Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Starred Review Cool Papa Byrd and the blues: the two are intertwined for Clayton, and gigs with Papa's band, the Bluesmen, are their special excursions. His mother, Papa's daughter, doesn't know, because she hates the blues, and Clayton sometimes thinks she hates her father. One night, Cool Papa dies sitting in his chair, and it's up to the boy to figure out how to live life without him d still keep the music close. Williams-Garcia's books always go deep inside the souls of their characters, but this one also digs down to find their anger. After her father's death, Ms. Byrd gets rid of all Cool Papa's things, even his beloved guitars, despite Clayton's anguish. The furious boy decides to take his blues harp and run away to find the Bluesmen. What he finds instead is a group of wild kids on the subway, beatboxing their way into a few coins and trouble, pulling him along. With the precision of a surgeon, Williams-Garcia lifts and examines layers of Clayton's hurt and anger: the loss, but also the inability of his dismissive mother to understand. Yet the book also smartly looks at Ms. Byrd's anger toward a father whose affection for music outdid his affection for her. The book's through line, though, is the music, and Williams-Garcia skillfully finds melody in words.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

An African-American youngster is happiest when he can play his harmonica with his bluesman grandfather until tragedy removes the music from his life.Clayton Byrd idolizes his grandfather, a popular bluesman. But his mother disapproves of her father's music and of Clayton's joining Cool Papa Byrd and other bluesmen in the park. Clayton's father tries to make a place in his life, but the things he likes to do cannot compare to the music. When Cool Papa Byrd dies suddenly, Clayton's pain is almost unbearable, made worse when his mother gets rid of the records and instruments that Clayton expected would be his way of maintaining that special connection. School becomes as difficult as home, and counseling with the church pastor doesn't help. Hoping to find a place with the remaining bluesmen, he meets up with a group of street boys making their way with beat music and dance. When he plays his harmonica and the crowd responds, the boys form an uneasy alliance that is threatened when the police intervene. Clayton's love of his grandfather and his music is wonderfully drawn, as is his grief when he loses them. His mother's unresolved issues with her own childhood inform the story appropriately for young readers. The conjunction of two African-American music genres, both born of struggle, is a colorful backdrop for this lively story. Strong characterizations and vivid musical scenes add layers to this warm family story. (Fiction. 8-12)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Mon May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Gr 4-6Clayton Byrd has some complicated relationships in his family. His strict, demanding mother refuses to marry his father, but allows him to be a presence in Clayton's life. Clayton adores his grandfather, "Cool Papa," though his mother does not. Cool Papa nurtures Clayton in many wayscooking his favorite foods, reading to him each night, and teaching him the harmonica and the blues. He's allowed to tag along with Cool Papa when he and his band, the Bluesmen, busk in Washington Square Park. When Cool Papa dies unexpectedly, in a scene that is understated and heartbreaking, Clayton is devastated. His mother not only sends Clayton back to school too soon but sells or gives away all of Cool Papa's belongings, some of which were promised to Clayton. School becomes complicated when Clayton is assigned to read the very book that Cool Papa read to him every night. Clayton's plea for another book is ignored. When his frustration and grief become overwhelming, he cuts school and takes the subway, intent on finding and joining the Bluesmen. Williams-Garcia packs a lot of story in this slim book. Clayton's an appealing character, and his anger and loss are palpable. The neighborhood scenes are so vivid, one does not need to be a denizen of New York City to appreciate them. VERDICT This complex tale of family and forgiveness has heart. A first purchase.Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Horn Book

When his grandfather, Cool Papa, dies suddenly, Clayton Bryd decides to run away and join Cool Papa's band--but he has to take the subway to find the remaining members. He spends a good portion of the book in the underworld of the NYC subway system, meeting interesting characters and performing. An appealing, realistic story with frequent elegant turns of phrase. An author's note outlines the history of the blues.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

An African-American youngster is happiest when he can play his harmonica with his bluesman grandfather until tragedy removes the music from his life.Clayton Byrd idolizes his grandfather, a popular bluesman. But his mother disapproves of her father's music and of Clayton's joining Cool Papa Byrd and other bluesmen in the park. Clayton's father tries to make a place in his life, but the things he likes to do cannot compare to the music. When Cool Papa Byrd dies suddenly, Clayton's pain is almost unbearable, made worse when his mother gets rid of the records and instruments that Clayton expected would be his way of maintaining that special connection. School becomes as difficult as home, and counseling with the church pastor doesn't help. Hoping to find a place with the remaining bluesmen, he meets up with a group of street boys making their way with beat music and dance. When he plays his harmonica and the crowd responds, the boys form an uneasy alliance that is threatened when the police intervene. Clayton's love of his grandfather and his music is wonderfully drawn, as is his grief when he loses them. His mother's unresolved issues with her own childhood inform the story appropriately for young readers. The conjunction of two African-American music genres, both born of struggle, is a colorful backdrop for this lively story. Strong characterizations and vivid musical scenes add layers to this warm family story. (Fiction. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This slim novel strikes a strong chord. Clayton Byrd revels in playing the blues harp (harmonica) with his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd, and other blues musicians in New York City-s Washington Square Park, and he longs to play his own solo: -Twelve bars. That was all.- Cool Papa is Clayton-s favorite relative and ally, and his sudden death throws Clayton into an emotional spiral, especially as his mother-s unresolved feelings toward her father cause her to sell off his possessions. Newbery Honor-winner Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer) creates a memorable cast and sketches complex, nuanced relationships, especially between Clayton and his mother, contrasting Clayton-s closeness with his grandfather to the complicated absence of Clayton-s own father. Clayton-s grief causes dustups at school and church, and the stakes and tension rise considerably as Clayton meets a band of teenage subway performers, who get him to join their show then steal his grandfather-s treasured hat. It-s a holistic portrait of a family in pain, a realistic portrait of grief and reconciliation, and a reminder that sadness and loss are wrapped up in the blues. Ages 8-12. (May)