CSK-John Steptoe Award winner David Barclay Moore (The Stars Beneath Our Feet) offers upper middle-grade readers a resonant and evocative story in his sophomore novel, Holler of the Fireflies.
Twelve-year-old Javari is excited to get away from home for the summer. The recent police killing of an unarmed Black man on Javari's block has his whole community on edge. When Javari's uncle suggests he apply to the STEM camp at Appalachian Ridge Christian College (ARCC) in Horsewhip Hollow, W.Va., the tween jumps at the opportunity to spend 14 "fun-filled days" with nothing to do but "build rockets, race boats, explore nature and learn code!" At ARCC, he chooses to study math and science in addition to coding but has difficulty meeting other kids: he is shy, short for his age and insecure about his "crossways"-staring eye. Then Javari meets a Black boy named Cricket, who is a local activist and occasional thief. The two become friends and Cricket shows Javari a different side of the holler while also introducing him to the little-known history of the ignored Affrilachians (African Americans living in Appalachia).
In this outstanding novel, Moore covers topics such as friendship, racism, poverty, class, corporate greed, the opioid crisis and social justice. His thoughtful approach to big ideas is honest and his text attends to the topics in a way that allows middle-grade readers to understand and older readers to relate to them. Holler of the Fireflies is a feel-good book that still manages to go deep into heavy topics. This profound and proficiently written novel connects Appalachia's rich and sensitive past and present. --Natasha Harris, freelance reviewer