THE RULE OF THREE

A biracial Minnesota seventh grader’s baseball dreams are derailed by racism.

Among other Black-positive values instilled in him and his sister, Wyatt Cash and his family (his white mom included) speak Swahili at home, largely because of his father’s complicated upbringing in a real-life Afrocentric community that was tragically bombed by the Philadelphia police in 1985. While his dad isn’t forthcoming about his past, Wyatt recognizes that the way his dad handles anxiety and stress—by manifesting plumes of mysterious smoke—may be connected to it. When smoke starts coming out of Wyatt’s hands, too, he learns it’s a family thing, just as the racist microaggressions he’s experiencing from his teammates, coach, so-called friends, and school officials mirror anti-Black prejudices his family has faced for generations. A remarkable counselor, unfazed by these supernatural symptoms, thoughtfully explains that epigenetics can intersect with racialized trauma, and work must be done to resolve this legacy. The story’s rich fabulism and scientific grounding don’t soften how truly difficult it is to witness Wyatt’s being broken by bigotry; the bookish student-athlete’s dreams are deferred and his personality changed by grinning white supremacists. The optimistic conclusion may not compensate for how disheartening and triggering the series of hate crimes faced by this tween are. Still, Wyatt has a strong family, and some key friendships eventually see some much-needed growth.

A would-be star athlete faces bullying and racism in this traumatic story that’s given an optimistic spin.