Rick Riordan Presents: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky-A Tristan Strong Novel, Book 1 - by Kwame Mbalia (Paperback)

About the Book

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it, and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a bottle tree. In a last attempt to get it away from the creature, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

Book Synopsis

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia's epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods.

*"Mbalia expertly weaves a meaningful portrayal of family and community with folklore, myth, and history--including the legacy of the slave trade--creating a fast-paced, heroic series starter."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm in Alabama, where he's being sent to heal from the tragedy.

But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it--is that a doll?--and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature's hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world.

Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left Black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

Winner of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY

Coretta Scott King Honor Winner!

New York Times Best Seller!

"In a lifetime full of highlights, I have to say that helping to publish this book is right up at the top!"
--Rick Riordan, New York Times #1 best-selling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

"A brilliant action adventure rooted in African American lore."
--New York Times best-selling author Jason Reynolds

"Imagine if you combined Anansi the spider, John Henry, and Marvel into like, one book."
--Kwame Alexander, New York Times best-selling author and Newbery Medalist

"Tristan Strong is a gift to the world."
--#1 New York Times best-selling author Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin

"Tristan Strong is a her to root for, a hero whose true strength is found in the indelible power of memory and story."
--J. C. Cervantes, New York Times best-selling author of The Storm Runner series

"A Marvelous Achievement."
--Daniel Jose Older, New York Times best-selling author of Shadowshaper

"Tristan Strong will punch a hole in your heart. I lived this book-an epic blend of fantasy, action, and mythology."
--Eoin Colfer, New York Times best-selling author of the Artemis Fowl series

★"A worthy addition to the diverse array of offerings from Rick Riordan Presents."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★"Overall a stellar mix of the playful and the serious, the traditional and the original, this novel marks the emergence of a strong new voice in myth-based children's fantasy."
--BCCB (starred review)

★"It brims with heart, humor, and action, successfully crafting a beautifully unified secondary world that brings the power of stories to glorious life."
--Booklist (starred review)

★"Tristan's voice rings true and sympathetic, while the irrepressible Gum Baby steals every scene."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

★"Mbalia returns with a sequel as impressive and even more compelling."
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

PRAISE FOR TRISTAN STRONG DESTROYS THE WORLD

New York Times Best Seller!

★"Packs a punch."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ "Alternately humorous and heartbreaking, this installment sees Tristan entering a dramatic new chapter of his saga that will leave readers eager for more."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

★ "Mbalia returns with a sequel as impressive and even more compelling, offering all the power-packed goodness of the previous volume, with well-plotted pacing and a quick-witted narrative voice."
--BCCB (starred review)

"Mbalia's universe continues to excite through sheer conceptual brilliance, nonstop action and adventure, and--let's be honest--the comical aggression of sidekick god Gum Baby."
--Booklist

"Mbalia's stunning landscapes, suspenseful action sequences, and well-paced story line--including questions of how our stories can create but also destroy--will keep readers enthralled to the very end."
--Horn Book

About the Author

Kwame Mbalia is the New York Times best-selling author of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, for which he received a Coretta Scott King Author Honor award.The book was also named to best-of-the-year listscompiled by Publishers Weekly, the Chicago Public Library, and the New York Times.The second book in the trilogy is Tristan Strong Destroys the World, and the third is Tristan Strong Keeps Punching. Kwame is also the publisher of an imprint at Disney Hyperion called Freedom Fire, devoted to publishing middle grade fiction by Black creators about the African diaspora. Kwame lives with his wife and children in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he is currently working on the new middle grade fantasy series. Follow him on Twitter @KSekouM