A review by bibliokris
Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney
4.0
A strong book--I enjoyed the setting (1930s upstate New York, orphanage, mostly) and the backdrop of Joe Louis's fights. Gave a lot of great background about how African-Americans rallied around Joe Louis and saw his achievements as theirs--very moving.
The book was strong in presenting the sadness of the 3 orphans, and how they found each other as well as a way to survive & thrive.
I'm still mulling whether I feel this one's strong enough to win. I enjoyed it; I think there was a lot to learn & savor here, but I didn't feel the characters lived as strongly in my mind as May Amelia in Holm's latest book. May have something to do w/ 3 protagonists instead of 1...So I'm giving thought to this & haven't decided yet how I would vote if I were on the committee. Part of me feels like my winner's still out there.
The book was strong in presenting the sadness of the 3 orphans, and how they found each other as well as a way to survive & thrive.
I'm still mulling whether I feel this one's strong enough to win. I enjoyed it; I think there was a lot to learn & savor here, but I didn't feel the characters lived as strongly in my mind as May Amelia in Holm's latest book. May have something to do w/ 3 protagonists instead of 1...So I'm giving thought to this & haven't decided yet how I would vote if I were on the committee. Part of me feels like my winner's still out there.