*Shortlisted

Review by Mia, Riverside School 
Personally, Black Star is an amazing book about a young black girl wanting to explore the world of professional baseball while living in the south of America in the 1920s. For me, this book highlights racism and misogyny during that period but also teaches the concept of resilience overcoming your problems. I invested my time in reading the story because I can relate to the experiences that Charley faces but the character, I found the most interesting is Nana Kofi who is Charley’s grandfather this is because despite his health problems he spends as much time with his family as he can always telling stories about his life back home in Ghana. 

The thought-provoking plot forced me to think about how life in 1920s would be like for me, also teaching me that there were associations that tried to fund trips to bring people back to their home countries which needed regular meetings displayed so in the book. A main observation I made was the cultural differences that were less than welcomed in the 1900s compared to now where we embrace those with unfamiliar cultures to ourselves. What I did not like about the book though was the structure and format which was more like continuous poems that were all monologues because it confused me. But this confusion led me to think more and analyse the book deeper which I felt further connected me to the story.  

Review by Sabine, St. Peter’s Catholic School 
Kwame Alexander’s Black Star is a brilliant sequel to The Door of No Return, filled with vivid imagery of Jones Mill, the segregated community in Virgina which protagonist Charley lives in. Alexander has an ingenious way of painting a scene in the reader’s head with careful, curated words – it felt like I was there with Charley in every moment, during Sunday Mass, listening to Nana Kofi’s stories or playing baseball with her friends Cool Willie Green and Socks. Alexander’s writing style of verse novels makes reading fast-paced and thrilling, whilst also allowing you to slow down, take in the minute details which builds the world of Charley around you without boring the reader. 

The characters are memorable and heartwarming, like Nana Kofi’s calming presence or Gwen’s booming voice. Alexander does all these things whilst also addressing the racial conflict of the 20’s in America, and the struggles it brings to Charley’s community. After reading this, I am intrigued to learn more about the difficulties at the time. The ending is a true tear-jerker, and I hope anyone else who reads this enjoys it as much as I have. Overall, Alexander’s work is spellbinding and definitely award-worthy!  

Review by Paige, Thomas Telford School 
I really liked the book Black Star. It taught me about a different view of history I didn’t know much about before. I really enjoyed the plot and how well written the book was. It made it a more enjoyable way of learning history. I found that I was much more interested in this book than other books similar so I would definitely recommend it other students that are interested in this type of history. This book made me want to understand the side of history that isn’t always taught in schools.