A Black tween's world revolves around her love of baseball and her grandfather's stories of his African homelandCharlene Cuffey loves baseball; she was captivated after seeing a Negro Leagues game. Despite her mother's disapproval, Charley dreams of becoming the first girl to be a professional pitcher. She also loves her grandfather Nana Kofi's stories and his attempts to teach her his mother tongue of Twi. Nana Kofi was captured from his community and brought to America as a boy; later he fought in the war to end slavery. When Charley responds to a bully's taunts by challenging him to a game, she's determined to win. Unfortunately, she makes decisions that place her and her community in danger. This highly anticipated second volume in The Door of No Return trilogy reintroduces Kofi to readers as an elder, revealing how he survived, gained his freedom, established a family, and passed on his legacy of resilience to Charley. Alexander skillfully builds on the strengths of the first installment in portraying a strong sense of community and family, often in the face of capricious violence. Charley is a well-crafted character who embodies her tightknit family, her heritage, and her keen mind. The presence of real-life historical figures and events helps capture the tenor of life in segregated Virginia, while the beautifully flowing poetry contributes to the book's engaging qualities.A powerful and thoroughly satisfying blend of sports, history, family saga, and self-discovery. (author's note)(Verse historical fiction. 10-18)

Gr 5 Up— This sequel to The Door of No Return follows the childhood of Kofi's granddaughter and is set in the time of Marcus Garvey, the Harlem Renaissance, Negro League baseball, and the Great Migration. Charley has a close relationship with her grandfather and loves hearing stories about his past in Africa. She also loves baseball and plays with her friends. A young Black girl, she dreams of being a pitcher at a time when there were no women playing professional baseball. As in the first novel, readers are presented with a main character with a rich and joyful life. One day, Charley and her friends decide to play baseball at the park on the "other side" of their segregated town. This decision has consequences for Charley, her family, and her neighbors. As with the first volume, the ending comes quickly and does not explore the aftermath, which will clearly be a Great Migration story. It seems likely the culmination of this trilogy might be a Civil Rights–era story featuring Charley's descendants accompanied by her accounting of her experiences during the Great Migration. The multigenerational nature of these stories makes them unique, the verse format is accessible, and the references to historical events of the time provides a wealth of opportunities for classroom use. VERDICT A first-rate historical verse novel with opportunities for classroom extension activities.— Kristin L. Anderson

A Black tween's world revolves around her love of baseball and her grandfather's stories of his African homelandCharlene Cuffey loves baseball; she was captivated after seeing a Negro Leagues game. Despite her mother's disapproval, Charley dreams of becoming the first girl to be a professional pitcher. She also loves her grandfather Nana Kofi's stories and his attempts to teach her his mother tongue of Twi. Nana Kofi was captured from his community and brought to America as a boy; later he fought in the war to end slavery. When Charley responds to a bully's taunts by challenging him to a game, she's determined to win. Unfortunately, she makes decisions that place her and her community in danger. This highly anticipated second volume in The Door of No Return trilogy reintroduces Kofi to readers as an elder, revealing how he survived, gained his freedom, established a family, and passed on his legacy of resilience to Charley. Alexander skillfully builds on the strengths of the first installment in portraying a strong sense of community and family, often in the face of capricious violence. Charley is a well-crafted character who embodies her tightknit family, her heritage, and her keen mind. The presence of real-life historical figures and events helps capture the tenor of life in segregated Virginia, while the beautifully flowing poetry contributes to the book's engaging qualities.A powerful and thoroughly satisfying blend of sports, history, family saga, and self-discovery. (author's note)(Verse historical fiction. 10-18)