“Woosh, Woosh…” What image comes to mind when you hear that sound? A basketball going through a hoop? Skis racing down a hill? A foil (fancy word for sword) swinging through the air on the way to touching an opponent? Yeah…me neither. Until today. Ms. Parker Rhodes’s book enveloped me in the world of fencing. Not the fancy, uppity world of fencing. But the real and honest world. I learned so many things about the sport, the history of swordsmanship, the whitewashing of stories like The Three Muskateers and The Count of Monte Cristo, along with falling in love with Donte and his cast of supporting characters. I cannot wait to share this book with all the kids who need it!
Sometimes, 12-year-old Donte wishes he were invisible. As one of the few black boys at Middlefield Prep, most of the students don’t look like him. They don’t like him either. Dubbing him “Black Brother,” Donte’s teachers and classmates make it clear they wish he were more like his lighter-skinned brother, Trey.
When he’s bullied and framed by the captain of the fencing team, “King” Alan, he’s suspended from school and arrested.
Terrified, searching for a place where he belongs, Donte joins a local youth center and meets former Olympic fencer Arden Jones. With Arden’s help, he begins training as a competitive fencer, setting his sights on taking down the fencing team captain, no matter what.
As Donte hones his fencing skills and grows closer to achieving his goal, he learns the fight for justice is far from over. Now Donte must confront his bullies, racism, and the corrupt systems of power that led to his arrest.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Amazon
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