Winner, Washington State Book Award
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard
Notable Social Studies Reading List
CCBC Choices
Melvin Robinson wants a strong, smooth, He-Man voice that lets him say
what he wants, when he wants--especially to his crush Millie Takazawa,
and Gary Ratliff, who constantly puts him down. But the thought of
starting high school is only making his stutter worse.
And Melvin's growing awareness that racism is everywhere--not just in
the South where a boy his age has been brutally killed by two white men,
but also in his own hometown of Spokane--is making him realize that he
can't mutely stand by.
His new friend Lenny, a fast-talking, sax-playing Jewish boy, who lives
above the town's infamous (and segregated) Harlem Club, encourages
Melvin to take some risks--to invite Millie to Homecoming and even
audition for a local TV variety show. When they play music together,
Melvin almost feels like he's talking, no words required. But there are
times when one needs to speak up.
When his moment comes, can Melvin be as mighty on the outside as he
actually is on the inside?
P R A I S E
"Sundee Frazier once again flexes her masterful expertise in
understanding the human heart, and the insurmountable will and capacity
we have to press forward and persevere triumphantly."
--Kirkus Prize-winner Derrick Barnes
"One of those rare books I found myself reading more slowly as I got to
the final pages. I didn't want it to end."
--Newbery Award-winner Christopher Paul Curtis
★ "This powerful novel weaves strong characters into the tapestry of
civil rights, treatment of people with disabilities, fallout fear from
the war, and ever-changing cultural shifts that defined the 1950s."
--School Library Journal (starred)
★ "A well-constructed and movingly told story of a thoughtful Black boy
making his place in his family and in 1950s America."
--Publishers Weekly (starred)
"A gentle historical novel about finding your voice."
--Kirkus
