Swing

by Kwame Alexander, Mary Rand Hess

Overview

In this YA novel in verse from bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (Solo), which Kirkus called “lively, moving, and heartfelt” in a starred review, Noah and Walt just want to leave their geek days behind and find “cool,” but in the process discover a lot about first loves, friendship, and embracing life . . . as well as why Black Lives Matter is so important for all.

Best friends Noah and Walt are far from popular, but Walt is convinced junior year is their year, and he has a plan that includes wooing the girls of their dreams and becoming amazing athletes. Never mind he and Noah failed to make their baseball team yet again, and Noah’s crush since third grade, Sam, has him firmly in the friend zone. While Walt focuses on his program of jazz, podcasts, batting cages, and a “Hug Life” mentality, Noah feels stuck in status quo … until he stumbles on a stash of old love letters. Each one contains words Noah’s always wanted to say to Sam, and he begins secretly creating artwork using the lines that speak his heart. But when his art becomes public, Noah has a decision to make: continue his life in the dugout and possibly lose the girl forever, or take a swing and finally speak out.

At the same time, American flags are being left around town. While some think it’s a harmless prank and others see it as a form of protest, Noah can’t shake the feeling something bigger is happening to his community. Especially after he witnesses events that hint divides and prejudices run deeper than he realized.

As the personal and social tensions increase around them, Noah and Walt must decide what is really important when it comes to love, friendship, sacrifice, and fate.

Swing:

• is written by New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winner Kwame Alexander
• Features a diverse array of characters and perspectives
• tackles the biggest social issues of today, including racial prejudice and Black Lives Matter
• is perfect reading for the classroom or community-wide discussions
• is a 2020 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
• contains original artwork tied to the story

If you enjoy Swing, check out Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310761945
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/23/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	48,678
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kwame Alexander is a poet, an educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty-five books, including his Newbery Medal–winning middle grade novel The Crossover. Some of his other works include Booked, which was longlisted for the National Book Award; The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life; Swing; the picture books How to Read a Book and How to Write a Poem (coauthored with Deanna Nikaido), both illustrated by Melissa Sweet; and The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and won the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. He is a regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, currently serving as their poet ambassador. He lives in Virginia with his family. Visit his website at kwamealexander.com. 

Mary Rand Hess is a poet, playwright, screenwriter, composer, mixed-media artist, and New York Times bestselling author of notable and award-winning books. Some of her picture books include The One and Only Wolfgang: From Pet Rescue to One Big Happy Family; Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures; and Belong, a book near and dear to her heart. Whether she’s creating for the page, stage, or screen, Mary has many stories and poems to dream up and share.

Editorial Reviews

Despite the easy flow of verse, there is a density to this story with its multiple elements. Lively, moving, and heartfelt. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From the Publisher

'...this novel packs a punch into its shocking and extremely powerful ending straight from today's headlines.' —Booklist

Booklist

★ 11/12/2018
High school junior Noah has an unrequited crush on his friend Samantha, and when he discovers a handful of love letters from the 1960s, he is inspired to create mixed-media poetry that expresses his feelings. Noah had never planned to share the work with Sam, but then his well-meaning best friend, Walt (aka Swing), sends one of the poems to her anonymously. Meanwhile, someone is peppering the town with American flags, causing tension in the community as residents speculate about the meaning of the gesture. Things come to a head when Sam’s ex-boyfriend becomes a suspect in the flag mystery, and Sam is convinced that the accusation is racially motivated. Alexander and Hess (co-authors of Solo) embrace the malleability of free verse, heightening emotions with shifting styles and rhythms, and though Swing’s voice steals the show, the bantering friendship he and Noah share also shines. Interspersed throughout, the discovered letters and Noah’s art poetry highlight the power of physical artifacts to inspire action and provide a tie to flags’ symbolic meaning: “The one thing it should mean for everyone is freedom. Mind, body, and soul. Red, white, and blue. America the beautiful. The greatest love story yet to be.” Ages 13–up. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

'...this novel packs a punch into its shocking and extremely powerful ending straight from today's headlines.' —Booklist

Booklist

★ 11/01/2018

Gr 8 Up–Seventeen-year-old Noah Wallace is not having any luck. He got cut from the baseball team, again. His secret crush on Samantha Worthington is unrequited. She is dating an oafish baseball rival. Noah's best friend, charismatic Walt Disney "Swing" Jones, has plans for them to get back onto the team and become the kings of cool. Noah gets his inspiration to woo Sam from love letters written during the 1960s, which he finds at a thrift store. The love letters and Swing's vast love for jazz music motivate Noah to repurpose the letters and make them his own. Swing has issues with his future stepfather, meets and falls for slightly older thrift store employee Divya, and awaits the return of his older brother, Moses, from military action in Afghanistan. Noah and Swing's party, an American flag mystery, and Moses's return significantly alter their lives forever. Alexander and Hess strike gold with this fun, witty, and intellectual YA novel. It is a free verse poetic narrative fused with collage art and manga influences. Noah's dialogue differs from the italicized dialogue of the other characters. Readers will fall in love with scene-stealer Swing. Jazz music fans will enjoy this focus and its intersections with art, history, baseball, and literature. VERDICT This important and recommended contemporary YA will inspire young people to find their own voices and take a swing at life. A must-have.—Donald Peebles, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2018-08-20

Seventeen-year-old Noah struggles with the feelings he has for Sam, a childhood friend, and is encouraged to express himself by an ebullient buddy.

Noah and his friend Walt Disney Jones, aka Swing, are linked by a love of baseball. Swing is also obsessed with jazz and tries to make Noah a devotee as well. Along with their various personal dramas—Swing's new stepfather, the romantic advice Noah is receiving—someone has been planting American flags around town, leaving folks to speculate who and why. At a thrift store, Noah purchases a travel bag as a birthday gift for his mother and inside he finds long-hidden love letters. They encourage him to put his feelings on paper, but Swing forces his hand by anonymously giving his writing to Sam, causing a rift between them. Then, out of nowhere, everything changes, and the innocence of their lives is shattered as their friendship troubles are put into perspective by something far more serious. The free verse tells a story as complex as the classic jazz music woven throughout. Noah is the narrator, but it is Swing, with his humor, irresistible charm, and optimism, who steals the spotlight. All the secondary characters are distinctive and add texture to the narrative. Swing is African-American, while Noah is white. Despite the easy flow of verse, there is a density to this story with its multiple elements.

Lively, moving, and heartfelt. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews