What Lane?

What Lane?

By Torrey Maldonado

Book Quote:

"Last year, I got [the bracelet] on a school trip to a Barclay Center basketball game.
There, this player Marshall Carter, nicknamed MC, was on that next level.
He kept scoring - any way he wanted.  Everyone else had a lane...Marshall was wavy in every lane....
I want to be that: in every lane, have no lane."

Booktalk:

Library Cat Rating:  😺 😺 😺

Review:
    Stephen has committed to living a life that is defined by no-one.  Even though he's not great at basketball he's going to be like Marshall Carter, an NBA player on the "next level" who plays in "every lane."  Sounds like an awesome goal right?  The problem is the rules seem to be changing in the game of Stephen's life.  Readers follow Stephen as he navigates a world that is suddenly more suspicious of him.  Stephen is mixed race, but as his Dad reminds him, there are a lot of people in the world who will look at him and only see black.  His best friend Dan is white and Stephen has to start thinking twice about jumping in a lane with Dan and his other white friends because sometimes the consequences are different for him.  This is complicated by the fact that Dan doesn't always see this and sometimes it's hard for Stephen to explain.  Navigating friendships while growing up is hard for anyone and this is book explores additional complications.  Stephen shows a great awareness of various challenges as his current friendships evolve, he adds new friends, and navigates bullies.  Get inside his head as he thinks through various situations and doesn't always make the right choice, but is constantly learning and growing.

    VERDICT I enjoyed reading this book.  I think it is well written and very accessible with many contemporary cultural references.  Stephen is likable and relatable for readers.  He brings an important voice to the experiences and challenges facing black and brown boys specifically.  This book will be a good starting point for difficult conversations surrounding racism, the Black Lives Matter movement, friendship, and growing up.  

Citation:

Maldonado, Torrey.  (2020).  What Lane?  New York, NY:  Penguin Young Readers Group.  

Annotation:
Stephen is a sixth grader living in Brooklyn, New York and this year his life has started to get more complicated.  Stephen is mixed race with a black father and white mother.  After a growth spurt, he's noticed that the rules of society seem to be changing for him.  He will need to learn to navigate difficult situations and find out which friends really have his back.

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Extras:

To learn more about the author, visit Torrey Moldando's website here.