Lu by Jason Reynolds

Lu is an Afro-American kid who has discovered himself through athletics. His friends are part of his run club and together they work hard to make themselves faster and stronger. Lu also is lucky… lightning bolt lucky. Or that is what his mother calls it, because he is also blessed with albinism, which means he is a rare  ‘white’ black guy. Lu is working towards a new event in the athletics meet, but the biggest deal in his life now is the news that he will soon be a big brother. As all of the following - running, family life and the discovery of his father’s history that led him to become a worker in drug rehabilitation - come together in Lu’s world, he must also find out what integrity means.

Set in a rough-and-ready USA environment where track meets are part of the sporting landscape, this Middle grades novel deals with big issues, but with a light touch and in a kid-friendly way. It starts with an ‘explosion-of-consciousness’  flow of language that is like being on the end of a personality catapult for the reader. But it instantly lets us know that we will be inside the head of the main character Lu, with all of his struggles thrown at us - with him being the brunt of a bully’s attacks, the uncertainty of being a big brother, the struggles with growing up and being fast. The language is also heavily impacted by the Afro-American street lingo that will be very foreign to Aussie readers.  Even the names used are almost all nick-names, and this may be confusing for readers who come into this series in Book 4. I liked the way the author deals with serious issues eg drug addiction and rehabilitation, but these are never light issues for a children’s book. But there is also a powerful lesson on the connection of team, and the hard work and discipline of sport that will impress sport-loving readers. This is a book that young Aussie readers may struggle with unless they have some idea of USA culture and can get into the lingo of the street, but it has an appeal that is quite intriguing. But be aware - the drug culture history and impacts sit in parallel to the run-club experience.

Aimed at readers aged 10-12

Themes: Athletics, Albinism, Friendship, Bullying, Drugs and rehabilitation.

Carolyn Hull