Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist

 

Two days ago, I finished reading Eb & Flow by Kelly J. Baptist. This realistic fiction novel in verse is about De'Kari "Flow" Flood and Ebony "Eb" Wilson, two Black seventh grade students who are suspended from school for ten days after they get into a fight in the cafeteria. Although Flow has to do workouts with Uncle Reggie and complete household chores, he finds time to go to the indoor pool at the rec center. Meanwhile, Eb watches over her older sister's young son, Jaren, and begins to question her friendships. Both of them ponder how their actions led to the incident at school and how they can make better decisions in the future.

This book was a relatively quick read and I enjoyed it. I liked learning about the families of Flow and Eb and was intrigued by the parallels in their lives over the ten days they were suspended from school. I thought it was cool that Flow loved swimming because that's one of my favorite activities and could relate to him. As for Eb, I felt bad for her because she has to live with her grandma, instead of her mom and dad, and it was an accident that led to her fight with Flow. She never actually intended to ruin Flow's new shoes. Although she has two younger siblings, I thought her her relationship with Jaren, her nephew, was especially sweet. Most importantly, I had hope that both Flow and Eb would grow from their experience of being suspended. I don't think either of them were bad kids, but they both struggled with feelings of frustration and the idea of apologizing and letting go. As the story was wrapping up, there was a scene that gave me quite the scare regarding the cycle of violence, but the ending felt satisfying and I came to the conclusion that Eb and Flow have more in common than they differ. All in all, Eb & Flow is a great book for any kid who wonders what really happens during out of school suspensions.

Summer Reading 2025

 

Welcome back to school, everyone! Here is an update of the middle grade books I've read over summer break. In the middle of June, I read The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon. In this post-apocalyptic science fiction novel, stepsisters Millie and Rose leave their home with their baby half brother Sammy and loyal dog Corncob to find Millie's grandma a year after a solar flare scorched the Earth. Although Millia's mama and Rose's dad are dead, the foursome join a group of fellow survivors and work together to avoid the Hive, a villainous group that has been hoarding resources and living in luxury. While facing challenges, including a wildfire, Millie and Rose learn to rely on each other more than ever and discover how to rebuild their lives from nothing. I greatly enjoyed reading this story. It was suspenseful and took several twists and turns. I especially liked the world-building because it felt like an organization like the Hive could really exist if the worst came to pass. I also loved the girls' relationship with Sammy and how they had a pet, Corncob, even though I'm not much of a dog person. I'd recommend The Flicker to anyone who likes science fiction, adventure, and stories of found family.

The only other middle grade book I read this summer is Clairboyance by Kristiana Kahakauwila, which I finished before the end of June. This fantasy novel is about Clara, a sixth grade Hawaiian girl who wishes on a family heirloom to hear what boys are thinking and wakes up the next day able to do so. Although she tries to use her newfound abilities to solve all her problems including helping her friends and making up with Leo, she just ends up making a bigger mess of everything. While working towards fixing her mistakes, Clara wonders if she would be better off going to live with her dad in Arizona or if Hawaii is the home she doesn't want to leave. I adored reading this story because it takes place in Hawaii. Clara wanting to know what boys are thinking was definitely relatable because that's an ability I also would have wanted when I was in middle, or even high, school. I also enjoyed her relationship with her tūtū and didn't want Clara to leave her all alone. I also liked how Clara decided to befriend the new girl, Pua. Most of all, though, I wanted her to repair her friendship with Leo because it seemed like the whole situation was a huge misunderstanding. Anyone who like family and friendship stories, with a hint of magic, should read Clairboyance.