Onyx & Beyond - by Amber McBride

About the Book

Award-winning author Amber McBride explores being young and Black in America in this middle-grade novel about a boy dealing with his mother's descent into early-onset dementia, set amid the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

Book Synopsis

Praised as "a story of perserverance and love" in a starred review by Kirkus, here is a story about keeping dreams alive.

Onyx lives with his mother, who is showing signs of early-onset dementia. He doesn't want to bring attention to his home -- if Child Protective Services finds out, they'll put him into foster care.

As he's trying to keep his life together, the Civil Rights Movement is accelerating. Is there anywhere that's safe for a young Black boy? Maybe, if only Onyx can fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut and exploring space, where none of these challenges will follow him. In the meantime, Onyx can dream. And try to get his mom the help she needs.

Based on her own father's story of growing up in the 1960s and facing the same challenge with his own mother, award winner Amber McBride delivers another affecting depiction of being young and Black in America.

Review Quotes

A Notable Verse Novel, National Council of Teachers of English

★ "It's 1970, and following the death of his grandmother, Onyx, a 12-year-old Black boy, is left living alone with his mother, who has early onset dementia. Fearing losing Mama too, he keeps her condition a secret from everyone and instead vows to make sure that he keeps up the show of everything being OK at home. ... As readers follow Onyx in his endeavors to help his mother, they're also given a glimpse into being a young Black boy who, for all his troubles in life, has just as many joyful moments with his family and friends. A story of perseverance and love."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★"A beautifully told novel in verse about family and community. Recommended for all middle grade collections."--School Library Journal, starred review

★"McBride delivers a welcome message about the might of hope and importance of community in this emotional yet encouraging story."-- Shelf Awareness, starred review

"After Onyx's grandmother dies, he is tasked with the responsibility of caring for his mother, who has early onset dementia. This includes cooking meals, getting himself ready for school, and making sure no one finds out about her worsening symptoms.... Onyx then plots to steal a piece of a moon rock from the Smithsonian space exhibit, convinced that it will help his mother get her memories back. ...Surreal descriptions of the protagonist's inner thoughts--...interspersed throughout add gentle magic to this perceptive interpretation of a child growing up with a caregiver navigating illness."--Publishers Weekly

"[T]his tender story is set in the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the subsequent uprisings, which leave an indelible impression upon the protagonist, adding to his unease and his need for safety. Onyx proves a resourceful, compassionate character whose village shows up for him and his mother and relieves him of the burdens that he has carried alone for too long."--The Horn Book Magazine

"Fans of historical fiction will appreciate the thoughtfully used setting and tough topics, but the relationships and familial ties are where the story is strongest--showing that asking for help is never the wrong thing to do when you have a strong support system. "--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB)

"This novel in verse will pull at the heartstrings of young middle-grade readers."--Booklist

About the Author

Amber McBride's debut young adult novel, Me (Moth), was a finalist for the National Book Awards and won the 2022 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent, among many other accolades. Her second young adult novel, We Are All So Good at Smiling, was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and praised for offering "important messages, uniquely delivered" by Kirkus in a starred review. Gone Wolf, Amber McBride's middle grade fiction debut, was awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.