Lu

September 15, 2018
A middle-grade runner soars over obstacles to shine as a leader for his team and family.In this final addition to Reynolds' Track series, the titular, self-described "fine-o albino" is nervous, maybe a little scared, about the many changes occurring during the week leading to the championships for the Defenders. An unexpected pregnancy announcement from his parents and the challenge of waltzing to a win in his new event, hurdles, among other things, keep Lu's emotions, and feet, racing. Reynolds' seamless integration of Lu's story into his series shows him to be a master of temporal structure, highlighting individual and collective growth of his four protagonists over one season. The circularity of his similes in describing the generations of teasing endured by Lu's father, who stuttered as a child ("You sound like a choking Chihuahua"), by Lu, bullied due to his albinism ("Yo, you look like a cotton ball dipped in white paint"), and even by a bully Lu takes down ("Yo, Kelvin, you smell like your blood ain't blood. It's trash juice pumping through your things") emphasizes the triumph of healing and unity in the book's surprising ending. New and returning characters help to create tension and smooth transitions, but Lu pulls ahead as the catalyst for much of the relational shifts between adults and kids, showcasing children's power to effect true communal change.The perfect anchor leg for a well-run literary relay. (Fiction. 10-14)

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October 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-Following on the heels of Ghost, Patina, and Sunny comes the last leg of Reynolds's middle grade quartet. Readers meet the co-captain of the Defenders, a lightning-quick athlete with bravado to spare. Lu was born with albinism and must take extra care to protect his skin and eyes. Every morning, he puts in his contacts, applies his sunscreen, and psychs himself up by reciting his mantra: "I am the man. The guy. The kid. The one. The only. The Lu. Lucky Lu. Lookie Lu. Lu the Lightning Bolt." Lu learns that he's about to become a big brother, and comes up against some literal and figurative hurdles on and off the track as he tries to lead his team to victory. His self-possession serves him in good stead as he confronts his father and convinces him to right a long overdue but not forgotten wrong. Lu realizes that he doesn't need gold chains and diamond earrings to be flashy, and, regardless of the odds or the competition, that he has what it takes to stand up and truly be "the man, the guy." Reynolds carefully delineates his characters' personalities and family dynamics to reflect where these kids are coming from before seeing them on the track or part of a team. He keeps the pace lively and strikes a perfect balance of sports action, middle school trash-talking, and slice-of-life modern family concerns. This book stands alone, but fans of the series will enjoy Lu's interactions with teammates introduced in earlier titles. Thanks to their coach, they have become conditioned athletes, but in coming together and working as a team they have developed the hearts of champions. VERDICT Reynolds sprints to the finish of this splendid sports series. Pure gold.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal

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