Take Back the Block
RANDOM HOUSE BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, JANUARY 26, 2021
Cover Art by Richie Pope | Cover Design by Michelle Cunningham
Brand-new kicks, ripped denim shorts, royal-blue Supreme tee—Wes Henderson has the best style in sixth grade. That—and hanging out with the crew (his best friends since little kid days) and playing video games—is what Wes wants to be thinking about at the start of the school year, not the protests his parents are always dragging him to.
But when a powerful developer makes an offer to buy Kensington Oaks—the neighborhood Wes has lived in his whole life, everything changes. The grown-ups are supposed to have all the answers. But all they’re doing is arguing. Even Wes’s best friends are fighting. And some of them may be moving. Wes isn’t about to give up the only home he’s ever known without a fight. He’s always been good at puzzles and he knows there must be a missing piece that will solve this puzzle and save the Oaks. But can he find it…before it’s too late?
Exploring community, social justice, family and friendship with an irresistibly deft and relatable touch, Take Back the Block introduces Wes, a 6th grader readers will fall in love with and asks what it means to belong—to a place and a movement—and to fight for a cause you believe in.
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Awards & Honors
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Kids’ Indie Next List, Winter 2020-2021
Amazon Editors’ Pick: Best Books, January 2021
Best Middle Grade Books 2021, SLJ
Project Lit Book Club Selection, Winter 2021
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Winner of the ILA Social Justice Literature Award
2022 Capitol Choices, District of Columbia
NPR, Books We Love, 2021
Black Caucus | ALA, Best of the Best 2021 Booklist
YALSA 2022 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
2023 Nevada Reading Week Book List
2022 WSRA (Wisconsin) Just One More Page
Best Middle-Grade Books of 2021, Kirkus
The Weekly Junior, Top 5 Books of the Year, 2021
2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Best of the Year
2022 - 2023 Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award
Trade Reviews & Praise
⭐️ “This impressive debut is notable for its depiction of how gentrification pushes the working-class poor out of neighborhoods, as well as substantive ways that communities can protest, all for a middle grade audience. Wes is a humorous, likable, relatable narrator. . . . Giles has crafted an outstanding depiction of the nuances of gentrification as well as the struggle and joys of working-class Black families and communities." —School Library Journal, Starred Review
⭐️ "The story echoes contemporary realities that, as its culmination indicates, take an entire community to confront, and it will undoubtedly push readers into action. An ambitious invitation for young readers that delivers promise for all." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“In dealing with challenging themes around gentrification, the story capably illustrates the practice’s social costs through characters who humanize and simplify this complicated topic for young people. The underlying message: you are never too young to make your voice heard.” —The Horn Book
“This timely book is filled with hope, friendship, and grit—guaranteed to leave readers feeling inspired.” —Stacy McAnulty, bestselling author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
“Chrystal D. Giles’ debut is bursting with love for community, history, and the kinship that lifelong childhood friends offer one another. This book made me want to step aside, hand over the mic, and listen to Wes grow into his voice and power as an activist and true friend. A timely, fresh, and beautiful story about gentrification and belonging, Take Back the Block proves that young Black kids are not our future leaders, but in fact our current leaders. A must-read, a gift. " —Mariama J. Lockington, author of For Black Girls Like Me
“Chrystal Giles’s sparkling debut will have you standing up and cheering.”—Lisa Yee, award winning author of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and the DC Super Hero Girls series
“Necessary and inspiring. An empowering read.”—Ashley Herring Blake, author of the Stonewall Honor Book Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World
"Chrystal Giles really nailed it. She nailed the middle-grade voice. She nailed the multi-faceted black family. She nailed the diverse neighborhood. She handled the issues delicately and expertly. And Wes had me cracking up all the way to the end. I loved this book."—Linda Williams Jackson, award winning author of Midnight Without a Moon
"Wes will welcome middle grade readers into his delightful circle of friends, his strong and loving family, and his powerful community." —Barbara Dee, author of the ALA Notable Children's Book Maybe He Just Likes You
“In a poignant debut novel that explores the complexities of friendship and socioeconomic disparity, Chrystal D. Giles helps young readers understand the toll of gentrification. When his beloved Kensington Oaks neighborhood is threatened, sixth grader Wes' activism changes from fulfilling a family expectation to becoming a deeply personal mission. Timely and penetrating, through Take Back the Block, we witness the birth of a leader.”—Kelly Starling Lyons, author of Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice & Sing Inspired Generations