Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia

Everything from chords, their order, and who would do what.

But for the Bluesmen and Clayton Byrd, the ghost notes laid out the song. Hungry for the last bit of blues, the people clapped and called out, “Play that thang.” Those ghostly thumps followed by twangy sparks teased the crowd. The crowd in Washington Square Park ate it up. Electric blues sparks jumped out into the night. He slid his thumb ring’s edge along the metal strings. And then, instead of picking true notes on the strings, Cool Papa hit a few ghost notes, thumping his brass thumb ring against solid wood. While the crowd waited for one last song, Clayton waited for the sign. He could make her cry like no one else could. Cool Papa had a way with his electric blues guitar, Wah-Wah Nita. Scott O’Dell Award for Historical FictionĬlayton Byrd kept his eyes on Cool Papa Byrd. His time there helps him to process his loss as he learns about himself, and his parents, and Cool Papa.HONORS FOR THE NOVELS OF RITA WILLIAMS-GARCIA The city is not what he expected, but it still gives him a sense of perspective. Ultimately, Clayton must discover for himself the value of his home and family. This insight helps us understand the echoes from her childhood that influence her decisions in Clayton’s life. I appreciated that some chapters from Clayton’s mother’s point of view. While it doesn’t seem to take place in our fast-paced, tech-savvy world, the emotions and struggles that Clayton experiences are still important and understandable. There’s a timeless quality to this story which made me wonder if it had originally been written as historical fiction.

Williams-Garcia keeps the setting vague, with Clayton living near a major city which I interpreted as New York City. However, some funny moments between Clayton and his best friend, and the warmth of his memories of Cool Papa both lighten the intensity. He keeps getting in trouble at school, and his mother doesn’t seem willing to listen to his explanations. He feels disconnected from his parents and struggles to deal with his emotions after Cool Papa’s death. While this is a short book, and a relatively quick read, Clayton’s story is pretty intense. The latest from Newbery Award winning author Rita Williams-Garcia, Clayton Byrd is a thoughtful story about family and the price of following your dreams. And then Cool Papa dies and Clayton has to choose: give up on music, or run away to find his grandpa’s band.Ĭlayton Byrd Goes Underground is a 2019-2020 Young Hoosier Book Award nominee, and is one of the Battle of the Books titles for PCSC.

He just wants to make music with his grandpa, Cool Papa Byrd–but his mother won’t let him. If you’ve ever wanted to run away from home, you’ll sympathize with Clayton Byrd.

Plainfield, Indiana Photograph Collection Database.

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia