Black Star

Gr 5 Up–This sequel to The Door of No Return follows the childhood of Kofi’s granddaughter and is set in the time of Marcus Garvey, the Harlem Renaissance, Negro League baseball, and the Great Migration. Charley has a close relationship with her grandfather and loves hearing stories about his past in Africa. She also loves baseball and plays with her friends. A young Black girl, she dreams of being a pitcher at a time when there were no women playing professional baseball. As in the first novel, readers are presented with a main character with a rich and joyful life. One day, Charley and her friends decide to play baseball at the park on the “other side” of their segregated town. This decision has consequences for Charley, her family, and her neighbors. As with the first volume, the ending comes quickly and does not explore the aftermath, which will clearly be a Great Migration story. It seems likely the culmination of this trilogy might be a Civil Rights–era story featuring Charley’s descendants accompanied by her accounting of her experiences during the Great Migration. The multigenerational nature of these stories makes them unique, the verse format is accessible, and the references to historical events of the time provides a wealth of opportunities for classroom use.