Black Panther: The Young Prince

by Ronald L. Smith, Ronald Smith

Overview

Black Panther. Ruler of Wakanda. Avenger.

This is his destiny. But right now, he’s simply T’Challa—the young prince.

Life is comfortable for twelve-year-old T’Challa in his home of Wakanda, an isolated, technologically advanced African nation. When he’s not learning how to rule a kingdom from his father—the reigning Black Panther—or testing out the latest tech, he’s off breaking rules with his best friend, M’Baku. But as conflict brews near Wakanda, T’Challa’s father makes a startling announcement: he’s sending T’Challa and M’Baku to school in America.

This is no prestigious private academy—they’ve been enrolled at South Side Middle School in the heart of Chicago. Despite being given a high-tech suit and a Vibranium ring to use only in case of an emergency, T’Challa realizes he might not be as equipped to handle life in America as he thought. Especially when it comes to navigating new friendships while hiding his true identity as the prince of a powerful nation, and avoiding Gemini Jones, a menacing classmate who is rumored to be involved in dark magic.

When strange things begin happening around school, T’Challa sets out to uncover the source. But what he discovers in the process is far more sinister than he could ever have imagined. In order to protect his friends and stop an ancient evil, T’Challa must take on the mantle of a hero, setting him on the path to becoming the Black Panther.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781484787649
Publisher:	Marvel Press
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	290,109
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.62(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Ronald L. Smith is a former advertising writer and the author of Hoodoo, a southern gothic fantasy novel for young readers. He is the recipient of the 2016 Coretta Scott King/ John Steptoe New Talent Author Award. His second book, The Mesmerist, a supernatural Victorian fantasy, was released in February, 2017.

Editorial Reviews

"A new king of adventure is crowned."—Eoin Colfer, best-selling author of the Artemis Fowl series

"An entertaining thrill that leaves readers wanting more."

"Energetic, fast-paced, and adventurous, this volume will keep readers riveted...A must-purchase for all collections."

"Energetic, fast-paced, and adventurous, this volume will keep readers riveted...A must-purchase for all collections."—School Library Journal

"A new king of adventure is crowned."—Eoin Colfer, best-selling author of the Artemis Fowl series

"An entertaining thrill that leaves readers wanting more."—Kirkus Reviews

"Smith has created a riveting tale about the young Black Panther, just in time for his new Marvel movie... A page turner with mystery, intrigue, secret societies, and typical middle school social life."—School Library Connection

"Smith has created a riveting tale about the young Black Panther, just in time for his new Marvel movie... A page turner with mystery, intrigue, secret societies, and typical middle school social life."

From the Publisher

01/01/2018
Gr 4–6—Twelve-year-old T'Challa, Prince of the warrior nation Wakanda, is content to spend his days running races, playing games, and getting into mischief with his best friend M'Baku. But he is also quite aware of his destiny. Wakanda is a technologically advanced African land, once struck by a meteor that brought with it a material so strong it had no equal. The material, called Vibranium, is now a much-desired resource and there are many who would fight to possess its power. T'Challa's father, also known as the Black Panther, is King of Wakanda and the descendant of the great warrior Bashenga who protected the isolated nation from evil spirits when the meteor struck. Prompted by rumors of an invasion, his father summons T'Challa and tells him he will be sent away to Chicago along with his friend M'Baku. There, he will be safe until the uprising is settled. But the south side of Chicago is a far cry from Wakanda, and South Side Middle School has its own demons. Faced with making new friends while hiding his true identity, T'Challa must also deal with a bully, Gemini Jones, who has a few secrets of his own, one of which may challenge T'Challa to choose between his best friend and his destiny. Energetic, fast-paced, and adventurous, this volume will keep readers riveted. VERDICT Fans of the Marvel Universe will be thrilled to read about this superhero at the very beginning of his calling. A must-purchase for all collections.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools

School Library Journal

2017-10-28
T'Challa, I've got a feeling we're not in Wakanda anymore.In his latest, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award-winning author Smith (Hoodoo, 2016) weaves an origin tale of T'Challa, the prince of the African Wakanda people who becomes the superhero Black Panther. Readers meet T'Challa while he's still a preteen, racing through the forests of his homeland with his best friend, M'Baku, by his side. There is unrest in Wakanda, however, and to protect his son from harm, the king sends T'Challa and M'Baku to South Side Middle School in Chicago under aliases, giving them a chance to learn about the outside world. While the overall story is well-paced, readers do not spend long enough in Wakanda for T'Challa's pre-Chicago character to fully solidify. The novel ably depicts the pressure both boys feel to assimilate into American culture and nicely teases out the tensions and jealousies that simmer below the surface of their friendship. M'Baku, out of T'Challa's princely shadow for the first time, is in danger of losing himself, while T'Challa must find an identity separate from that which his royal status affords him. At times, the boys' naiveté about American culture—played for laughs—strains credulity. The tale's most profound sections show T'Challa grappling with American racial history and the complications inherent in being perceived to be African-American.An entertaining thrill that leaves readers wanting more. (Fantasy. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews

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