The incredibly human Henson Blayze

Barnes (I Got You) weaves together stories of spirituality, injustice, unrealistic expectations, and police brutality into a powerful tale. Despite being in middle school, Black 13-year-old Henson Blayze is tapped to play on his Great Mountain, Miss., hometown's high school football team, prompting residents of his mostly white, sports-obsessed community to begin treating him like a celebrity. Though his father is wary of the increased scrutiny, Henson revels in the attention. Then his friend, Black fifth grader Menkha, is brutalized by state troopers, and Henson vacates the football field mid-game in response. As the townspeople's idolization sours, and as Henson and the surrounding Black communities rally around Menkha seeking justice, Henson finds himself in the middle of a citywide scandal that exposes Great Mountain's history of tokenism and systemic racism. Multilayered plotting adroitly tackles issues of racist caricature--particularly surrounding the town's misuse of Indigenous imagery--and revisionist history. Henson's indomitable first-person POV anchors the narrative, throughout which Barnes depicts a self-assured protagonist courageously coming into his own. Ages 10--up. Agent: Regina Brooks, Serendipity Literary. (Sept.)

Thirteen-year-old Henson Blayze is about to start eighth grade and, as his friend Menkah tells him, "The whole town, the whole state of Mississippi has been waiting on you." He'll be playing football with the high school team; his mostly white town of Great Mountain has never before had a Black athlete to pin their hopes on, but now they have "a 'Negro' of their own." And it is a charmed first day -- adoring students, special food, an exclusive area in the lunchroom, even an ode written to him by last year's class president. But the head of the cafeteria, Mrs. Pendegrass, a Black woman, warns him: "Watch yourself, Henson. Ya hear? When they start acting like this -- and I done seen it before -- it never ends well. Just protect yourself, baby." Barnes creates something bigger than a traditional sports novel with an effective combination of well-realized characters, a contemporary setting rooted in history, and mythic elements that lend a transcendent feel. Especially well drawn is Henson's internal conflict: he loves football but doesn't want to feel "owned" by white fans; he loves his father and the heritage of the Blayze land, but being the one to carry on the family legacy feels claustrophobic when you want to find own your place in the world. By book's end, readers will feel that Henson will figure it out. A memorable story (with a powerful opening author's note) that takes a strong stand for true history. Dean SchneiderNovember/December 2025 p.61 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A crisis forces a talented young football player to consider what he values most. Henson Blayze, an African American 13-year-old, is looking forward to football season--he'll be joining the high school team despite still being in eighth grade. The entire town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, which is mostly white, is excited about Henson's bringing them a championship win. Henson's fifth grader friend, Menkah Jupiter, who's like a little brother, is eager to see his idol in action. Townspeople make T-shirts and signs supporting their "Great Mountain Messiah." At school, teachers and students fawn over Henson, offering him special favors, while his friend Flowell Bridges, a "hive of magnetic personality," regales all who will listen with stories of Henson's heroics. But Henson's vineyard owner father is less enthusiastic--sports have "never been of grave importance" to him--and Henson's longtime crush, Freida St. Louis, is more interested in social causes. The local news covers their first game--and Henson is outstanding from the beginning. But at halftime he learns that state troopers have badly beaten up Menkah, who's been hospitalized, and he chooses to leave the game. Adulation quickly turns to fury when it becomes clear that Henson places justice above entertaining the town. Barnes has masterfully crafted a story that's grounded in history and has fantastical elements woven into it. Henson is an irresistible lead surrounded by a strong supporting cast, and his story sheds light on the reality of racial dynamics. Bold, extraordinary storytelling: not to be missed. (author's note)(Fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.