Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist

Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2023. 9780593429136






Rating:  1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 3.5



Format : Hardcover



Genre :  Novel in verse



What did you like about the book? Eb (Ebony) and Flow (De’Kari) get into a fight in the cafeteria. Fists are thrown and feelings are hurt. Both seventh graders receive a two-week suspension. The book takes place during those days at home, while the kids deal with family, boredom and worry about the future. Eb and Flow have more in common than they know, and their commonalities are revealed to the reader in the alternate voice verses. Both are good students who deal with the anger and grief of missing parents and complicated living arrangements. Both feel like their people don’t get them: Eb feels like no one wants her; Flow feels drawn to swimming but is told, “Black folks don’t go in the water…”



The free verse uses the kids’ authentic Black slang, showing their inner dialogue. Families are loving and stressed, and despite their focus on anger, the kids’ thoughts include the typical food and friends focus of the age, which I had to laugh at. I like that the author wanted to focus on what happens in the minds of kids during a suspension. It brings up questions of the usefulness and danger of suspension, especially in a fractured family. Near the end, Eb and Flow start trash-texting each other, and we wonder how that will play out when they return to school. Will there be revenge incidents? Ultimately, they find a way to move on. It’s an easy read, and one that can make kids think about how to control their anger.



Anything you didn’t like about it? I felt it took too long for the kids to make sense of their mistakes.



To whom would you recommend this book?  For fans of Baptist’s Isaiah Dunn series, and middle graders who like realistic Black American characters



Who should buy this book?  Middle school and public libraries



Where would you shelve it ? Fiction



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No



Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Stephanie Tournas, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA



Date of review:  April 25, 2023