Rebound
by Kwame Alexander; read by Ron Butler
Intermediate, Middle School    Recorded Books    Rev. 7/18
3 CDs    3.5 hrs.    978-1-5019-4909-8    $30.75

In this prequel to Alexander’s The Crossover (rev. 5/14), twelve-year-old Charlie Bell (future father of the first book’s twin protagonists) is sent to stay with his grandparents for the summer after his own father’s sudden and devastating death. The story of Charlie’s gradual healing, newfound love of the game of basketball, and deepening friendships with his cousin Roxie and girl-back-home CJ unfolds affectingly through accessible free verse. Narrator Butler captures Charlie’s believable swings of emotion, his triumphs and failures, as he rebounds from tragedy. It’s Butler’s portrayal of Charlie’s grandfather that steals the show, however: funny, wise, loving, and tough, Granddaddy is a character listeners won’t soon forget.

From the November/December 2018 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.