Onyx & Beyond

July 22, 2024
Black 10-year-old Onyx, who lives with his grandmother and mother, is obsessed with the moon, stones, and space travel. After Onyx’s grandmother dies, he is tasked with the responsibility of caring for his mother, who has early onset dementia. This includes cooking meals, getting himself ready for school, and making sure no one finds out about her worsening symptoms, or risk social services getting involved. Onyx then plots to steal a piece of a moon rock from the Smithsonian space exhibit (“I have to get a tiny part of this rock for Mama”), convinced that it will help his mother get her memories back. Set in the 1970s, this meandering verse novel by McBride (Gone Wolf) depicts several historical events, including the assassination of Dr. King and desegregation within public schools, and their effects on Onyx. Surreal descriptions of the protagonist’s inner thoughts—“I grew wings,” he whispers upon discovering a mural while on a walk with his mother—interspersed throughout add gentle magic to this perceptive interpretation of a child growing up with a caregiver navigating illness. Ages 8–12. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties.

Starred review from August 15, 2024
Onyx has a secret. It's 1970, and following the death of his grandmother, Onyx, a 12-year-old Black boy, is left living alone with his mother, who has early onset dementia. Fearing losing Mama, too, he keeps her condition a secret from everyone and instead vows to make sure that he keeps up the show of everything being OK at home. His days are filled with completing chores, leaving sticky notes for Mama to read when she wakes up, attending Catholic school, and catching up with his cousins and other relatives when he can. Onyx relies on the knowledge passed on to him by his grandmother to manage their Alexandria, Virginia, home--shopping for groceries and preparing simple meals for himself and his mother. As her condition begins to worsen, however, he desperately tries to find a way to help Mama get her memories back. Facing the looming threat of a home visit by social workers, Onyx takes bigger and bigger risks in his attempts to return his mother to her former self. Written in verse through the eyes of a child, the novel tackles complex topics honestly yet hopefully. As readers follow Onyx in his endeavors to help his mother, they're also given a glimpse into being a young Black boy who, for all his troubles in life, has just as many joyful moments with his family and friends. A story of perseverance and love. (author's note)(Verse historical fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 1, 2024

Gr 3-7-It's 1970. Onyx, 12, lives in Alexandria, VA, with a huge secret. His mama isn't like other moms-she sleeps during the day and has difficulty remembering certain facts, like how Onyx's gran passed away two years ago. Onyx must keep her early onset dementia a secret so they aren't separated by social services. Consequently, Onyx is self-sufficient, doing laundry and fixing meals for them both. Onyx's pops and extended family, living in Washington, D.C., don't realize how dire the situation has become. Plagued by loneliness, Onyx tries to fix things the only way he can imagine how. He draws inspiration from African folktales, where his captive ancestors grew wings to escape bondage and fly home. Can Onyx harness the inner strength to grow wings and save his mama? Or is it time to ask for help? Onyx is an empathetic, introspective kid whose actions are relatable to anyone who's had to grow up too fast. Although his feelings of isolation are palpable, his community quietly supports him. References to space travel, school desegregation, and the assassinations of Dr. King and Malcolm X firmly root the story in Onyx's time and place. Although the resolution is a bit too tidy, readers will appreciate the optimistic ending. The story is based on the life of the author's father, who grew up in Alexandria and whose mother has dementia. VERDICT A beautifully told novel in verse about family and community. Recommended for all middle grade collections.-Hannah Grasse

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2024
"I guess magic ran out / or the city burned too bright / or maybe, I guess the ancestors / in the sky had a different plan." Onyx, who is Black, carries the weight of the world on his young shoulders. At twelve, he is coping with the loss of his grandmother and is now caring for his mother, who has early-onset dementia. Onyx lives each day fearful and anxious that he will be separated from his mom and feels he has to keep her illness a secret. It's a lonely and difficult period for the boy; however, his mind is also in the clouds -- more specifically, in the stars, as his fascination with space and flying offers him a place of respite and a possible solution to his dilemma. Before her passing, Onyx's grandmother had encouraged his vivid imagination and his dreams of becoming an astronaut. Written in verse, this tender story is set in the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the subsequent uprisings, which leave an indelible impression upon the protagonist, adding to his unease and his need for safety. Onyx proves a resourceful, compassionate character whose village shows up for him and his mother and relieves him of the burdens that he has carried alone for too long. As Onyx's departed grandmother shares with him in a dream: "Kids shouldn't have to do what adults should be doing." Monique Harris

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
"I guess magic ran out / or the city burned too bright / or maybe, I guess the ancestors / in the sky had a different plan." Onyx, who is Black, carries the weight of the world on his young shoulders. At twelve, he is coping with the loss of his grandmother and is now caring for his mother, who has early-onset dementia. Onyx lives each day fearful and anxious that he will be separated from his mom and feels he has to keep her illness a secret. It's a lonely and difficult period for the boy; however, his mind is also in the clouds -- more specifically, in the stars, as his fascination with space and flying offers him a place of respite and a possible solution to his dilemma. Before her passing, Onyx's grandmother had encouraged his vivid imagination and his dreams of becoming an astronaut. Written in verse, this tender story is set in the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the subsequent uprisings, which leave an indelible impression upon the protagonist, adding to his unease and his need for safety. Onyx proves a resourceful, compassionate character whose village shows up for him and his mother and relieves him of the burdens that he has carried alone for too long. As Onyx's departed grandmother shares with him in a dream: "Kids shouldn't have to do what adults should be doing."

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 10, 2025
Grades 3-6 Just like the moon, Onyx's life is going through phases. Amidst the turmoil of the civil rights movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Onyx knows that if people find out that his mom is showing signs of early onset dementia, he won't be able to stay in his home or with his mother. Onyx is a sensitive soul who uses outer space and his rock collection to relate to the world. Although there is a lot of strife in his life, Onyx, who is Black, also has a strong support system in his family and community. An author's note explains the true events and family connections that inspired characters and events in the book. This novel in verse will pull at the heartstrings of young middle-grade readers. Pair this with Ibi Zoboi's My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich (2019) and Jaqueline Woodson's Before the Ever After (2020).

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.