Tristan Strong is feeling dejected because he lost his first real boxing match thereby failing to live up to his father's and grandfather's expectations. He is also struggling with grief because of the death of his best friend in a school bus accident. His parents decide he needs some time away, so they send him to stay with his grandparents. The first day on their farm, he wanders into a mystical forest and breaks the top bottle on a bottle tree. As a result, he gets sucked into a world where the heroes of African and African American mythology are real. He meets John Henry and Brer Rabbit. Unfortunately, when he falls into that world, he leaves a tear in the sky that allowed an evil force to come in with him. He is tasked with a quest to find Anansi the Spider God and convince him to mend the tear and defeat the evil haint.
This is part of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. It was interesting to read a book based on my own country's folklore. I think Mbalia handled the material creatively, tying into the history of enslavement through cleverly chosen, (but not terribly subtle) imagery. I could see teachers and kids really liking this one. I could also see that it might stir up some controversy. It is certainly an entertaining way to introduce children to a very difficult past. (482 p. 2019)
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