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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Baptist, Kelly J.

Eb & Flow

224 pp. | Crown | March, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9780593429136 $16.99 | Library ISBN 9780593429143 $19.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780593429150 $9.99
(2) 4-6 Ebony (Eb) and De'Kari (Flow), both seventh graders, are suspended from school after a fight in the cafeteria that neither thinks is their fault. On the surface, this looks like a case of two unruly adolescents acting out. Flow is hurt and angry that Eb ruined the shoes his deployed father gave him; Eb says, "It was all just an accident! / Nobody was trying to mess up / his Stupid Ugly Shoes." Over the course of their two-week suspensions, both narrators have the opportunity to reflect and to rethink their actions. Are they really "bad kids," or are they just kids dealing with bad situations? This engaging verse novel reveals the complexities of their home lives, which, despite the kids' enmity, have similarities and are intertwined in surprising ways. Their alternating narratives employ authentic language and tone that give readers the opportunity to empathize with them as their stories unfold. Baptist (The Swag Is in the Socks, rev. 11/21) explores the effects of parental absence, inequitable school discipline, and social issues such as gang violence. This story will resonate with readers struggling to express their emotional lives in ways that society deems appropriate.
Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

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