The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze
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- $159.00
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- $159.00
Descripción editorial
LONGISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • Newbery Honoree Derrick Barnes tackles timely issues of race and prejudice in this powerful, nuanced novel about an accomplished Black boy who strives to be seen for who he is.
“A novel that is empowered, empowering, and incredibly human. You won't be the same after reading it.”—Erin Entrada Kelly, two-time winner of the Newbery Medal
★ “Bold, extraordinary storytelling: not to be missed.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
In the small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, all eyes are on Henson Blayze, a thirteen-year-old football phenom whose talents seem almost superhuman. The predominately white townsfolk have been waiting for Henson to play high school ball, and now they’re overjoyed to finally possess an elite Black athlete of their own.
Until a horrifying incident forces Henson to speak out about injustice.
Until he says that he might not play football anymore.
Until he quickly learns he isn’t as loved by the people as he thought.
Overnight, Henson’s town is divided into two chaotic sides—those that support his decisions, and those that don’t—when all he wants is justice. Even his best friends and his father can’t see eye to eye. When he is told to play ball again or else, Henson must decide whether he was born to entertain those who may not even see him as human, or if he’s destined for a different kind of greatness.
Written for children ages 10 and up, Derrick Barnes’s groundbreaking novel masterfully combines a modern-day allegory with classic-style tall tales to weave a compelling story of America’s obsession with relegating Black people to labor or entertainment. Spanning the 1800s to today, this exceptional novel shows how much has changed over centuries . . . and, at the same time, how little.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Barnes (I Got You) weaves together stories of spirituality, injustice, unrealistic expectations, and police brutality into a powerful tale. Despite being in middle school, Black 13-year-old Henson Blayze is tapped to play on his Great Mountain, Miss., hometown's high school football team, prompting residents of his mostly white, sports-obsessed community to begin treating him like a celebrity. Though his father is wary of the increased scrutiny, Henson revels in the attention. Then his friend, Black fifth grader Menkha, is brutalized by state troopers, and Henson vacates the football field mid-game in response. As the townspeople's idolization sours, and as Henson and the surrounding Black communities rally around Menkha seeking justice, Henson finds himself in the middle of a citywide scandal that exposes Great Mountain's history of tokenism and systemic racism. Multilayered plotting adroitly tackles issues of racist caricature—particularly surrounding the town's misuse of Indigenous imagery—and revisionist history. Henson's indomitable first-person POV anchors the narrative, throughout which Barnes depicts a self-assured protagonist courageously coming into his own. Ages 10–up.
