The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze
"Derrick Barnes takes all forms of storytelling available to him—allegory, folktales, and classics—to weave a novel that is empowered, empowering, and incredibly human. You won't be the same after reading it."
—Erin Entrada Kelly, two-time winner of the Newbery Medal
National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honoree Derrick Barnes tackles timely issues of race and prejudice in this powerful, nuanced novel about an accomplished Black boy who strives to be seen as human.
In the small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, all eyes are on Henson Blayze, a thirteen-year-old football phenom whose talents seem almost superhuman. The predominately white townsfolk have been waiting for Henson to play high-school ball, and now they’re overjoyed to finally possess an elite Black athlete of…