Realistic Fiction
294 pages

What do you like to do to get your mind off things?  For Lolly, it’s building with Legos.  Of course he has a lot on his mind: his brother was killed, he and his friend are harassed by a rival gang, his parents aren’t together, and money is tight, so his Lego building is immense.  In fact, he’s imagined an entire world that first takes over his room at home and then takes over the room in the rec center.  When he’s forced to share his space and his Legos with Big Rose his tension only grows.  The characters and situations in this story are fiercely realistic and engaging.  For a kid who has a lot going against him, he’s got a really fascinating path ahead of him if he can just stay on it.

I would recommend this book to any mature middle school reader.  If you are looking for a Black Lives Matter read, I think this story does justice to the cause.  Note that the “n” word is used once, but the author creates honest characters who respect one another.