between the brothers (Caleb and Bobby Gene) because of their different personalities, but even more masterful was the peek into the tight bond of brother-love that the two have. And giving us a boy (Cory) who's both a bully AND gaga over babies?!? Nice.
The characters are black, but their blackness is rarely a part of the story. Without so many words, it's what accounts for the boys' dad not wanting to expose his boys to the city/places and people who don't know them. Mostly this is a story about the summer adventures of three boys. Because it's set in rural Indiana, it sometimes feels like a book set in the past. Kids who can wander around in the woods, cook hotdogs on a bonfire, ride their bikes down country roads...seems like a world away from my urban/suburban students. Good for them to know that way of life still exists (and for the ones living it to see themselves in a story NOT set in NYC for once!).
December 28, 2018
I've read a number of reviews or snippets of reviews that have compared Styx Malone to Maniac Magee and maybe it was this expectation (a comparison to one of my all-time favorites) that left me feeling a bit letdown from this story.
First of all, I would not compare this to Maniac Magee. At all. I can see why the comparisons are being made. The word "legend" is tossed around loosely, and even though I think Styx is set in the present day, it has a sense of boyhood, Sandlot-like nostalgia to it. But Maniac's "legend" status was fully earned by performing incredible feats and bringing together the baddest of two sections of a divided community. Styx's "legend" status is really only fully realized in Caleb's eyes, and it's not because he does anything legendary, it's because he is older and talks smooth and promises Caleb a life beyond his somewhat sheltered existence.
Aside from the Maniac Magee comparisons, I did like the dynamic between the boys: Styx, cool and smooth-talking; Caleb, full of adulation; and Bobby Gene the unwavering voice of reason. I also liked the Franklin parents' reaction to Styx and felt it was realistic and appropriate. But I expected more out of the Elevator Trade concept. I mean, . It just felt a bit contrived and it was the only thing really moving the plot forward.
It was a cute story though of summer hijinks and should appeal to a plethora of kids!
First of all, I would not compare this to Maniac Magee. At all. I can see why the comparisons are being made. The word "legend" is tossed around loosely, and even though I think Styx is set in the present day, it has a sense of boyhood, Sandlot-like nostalgia to it. But Maniac's "legend" status was fully earned by performing incredible feats and bringing together the baddest of two sections of a divided community. Styx's "legend" status is really only fully realized in Caleb's eyes, and it's not because he does anything legendary, it's because he is older and talks smooth and promises Caleb a life beyond his somewhat sheltered existence.
Aside from the Maniac Magee comparisons, I did like the dynamic between the boys: Styx, cool and smooth-talking; Caleb, full of adulation; and Bobby Gene the unwavering voice of reason. I also liked the Franklin parents' reaction to Styx and felt it was realistic and appropriate. But I expected more out of the Elevator Trade concept. I mean, . It just felt a bit contrived and it was the only thing really moving the plot forward.
It was a cute story though of summer hijinks and should appeal to a plethora of kids!
July 26, 2019
A fun creative adventure. I have to reread Maniac Magee to be sure, but iirc this reminds me of that classic. I appreciate the themes in Magoon's story, and I appreciate that they're easy to learn because the all the characters and also the events and even the setting are engaging & authentic, too.
And as a bonus, Styx has a way with an epigram: "A happy ending depends on where you stop the story."
And even besides his big scheme, he just has an agile, creative mind. The boys are having the "who would win in a fight" discussion and Styx finally offers "Mystique, shapeshifted to look like Leia with a lightsaber, versus Amethyst, shapeshifted to look like Leia with a blaster."
I recommend this very highly to families and to the target audience, and will look for more by the author.
And as a bonus, Styx has a way with an epigram: "A happy ending depends on where you stop the story."
And even besides his big scheme, he just has an agile, creative mind. The boys are having the "who would win in a fight" discussion and Styx finally offers "Mystique, shapeshifted to look like Leia with a lightsaber, versus Amethyst, shapeshifted to look like Leia with a blaster."
I recommend this very highly to families and to the target audience, and will look for more by the author.
December 13, 2018
Extra Ordinary!
A long summer with a mission and an interesting new friend. Solid recipe for great kid's stories. This just jumped to the top of my Newbery ballot.
A favorite part was how honestly the parenting in the book was handled.
A long summer with a mission and an interesting new friend. Solid recipe for great kid's stories. This just jumped to the top of my Newbery ballot.
A favorite part was how honestly the parenting in the book was handled.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2019
I was very, very suspicious of Styx when he first appeared on the scene. Wasn't quiet sure where it was going, and was moved by where it went.
July 19, 2018
In small-town Indiana we meet Caleb and his brother Bobby Gene. Caleb despises the idea of being ordinary, even as his father prefers the predictability of life as normal.
In this middle-grade book we watch their summer escapades, heavily influenced by their new, older friend Styx Malone. Styx is a foster child and is always angling for adventure. This summer, the primary objective is an Escalator Trade in hopes of ending up with a motorbike.
Throughout the book Caleb wrestles with where he belongs; there's a new tension with his brother, as Caleb is quick to embrace Styx's schemes, even when some danger is involved, whereas Bobby Gene's cautiousness reminds Caleb of how his parents would want him to act: "Bobby Gene was everything familiar. Everything I already knew. Styx represented what was possible. All the invisible things that eventually might be seen. And to be seen would change everything."
The children have a lot of freedom to explore and have adventures in their town, which harkens back to earlier periods in our history, but I believe it's set in what must be modern-day (there are some cell phones, even passages that I suspect are hinting at the unarmed shootings of people of color by police officers (Caleb and his family, as well as Styx, are black). Caleb's dad is trying to keep his family protected by keeping them home, in familiar environments: "I want you safe. Until you understand what the world is really like, I want you close....I don't want you going somewhere where people might look at you and see a threat. Here, we're just like everybody else."
Caleb wrestles with what it is to be a family and how to be a good friend. This would be a welcome addition to a classroom; I could easily see students, particularly boys, connecting with the daring adventures and working through the consequences of those actions.
In this middle-grade book we watch their summer escapades, heavily influenced by their new, older friend Styx Malone. Styx is a foster child and is always angling for adventure. This summer, the primary objective is an Escalator Trade in hopes of ending up with a motorbike.
Throughout the book Caleb wrestles with where he belongs; there's a new tension with his brother, as Caleb is quick to embrace Styx's schemes, even when some danger is involved, whereas Bobby Gene's cautiousness reminds Caleb of how his parents would want him to act: "Bobby Gene was everything familiar. Everything I already knew. Styx represented what was possible. All the invisible things that eventually might be seen. And to be seen would change everything."
The children have a lot of freedom to explore and have adventures in their town, which harkens back to earlier periods in our history, but I believe it's set in what must be modern-day (there are some cell phones, even passages that I suspect are hinting at the unarmed shootings of people of color by police officers (Caleb and his family, as well as Styx, are black). Caleb's dad is trying to keep his family protected by keeping them home, in familiar environments: "I want you safe. Until you understand what the world is really like, I want you close....I don't want you going somewhere where people might look at you and see a threat. Here, we're just like everybody else."
Caleb wrestles with what it is to be a family and how to be a good friend. This would be a welcome addition to a classroom; I could easily see students, particularly boys, connecting with the daring adventures and working through the consequences of those actions.
Read
January 1, 2019I'm not sure how many stars to give it . . . it was lovely in so many ways and frustrating at the same time.
March 20, 2021
I really liked this for myself. It's well written, an interesting, moving story, and I loved the characters. I can easily see it as a read aloud (with some light parental discussions) for most ages, and I'd give it to an 11 or 12 y.o. I laughed outloud many times. I burst into tears once. I would have cried another time but I was just sure the author was not going to go total Bridge to Terebythia on me.
I am always looking for fictional stories for kids about black kids who are just being kids, doing their thing, and it's not all about slavery. Not to ignore slavery, but that is one historical aspect (however tragic the ramifications), not the whole story of being black today. This is one of those stories and I am glad I have it one my shelves.
TOld in the first person narrative by the younger of two brothers (Caleb and Bobby Gene ages 10 and 11, I think), about the summer Styx Malone burst in on their lives. Styx is 16 and he is different from anybody they have ever known. He's adventurous, independent, charming, magnetic, charismatic, and quite the talker. He just might also be the most trouble the brothers have ever seen or been involved in. Caleb and Bobby have a happy, solid middle class nuclear family. Styx's family is something of a mystery for a while. Caleb and Bobby Gene do seem a little wise and mature for their age but I was willing to suspend my disbelief. Their brother relationship just shone. It was marvelous without being too good to be true.
Caleb is enchanted. He's tired of his family's very ordinary lives in a small town in Indiana. Caleb wants to stand out, to be remarkable, to do amazing things. His father wants his family to be safe. They don't leave their small town. They don't try to stand out. They need to be familiar, comfortable, and to fit in so they will be safe. He never really explains this to the kids, and the author doesn't explain it to the reader. She respects the reader enough to allow that reader to make the obvious inferences.
The flavour is something like Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, The Great Brain with just a tiny dash of The Outsiders.
It's really well done and very entertaining, but also thought provoking.
For information only for some of my friends and followers:
There is a lot of naughtiness here and frankly, most of it is realistic and it's hilarious. It isn't told as a 'go thou and do likewise' and if you have kids who would get ideas from this story, I am sorry to tell you they are going to get into trouble with or without it. Some things you might want to discuss:
Trading your baby sister for a bag of probably stolen fireworks is bad (Okay, yes, that was very poor judgement but it was an accident, almost, and it was hilarious, and the mothers' reactions are worth the price of the book)
Why we do NOT ride freight trains (although you probably don't have to talk about it, Bobby Gene really didn't love it enough to make it a how-to point in the book)
Stealing is wrong (again, you don't really need to talk about this, if your kids don't know you already messed up)
I think there are two damns and a hell, or the other way around, and the last one, the speaker takes it back and replaces it with heck because it just doesn't sound right in his own mouth.
There is a very oblique reference to the times a boy might wake up from an embarassing dream and walk to the bathroom hunched over in the hopes nobody can tell. That's pretty much the reference, and if you kid doesn't know they won't notice, and if they do, they already know and so that's fine.
More seriously, this could open the door for a conversation on foster care if you want to discuss that, and the foster system. I like that there are really no real villains in this story. There are flawed, imperfect people, some with more flaws and broken places than others, some with more love to give from whole places.
I loved all these characters.
I am always looking for fictional stories for kids about black kids who are just being kids, doing their thing, and it's not all about slavery. Not to ignore slavery, but that is one historical aspect (however tragic the ramifications), not the whole story of being black today. This is one of those stories and I am glad I have it one my shelves.
TOld in the first person narrative by the younger of two brothers (Caleb and Bobby Gene ages 10 and 11, I think), about the summer Styx Malone burst in on their lives. Styx is 16 and he is different from anybody they have ever known. He's adventurous, independent, charming, magnetic, charismatic, and quite the talker. He just might also be the most trouble the brothers have ever seen or been involved in. Caleb and Bobby have a happy, solid middle class nuclear family. Styx's family is something of a mystery for a while. Caleb and Bobby Gene do seem a little wise and mature for their age but I was willing to suspend my disbelief. Their brother relationship just shone. It was marvelous without being too good to be true.
Caleb is enchanted. He's tired of his family's very ordinary lives in a small town in Indiana. Caleb wants to stand out, to be remarkable, to do amazing things. His father wants his family to be safe. They don't leave their small town. They don't try to stand out. They need to be familiar, comfortable, and to fit in so they will be safe. He never really explains this to the kids, and the author doesn't explain it to the reader. She respects the reader enough to allow that reader to make the obvious inferences.
The flavour is something like Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, The Great Brain with just a tiny dash of The Outsiders.
It's really well done and very entertaining, but also thought provoking.
For information only for some of my friends and followers:
There is a lot of naughtiness here and frankly, most of it is realistic and it's hilarious. It isn't told as a 'go thou and do likewise' and if you have kids who would get ideas from this story, I am sorry to tell you they are going to get into trouble with or without it. Some things you might want to discuss:
Trading your baby sister for a bag of probably stolen fireworks is bad (Okay, yes, that was very poor judgement but it was an accident, almost, and it was hilarious, and the mothers' reactions are worth the price of the book)
Why we do NOT ride freight trains (although you probably don't have to talk about it, Bobby Gene really didn't love it enough to make it a how-to point in the book)
Stealing is wrong (again, you don't really need to talk about this, if your kids don't know you already messed up)
I think there are two damns and a hell, or the other way around, and the last one, the speaker takes it back and replaces it with heck because it just doesn't sound right in his own mouth.
There is a very oblique reference to the times a boy might wake up from an embarassing dream and walk to the bathroom hunched over in the hopes nobody can tell. That's pretty much the reference, and if you kid doesn't know they won't notice, and if they do, they already know and so that's fine.
More seriously, this could open the door for a conversation on foster care if you want to discuss that, and the foster system. I like that there are really no real villains in this story. There are flawed, imperfect people, some with more flaws and broken places than others, some with more love to give from whole places.
I loved all these characters.
August 22, 2020
This is one of those stories about an extraordinary summer that changes the lives of Caleb and Bobby Gene, two brothers that meet Styx Malone in the woods after hiding fireworks they earned in a trade for their baby sister. After befriending Styx, the devise a plan to trade the fireworks until they can eventually trade for one big item: a moped they name The Grasshopper. Their elevator scheme leads to a summer full of adventure, change, friendship, and hope that none of them will ever forget. I loved this book so much, and cannot wait time recommend it to my students.
November 27, 2018
After brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene get into trouble for trading their baby sister for a bag of fireworks, they are sentenced to a summer of labor alongside the boy who traded with them. Caleb is determined not to be an ordinary person in life, something his father seems obsessed with him staying at all times, even calling him extra-ordinary! So when Styx Malone enters their lives and offers them a way to trade the ill-gotten fireworks for something even better, the two brothers eagerly join him. But Styx is not telling them the whole truth about his life or even about the trades they are making. As the boys are pulled farther into Styx’s world, Caleb worries that it will all fall apart and that he will be left being just ordinary again.
Magoon has created a story that reads smooth and sweet, a tale filled with adventures and riotous action. At the same time though, she has also created a book that asks deeper questions about family, the foster care system, children in need, and what makes a good friend. Readers may not trust Styx as quickly as Caleb does, so the book also has a compelling narrative voice that is naive and untrustworthy. Even as Caleb, in particular, is drawn firmly into Styx’s plans, readers will be questioning what they are doing. It’s a great book to show young readers an unreliable narrator who is also charming.
The book has complex characters who all rise beyond being stereotypical. Even the adults in the book show glimpses of other sides that create a sense of deep reality on the page. Styx himself is an amazing character. He is clearly doing things on the edge of the law, hustling for deals and acting far tougher than he actually is. The moments where Styx shows his softer side are particularly compelling, like the hotdog cookout and seeing him interact with a father figure. Beautifully nuanced, these moments take this book from a madcap summer to a book that speaks deeply about being a child.
A top read of the year, expect to find incredible depth in this novel about friendship and family. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
https://wakingbraincells.com/2018/10/...
Magoon has created a story that reads smooth and sweet, a tale filled with adventures and riotous action. At the same time though, she has also created a book that asks deeper questions about family, the foster care system, children in need, and what makes a good friend. Readers may not trust Styx as quickly as Caleb does, so the book also has a compelling narrative voice that is naive and untrustworthy. Even as Caleb, in particular, is drawn firmly into Styx’s plans, readers will be questioning what they are doing. It’s a great book to show young readers an unreliable narrator who is also charming.
The book has complex characters who all rise beyond being stereotypical. Even the adults in the book show glimpses of other sides that create a sense of deep reality on the page. Styx himself is an amazing character. He is clearly doing things on the edge of the law, hustling for deals and acting far tougher than he actually is. The moments where Styx shows his softer side are particularly compelling, like the hotdog cookout and seeing him interact with a father figure. Beautifully nuanced, these moments take this book from a madcap summer to a book that speaks deeply about being a child.
A top read of the year, expect to find incredible depth in this novel about friendship and family. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
https://wakingbraincells.com/2018/10/...
July 16, 2020
Oh this book took me though all the emotions. What an EXTRAORDINARY book of friendship, loyalty, and realizing you are anything but ordinary 💕
April 2, 2024
An intriguing coming of age book for young boys. It tells of the adventures of a teen age boy, named Styx, who has been in foster care most of his life, and the 2 younger boys he befriends one summer. They have many adventures, some legal some not so much. They deseparately want a moped they see in a local shop window. They spend the summer trading up until they are able to trade for the moped. The young boys come to appreciate their parents, particularly their Dad. They understand his need to protect them purely because of the color of their skin. The two young brothers learn where they will draw the line, disobey authority, to do what they believe is right. In the end the Mom admits, that Styx was lucky to have such good, true friends.
March 12, 2020
Caleb and Bobby Gene can't wait till the summer to explore the woods of Sutton but when they get in trouble for trading fireworks for there baby sister they have to do chores with there neighbor for most of the summer they are not happy. One day when they were walking out back after chores trying to hide the fireworks they run into Styx Malone, there new neighbor who after a while of talking they come up with a plan to work together to get rid of the fireworks and get something bigger in the end. Read The Season of Styx Malone to find out what they get and how their friendship builds and if there plan worked.
January 8, 2019
Strong 2019 Newbery contender. It is delightful reading a children's middle grade reader intended for its target audience. Exhausted reading adult books being promoted for children. Worse yet is when they win a children's literature award. 2018 looks like the beginning of a wonderful return of books children will enjoy reading. Check out Front Desk, too. Another incredible 2018 release.
January 8, 2019
A Newbery contender. Make sure you read this one.
August 14, 2020
A delightful middle grades book! I loved everything about this one: great characters, interesting premise, and nuanced look at complex issues. Highly recommend!
January 23, 2019
Meet Caleb and big brother Bobby Gene, two brothers who are excited to have adventures in the woods behind their house. But Caleb dreams of venturing beyond their ordinary small town. He wants more and more, and a new "older" Styx Malone, a neighbor on the other side of the woods, seems well able to take him there. He promises the brothers that together, the three of them can pull off the Great Escalator Trade–exchanging one small thing for something better until they achieve their wildest dream, a moped. The boys are eleven and ten, and in today's world, at least in the city, it's hard to imagine the freedom they do have. But they are African-American, their dad wants to keep them safely staying in their ordinary small-town world. Caleb, especially, has other grander ideas. But as the trades get bigger, the brothers soon find themselves in over their heads. Kekla Magoon knows her characters, shows us readers hints that make the story more complex than can be imagined. Caleb tells the story and early in the beginning adventure thinks: "I had more questions for Styx. A hundred more. A thousand more. All the questions that the world might answer between the time a person is ten and the time he becomes sixteen." Styx has secrets–secrets so big they could ruin everything.
And so the tension rises, though the reader is given a break now and then to take a deep breath. Styx at one point shows the boys how to slow down, to feel the summer. Caleb closes his eyes and thinks, "The moment felt like Saturday, like summer heat, like adventure. It felt as big as the sky above us and as firm as the ground beneath. It felt like the soft swish of corn tassels and being one step closer to an impossible dream." One feels the allure Styx offers and the yearning for anything but ordinary. That's what Styx show these young boys, although what happens is not what Caleb imagines will happen, but perhaps something better. It's a wonderful story of friendship, loyalty and some heartache mixed in, too.
And so the tension rises, though the reader is given a break now and then to take a deep breath. Styx at one point shows the boys how to slow down, to feel the summer. Caleb closes his eyes and thinks, "The moment felt like Saturday, like summer heat, like adventure. It felt as big as the sky above us and as firm as the ground beneath. It felt like the soft swish of corn tassels and being one step closer to an impossible dream." One feels the allure Styx offers and the yearning for anything but ordinary. That's what Styx show these young boys, although what happens is not what Caleb imagines will happen, but perhaps something better. It's a wonderful story of friendship, loyalty and some heartache mixed in, too.
July 28, 2021
This is a great summertime read. Full of nuance and complexities, I only have two complaints. One, that I can't remember how old Caleb and Bobby Gene are. Styx is sixteen, so the other two can't be that much younger, but they seem like it. The comfort and stability of their home life (as compared to Styx's foster situation) adds to their young-seeming natures. Nothing about this age dynamic was wrong, I just found myself spending a lot of time wondering about it and I found it distracting.
Secondly, I found it infuriating that Caleb and Bobby Gene were not allowed to speak to Mr. Pike. It seemed like so much could have been cleared up in that moment if they were honest, but they weren't even given the opportunity. It seemed like everyone was being deliberately obtuse. Why was Mr. Pike making a big deal of this if he knew Styx? Why would their dad take it upon himself to call CPS if he wasn't the victim of the theft? It just seemed like a moment made for revelations, but instead it left everyone open to further misunderstanding.
I had a lot of respect for Caleb and Bobby Gene's mom. The moment when she made the promise to go back to the hospital, but we all know it's just a ploy to get the kids out of the hospital, and then the following morning when she has to admit it.... let's just say I've been there. On a low-key, much younger child level, but I've definitely made promises (or even just suggestions) that are not really going to happen. I've tried to learn from those mistakes, but that's a hard lesson.
Great realistic fiction that encapsulates the complexities of kids. Offers plenty of discussable/thinkable moments about ethical behavior, parenting restrictions, and what makes a good friend.
Secondly, I found it infuriating that Caleb and Bobby Gene were not allowed to speak to Mr. Pike. It seemed like so much could have been cleared up in that moment if they were honest, but they weren't even given the opportunity. It seemed like everyone was being deliberately obtuse. Why was Mr. Pike making a big deal of this if he knew Styx? Why would their dad take it upon himself to call CPS if he wasn't the victim of the theft? It just seemed like a moment made for revelations, but instead it left everyone open to further misunderstanding.
I had a lot of respect for Caleb and Bobby Gene's mom. The moment when she made the promise to go back to the hospital, but we all know it's just a ploy to get the kids out of the hospital, and then the following morning when she has to admit it.... let's just say I've been there. On a low-key, much younger child level, but I've definitely made promises (or even just suggestions) that are not really going to happen. I've tried to learn from those mistakes, but that's a hard lesson.
Great realistic fiction that encapsulates the complexities of kids. Offers plenty of discussable/thinkable moments about ethical behavior, parenting restrictions, and what makes a good friend.
November 27, 2023
I just loved it. I could tell from early on how things were going to end, but the journey to getting there was great. There's a hidden dual perspective here, you definitely see from the kids' perspective, Caleb in particular, but also from the parents' when they realize Styx needs love but guidance. I thought the boys trying to sell their sister to the neighborhood used-to-be bully was super funny too. The foreshadowing is well-thought-out here, and it cooks until the bread of the finale is fully-baked.
Also, I enjoyed the whole cast of characters, especially Caleb. He wants to be more, to be special and cool. His dad is fine with constricting his sons to their little town and not letting them explore. When Caleb meets Styx, the older boy immediately becomes like his idol.
My only nitpick is the slang. Fo shizzle, off the hook, etc are used, and it left me thinking what time period is this? But the book references Steven Universe which is fairly recent. I know the boys are country and Styx favors old-timey talk, but the slang was too dated.
;__;
Also, I enjoyed the whole cast of characters, especially Caleb. He wants to be more, to be special and cool. His dad is fine with constricting his sons to their little town and not letting them explore. When Caleb meets Styx, the older boy immediately becomes like his idol.
My only nitpick is the slang. Fo shizzle, off the hook, etc are used, and it left me thinking what time period is this? But the book references Steven Universe which is fairly recent. I know the boys are country and Styx favors old-timey talk, but the slang was too dated.
;__;
March 3, 2019
Rationale
For this assessment I chose to have two of the main characters exchange letters to each other. Styx has such a unique character. He appears to be a smooth, cool person that anyone would love to be friends with. However, as a foster kid, his background has definitely shaped him into who he is, an independent, daredevil, drifter who is easy going, not caring about anything that happens to him. Caleb Franklin lived in the town of Sutton Indiana. His father warned him to not venture from their small town where acceptance of African Americans had become better. Caleb just wants to be anything but ordinary and is well reserved. So, when he meets Styx, his world is turned upside down. It’s everything he craves in his boring, ordinary life. I felt these letters would help explain the events that happen in this story. Styx and Caleb differ in their upbringing. Many times exposure to literacy shapes one’s attitude towards books. Donalyn Miller focuses on the importance of student surveys in her book, The Book Whisperer. She says, “Teachers frequently use interest surveys to get to know their students. I analyze these surveys for information that will help me encourage my students to read (Miller, 2007).” What a valuable lesson as it pertains to the very different character in these two boys in The Season of Styx Malone. “Their needs as readers, as people, call to me from the pages of those surveys, and I whisper back with books (Miller, 2007).”
Letters from characters
Styx,
I’m grounded from ever seeing you again, and all I keep playing in my head is the last time I saw you. You were twisted in a pool of blood and the moped that we spent all summer working to get was mangled. But none of that mattered. The only thing I could care about was if you were going to be ok. I thought you were dead as they lifted you into the ambulance. I kept recalling all of our memories in my head. The first time I met you, my dad’s voice was ringing in my head, “You’re just like everyone else. Don’t let them tell you different.” But you taught me so much more this summer! I can be whoever I want to be…you taught me that. But I think our friendship taught you some things too. When we first ran into each other in the woods, “our backyard,” you thought we were sneaking up on you and I think Bobby would agree, you were scared we were threatening your territory. To think that one bag of fireworks started our friendship and caused your curiosity to not strangle Bobby is crazy to think about! My parents doubted you, they didn’t want us hanging around you. I could see in their eyes that you were a “bad influence” on us. But Bobby and I knew better. You were special, different than anyone else, unique. I know your business card read, “Anything Man,” but it sold me. From the minute I met you I was all in on Styx Malone. I don’t know what I can’t believe more, that we agreed to try and pull off the escalator plan or that we actually succeeded in doing so. It sounded too good to be true. But I knew if we did pull it off, I would prove I was far from ordinary. The plan seemed simple, to keep trading up until you got what you wanted. But how! When you speak you amaze me with the confidence and swagger that anyone would love to have. Your bargaining skills excite me. I can’t believe how you can read people. I don’t know if that’s a skill I will ever be able to acquire but its’ amazing. You’re always thinking ahead. To think that we went from 1 bag of fireworks, to a riding lawn mower, WITH NO MOTOR, to Harley Davidson memorabilia, to the Grasshopper Moped! It’s crazy! And if I would have never met you, it wouldn’t have happened. I can just see you that candy cigarette hanging out of your mouth! The adventures we shared this summer, fishing, hanging out, making deals, smores in the backyard, jumping on and off trains to get that motor! Memories I will cherish forever..
But then I doubted you, and I’m sorry. I was torn between what I was taught and what you had to offer that no one else ever could. I never should have called Marcus Pike, but I had to know if you stole the motor. Funny thing is, even though I regret it now, it led Marcus back to you and now you get to have a dad that loves you and cares about you. I think in the end, it all worked out and my parents are coming around, seeing what we saw all along. I’m so glad you were my friend. It is a summer I will never forget!
Your extraordinary friend,
Caleb Franklin
Caleb,
I’m sitting at my new home and I’m looking back at the summer I got to share with you and Bobby, and even Cory, and I have to say you have taught me so much. I’ve always been a drifter. I keep everything I need in 1 backpack so that if I ever have to jam, I’m ready. A few clothes, a toothbrush, candy cigarettes, and my stuffed frog. The only thing so far that has brought me comfort. I have been convinced my whole life that no one has ever loved me or cared about me. I couldn’t wait to get out of this town! I could make it on my own, no problem! And although I think that is still true, I would have managed; nothing compares to the life you have led me to. I hate how I left things before the accident because the truth is, I was ready to not get too attached. Haven’t ever been attached to no one! But man, we had some good times this summer. I have to say I had my doubts about the plan to get the grasshopper, but I knew there was a way, just didn’t know how long it would take.
I’m glad I decided to give old man Pike a second chance. I shouldn’t have given up on him. Thanks for showing me about what matters in life, family and friends. Your family is great! And thanks to you, I now have experienced smores. Yum! It makes me think of Pixie though. I will stay in touch with her because she’s my sister. Probably the closest thing to family I ever let in. I don’t know why I’m short for words. I can always talk my way out of anything and can talk to anyone. I guess that shows how close of a friend you became this summer. You taught me more than you’ll ever know. I’m not too far away, so now that I know you know how to jump on a train you can come visit anytime. We will need to start working on our next escalator trade, to get you a better way to travel than just that bike. You’ll be old enough for a car before you know it. Maybe it will take us just that long to work our way to it. Thanks for the memories bud.
Your friend,
Stix
Magoon, K. (2018). The season of Styx Malone. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books.
Miller, D., & Anderson, J. (2011). The book whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. New York, NY: Scholastic.
For this assessment I chose to have two of the main characters exchange letters to each other. Styx has such a unique character. He appears to be a smooth, cool person that anyone would love to be friends with. However, as a foster kid, his background has definitely shaped him into who he is, an independent, daredevil, drifter who is easy going, not caring about anything that happens to him. Caleb Franklin lived in the town of Sutton Indiana. His father warned him to not venture from their small town where acceptance of African Americans had become better. Caleb just wants to be anything but ordinary and is well reserved. So, when he meets Styx, his world is turned upside down. It’s everything he craves in his boring, ordinary life. I felt these letters would help explain the events that happen in this story. Styx and Caleb differ in their upbringing. Many times exposure to literacy shapes one’s attitude towards books. Donalyn Miller focuses on the importance of student surveys in her book, The Book Whisperer. She says, “Teachers frequently use interest surveys to get to know their students. I analyze these surveys for information that will help me encourage my students to read (Miller, 2007).” What a valuable lesson as it pertains to the very different character in these two boys in The Season of Styx Malone. “Their needs as readers, as people, call to me from the pages of those surveys, and I whisper back with books (Miller, 2007).”
Letters from characters
Styx,
I’m grounded from ever seeing you again, and all I keep playing in my head is the last time I saw you. You were twisted in a pool of blood and the moped that we spent all summer working to get was mangled. But none of that mattered. The only thing I could care about was if you were going to be ok. I thought you were dead as they lifted you into the ambulance. I kept recalling all of our memories in my head. The first time I met you, my dad’s voice was ringing in my head, “You’re just like everyone else. Don’t let them tell you different.” But you taught me so much more this summer! I can be whoever I want to be…you taught me that. But I think our friendship taught you some things too. When we first ran into each other in the woods, “our backyard,” you thought we were sneaking up on you and I think Bobby would agree, you were scared we were threatening your territory. To think that one bag of fireworks started our friendship and caused your curiosity to not strangle Bobby is crazy to think about! My parents doubted you, they didn’t want us hanging around you. I could see in their eyes that you were a “bad influence” on us. But Bobby and I knew better. You were special, different than anyone else, unique. I know your business card read, “Anything Man,” but it sold me. From the minute I met you I was all in on Styx Malone. I don’t know what I can’t believe more, that we agreed to try and pull off the escalator plan or that we actually succeeded in doing so. It sounded too good to be true. But I knew if we did pull it off, I would prove I was far from ordinary. The plan seemed simple, to keep trading up until you got what you wanted. But how! When you speak you amaze me with the confidence and swagger that anyone would love to have. Your bargaining skills excite me. I can’t believe how you can read people. I don’t know if that’s a skill I will ever be able to acquire but its’ amazing. You’re always thinking ahead. To think that we went from 1 bag of fireworks, to a riding lawn mower, WITH NO MOTOR, to Harley Davidson memorabilia, to the Grasshopper Moped! It’s crazy! And if I would have never met you, it wouldn’t have happened. I can just see you that candy cigarette hanging out of your mouth! The adventures we shared this summer, fishing, hanging out, making deals, smores in the backyard, jumping on and off trains to get that motor! Memories I will cherish forever..
But then I doubted you, and I’m sorry. I was torn between what I was taught and what you had to offer that no one else ever could. I never should have called Marcus Pike, but I had to know if you stole the motor. Funny thing is, even though I regret it now, it led Marcus back to you and now you get to have a dad that loves you and cares about you. I think in the end, it all worked out and my parents are coming around, seeing what we saw all along. I’m so glad you were my friend. It is a summer I will never forget!
Your extraordinary friend,
Caleb Franklin
Caleb,
I’m sitting at my new home and I’m looking back at the summer I got to share with you and Bobby, and even Cory, and I have to say you have taught me so much. I’ve always been a drifter. I keep everything I need in 1 backpack so that if I ever have to jam, I’m ready. A few clothes, a toothbrush, candy cigarettes, and my stuffed frog. The only thing so far that has brought me comfort. I have been convinced my whole life that no one has ever loved me or cared about me. I couldn’t wait to get out of this town! I could make it on my own, no problem! And although I think that is still true, I would have managed; nothing compares to the life you have led me to. I hate how I left things before the accident because the truth is, I was ready to not get too attached. Haven’t ever been attached to no one! But man, we had some good times this summer. I have to say I had my doubts about the plan to get the grasshopper, but I knew there was a way, just didn’t know how long it would take.
I’m glad I decided to give old man Pike a second chance. I shouldn’t have given up on him. Thanks for showing me about what matters in life, family and friends. Your family is great! And thanks to you, I now have experienced smores. Yum! It makes me think of Pixie though. I will stay in touch with her because she’s my sister. Probably the closest thing to family I ever let in. I don’t know why I’m short for words. I can always talk my way out of anything and can talk to anyone. I guess that shows how close of a friend you became this summer. You taught me more than you’ll ever know. I’m not too far away, so now that I know you know how to jump on a train you can come visit anytime. We will need to start working on our next escalator trade, to get you a better way to travel than just that bike. You’ll be old enough for a car before you know it. Maybe it will take us just that long to work our way to it. Thanks for the memories bud.
Your friend,
Stix
Magoon, K. (2018). The season of Styx Malone. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books.
Miller, D., & Anderson, J. (2011). The book whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. New York, NY: Scholastic.
October 7, 2018
@Kidlitexchange #partner - I received a copy of this book from the Kidlitexchange network in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Releases 10/16/18
Caleb and Bobby Gene Franklin's ordinary lives and very ordinary Summer got shaken up and turned upside down the day they literally ran into Stix Malone.
Where do I start with raving about this book? The Franklin boys had me laughing to tears from page one. So much so that my husband looked at me funny which then prompted my sharing of a few lines with him. Guess what he did? He laughed too.
Styx took the boys on a wild and very much daring adventure that had me gasping throughout the book and teary eyed at the end. I loved how the seriousness in some parts was balanced with comic relief in other parts. I want to re-read it this again even though I just finished it and will make sure I ask my Library to order copies.
This is an excellent read that I highly recommend you put on your radar.
Releases 10/16/18
Caleb and Bobby Gene Franklin's ordinary lives and very ordinary Summer got shaken up and turned upside down the day they literally ran into Stix Malone.
Where do I start with raving about this book? The Franklin boys had me laughing to tears from page one. So much so that my husband looked at me funny which then prompted my sharing of a few lines with him. Guess what he did? He laughed too.
Styx took the boys on a wild and very much daring adventure that had me gasping throughout the book and teary eyed at the end. I loved how the seriousness in some parts was balanced with comic relief in other parts. I want to re-read it this again even though I just finished it and will make sure I ask my Library to order copies.
This is an excellent read that I highly recommend you put on your radar.
January 28, 2019
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I think it is a good book that has interesting characters ( here's looking at you Styx), and an interesting plot, but I felt the book had pacing issues and left a lot of questions unanswered.
Spoiler for unexplored Plot
For instance, why does Caleb and Bobby Genes dad never want them to leave the town? I thought there would be an emotional talk between a father and his sons but it never happened. Their father just said they were ordinary and didn't need to leave town. The book references that the dad use to take them to the town but then stopped. But, no reason is given.
What exactly happened between Styx and his former family? The book explains it as a fault in the foster system but nothing is really explained.
Spoiler for unexplored Plot
For instance, why does Caleb and Bobby Genes dad never want them to leave the town? I thought there would be an emotional talk between a father and his sons but it never happened. Their father just said they were ordinary and didn't need to leave town. The book references that the dad use to take them to the town but then stopped. But, no reason is given.
What exactly happened between Styx and his former family? The book explains it as a fault in the foster system but nothing is really explained.
August 27, 2018
I both loved and admired this book. The exquisite writing (how does she do that?) propels an emotionally charged (yet not too sentimental) story about a friendship between two brothers, Caleb and Bobby Gene, and the mysterious and bewitching character Styx. Magoon writes so convincingly from the point of view of a teenage boy, capturing the tension between needing independence from parents while respecting them. There are so many themes here, making this a great choice for a book discussion. I'm glad to see Kekla Magoon (known for her YA books) writing (or being marketed to) an upper-elementary audience. (Read ARC on NetGalley). Extra-ordinary!!
July 30, 2020
I read this book aloud to a group of fifth grade girls as part of our community reading program. I thought that the book contained valuable lessons such as: how to be a friend, what it means to be an honest person, what to do when a friend does something dishonest (or illegal), and how to make sure your friends and family know you care. That being said, I felt that the pacing was a bit slow and didn’t keep the students’ interest very well. I think this book would be better to read on an individual basis as opposed to a read-aloud.
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