Beautifully written, but not very satisfying. I'm torn.

I did feel very strongly about one thing. Clayton's mother was *so* frustrating. You can tell she's trying to be a perfect mother, but to me it seemed like she did everything wrong. She didn't respect Clayton's relationship with Cool Papa. It was like she was trying to make Clayton's grieving process more difficult. And then she treated Clayton's falling-asleep-in-school problem like a flaw in Clayton's character. The woman drove me crazy. I wanted to feel sympathy for her because we know her backstory. We know Cool Papa was not a great father to her. We know she works long hours as a nurse and doesn't accept much help from Clayton's dad. Still. There were opportunities for her to figure out what was really going on with Clayton and she never took them.

One thing I caught was that Clayton's mom calls him "Angel" and he plays the blues "harp." Maybe we're meant to see Clayton as an angelic kid who is driven "underground" by Cool Papa's death and the aftermath. A good kid who almost goes really wrong. Because Clayton goes underground, he meets the Beat boys and sees what it would be like to not have his hardworking, well-meaning mother. Even with her flaws.

To me, the story ended a bit too soon. It felt unfinished. But there's a lot of good stuff about family dynamics and what *not* to do when a kid loses someone close to them (I'm looking at you, Ms. Byrd). ( )

This is a difficult book -- there's so much harshness and broken-heartedness between characters, and so much creative and interesting music. Good depiction of family dynamics, but still very sad to read. ( )

Clayton lives with his mom and his blues-man grandfather who he idolizes. His dream is to play a harmonica solo with his grandfathers group on stage one day. Meanwhile his relationship with his mother is strained and he doesn't feel like she understands who he is as a musician and a person. When Clayton experiences loss he leaves home, hoping to fulfill his own dreams. ( )

Digital audiobook performed by Adam Lazarre-White.
4.5****

From the book jacket: When, Cool Papa, when? That’s what Clayton Byrd is always asking his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd. When does he get a solo to show off his talent on the blues harp? Clayton feels most alive when he’s with Cool Papa Byrd and the Bluesmen, playing the music he feels in his bones. But then the unexpected happens. Cool Papa Byrd dies. Clayton’s mother forbids him from playing the blues. For Clayton, that’s no way to live. Armed with his grandfather’s porkpie hat and his blues harp, he runs away from home and to the New York City subways in search of the Bluesmen, hoping he can join them on the road.

My reactions:
This was wonderful on so many levels. First on a purely superficial level, I loved the lesson in blues history that Williams-Garcia has given to young readers, introducing them to historic figures in the development of this uniquely American music.

Secondly, I loved the relationship between Clayton and his grandfather. The respect and love between them was palpable, even after Cool Papa has died, you can feel the deep connection they had and Clayton remembers some of the lessons his grandfather imparted, which help him when he’s “underground.”

Third, I really liked that Williams-Garcia did NOT paint a rosy picture of Clayton’s “adventure” as he ran away. He was in real danger and he suffered some consequences of his inexperience, rashness and youth. On the other hand, he also showed himself to be an astute observer, a clever negotiator, and he had the kind of determination and grit that will see him through on his life’s journey.

And I loved the way in which this wrapped up. The apologies and understandings that Clayton, his mother and his father came to, by really talking about what was important and putting aside some of their own hurt to help one another through this terrible grief.

Adam Lazarre-White does a marvelous job of performing the audiobook. I love his deep bass voice for Cool Papa and Clayton’s dad. I would have liked a little blues music underscore, but that’s not enough to deter me from listening again or re-reading the text. ( )

I found this novel to be delightful, with plenty of meaty subjects to engage kids in discussions. A great choice for classroom libraries! ( )