Seventh grader Xavier Moon is on the cusp of greatness; he just needs to figure out what that looks like for him. Getting into the Scepter League, an exclusive, long-running club for boys at his school that his grandfather, great-uncle, and father belonged to, has always been a goal for Xavier, who has preferred more of a background role partly due to his braces and stutter. But with his father (and mother) in prison and his grandfather no longer alive, Xavier tries to follow in the footsteps of his jazz-playing, slick-talking, always-on-the-road, and seemingly magical great-uncle Frankie Bell, especially after the socks start arriving. The socks Frankie Bell gifts him--accompanied by cryptic letters of encouragement--become a way to set himself apart from the crowd, imbued with healthy amounts of both luck and swag. Despite garnering positive attention, the stylish socks aren't enough to warrant an invitation into the Scepter League just yet. Xavier is initially discouraged because, as Baptist thoughtfully makes clear, it's never really about the socks or the club or the girls but rather about his finding his own thing. Twelve is an important yet challenging time--and with his parents only available via occasional phone calls, it's even harder for Xavier, who recognizes that his stuttering got worse when they left. Still, the socks are an excellent jumping-off point to self-discovery and facing challenges yet to come. Main characters are Black. A deeply funny and relatable story of growth. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 3--7--Xavier Moon, a 12-year-old boy living with his older sister and his great-aunt Kat while his parents are incarcerated, has big plans for seventh grade: He's going to join the Scepter League, an elite leadership group for young men at his school. Just before the start of the school year, Xavier begins receiving strange mail from Frankie Bell, Kat's brother who is a touring musician. Each package includes a pair of outlandish socks and a cryptic letter with advice. When the Scepter League rejects Xavier's first bid to join, he does not give up; instead he leans on Frankie Bell's advice--and the socks--and discovers some unexpected talents and leadership skills. Told in the first person in a conversational tone, the narrative is engaging right from the beginning, and readers will enjoy being introduced to Xavier's family and friends. Although it deals with some tough topics--incarceration, severe illness, and managing a stutter--the story still has a lighthearted feel to it, owing mainly to Xavier's authentic and optimistic voice. Xavier and his family are Black; other characters are cued as coming from a variety of backgrounds. VERDICT Readers will enjoy this incredibly charming lead character, and they'll root for him as he navigates the challenges of school and family life.--Sarah Reid, Four County Lib. Syst., NY

From the author of Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero (rev. 9/20) comes another relatable story that effectively combines the humor and pain of coming of age. Xavier Moon lives with his sister and great-aunt; his parents are both incarcerated. A quiet boy with a pronounced stutter, he prefers to take in the neighborhood action from his bedroom window. But on the day after his twelfth birthday he receives a package from his peripatetic piano-playing great-uncle, Frankie Bell. Inside are some fancy socks and a not-so-sweet letter challenging him to step out and "get your sad self together." Day after day, more socks arrive, all with bright colors and bold patterns. Xavier is about to embark on a new school year -- seventh grade -- and his number one goal is to be accepted into the Scepter League, an elite afterschool club for which only the most confident, popular boys are chosen. Will Uncle Frankie Bell and his mysterious socks make the difference? Readers get a front-row seat to Xavier's journey to find confidence and follow his dreams in this thoughtfully written book with lots of Black boy joy thrown in for good measure. Monique Harris November/December 2021 p.96(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Not many kids enjoy receiving socks for a gift, and Xavier Moon is no exception. On his twelfth birthday, Xavier's great-uncle Frankie Bell gifts him a pair of colorful, funky socks. Along with the socks is a tough-love letter challenging the normally shy Xavier to stop hanging back from life and find some confidence. At the beginning of the novel, a lingering speech impediment and his parents' incarceration for an unspecified crime have stripped Xavier of what confidence he did have. To Xavier, the epitome of confidence is mustering up the courage to join the Scepter League, an exclusive after-school boys' club that Frankie Bell and his father belonged to when they were younger. When he doesn't get invited to join the club due to a lack of leadership qualities, Xavier is devastated; however, another opportunity to prove himself comes from the unlikeliest of places. Baptist (Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, 2020) has crafted a lighthearted and laugh-out-loud narrative about a Black boy overcoming adversity in her second novel. Readers, no matter their age, will be able to relate to Xavier's struggle to find confidence and express his authentic self. An excellent read-alike to Jacqueline Woodson's Harbor Me (2018) or Janae Marks' From the Desk of Zoe Washington (2020).

When Black seventh grader Xavier Moon's 12th birthday rolls around, his pianist great-uncle Frankie Bell sends a snazzy pair of polka-dot socks and a letter: "Far as I can see, you got nothin', other than the fact that you a wire-mouth, stutterin' boy with jailbird parents.... This is a challenge. An invitation to get your sad self together." Xavier Moon has long dreamed about following his grandfather, uncle, and father's shoes by becoming part of the Scepter League--a school club for those with "super swag" whose creed emphasizes social responsibility. When Xavier gets his chance to interview with the League, he makes it his mission to get inducted by any means necessary. Meanwhile, donning the socks, and other pairs that continue to arrive, offers him a route to confidence and swag of his own. In this inspirational novel told in Xavier's winning first-person narration, Baptist (Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero) delivers a warmly familiar, intergenerational look at getting to know oneself. Ages 8--12. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Nov.)