I could not put down the Season of Styx Malone, by Kekla Magoon (Wendy Lamb Books). What grabbed me? First, the opening:

“Styx Malone didn’t believe in miracles, but he was one. Until he came along, there was nothing very special about life in Sutton, Indiana. Styx came to us like magic — the really, really powerful kind. There was no grand puff of smoke or anything, but he appeared as if from nowhere, right in our very own woods.”

 I dare you to stop reading after those lines!

We all have known a Styx Malone. The kid is absolutely magnetic. You can sense it right through the page. The reader completely understands how the two brothers, Bobby Gene and Caleb, fall under his spell. And Styx doesn’t use his power for evil; I would not have enjoyed the book as much if I thought he was intentionally leading the brothers into trouble. He gave them adventures beyond their imaginings, but he never left them hanging.

The younger brother, Caleb, in particular, is deeply in awe of Styx’s style. Styx is a foster child and lives on the other side of the woods behind Bobby Gene and Caleb’s house — though it takes quite a while for the brothers to figure this out. Styx has business cards. They read: Styx Malone/Anything Guy; he says things like, “let’s pencil that in”; and he smokes… candy cigarettes.

One of the funniest scenes is when Caleb tries to inject a little of Styx’s style in talking to his mom. In one scene his mom asks Caleb to take the trash out.” We’ll pencil it in after supper,” he answers.

“Total silence from on high. Total. The kind that pulls the hum of out of the light sockets. I swiveled to meet Mom’s icy glare. Her eye lasers stabbed me with shivers.”

This scene is pretty early in the story. It’s one of many that have convinced me this book is a keeper.

A couple other things make this middle-grade novel special. For example, the relationship between Bobby Gene and Caleb is not the typical hierarchy. Bobby Gene is the older one but not bossy. He is cautious, the one who holds back and the one who serves as the voice of reason in most of the ensuing adventures. But Bobby Gene is often willing to follow Caleb’s lead. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that dynamic before in a book. I loved it.

Another thread involves a different kid, Cory Cormier, who is a bully and one of their least favorite people. But it turns out he has a real soft spot for babies. There is a hilarious scene when the brothers go with their father to a Fourth of July event at the Union hall. They are in charge of their baby sister, Susie. Cory is there with a sack of illegal fireworks he is selling to the highest bidder. Bobby Gene and Caleb are watching but have nothing to trade for that treasure. Until, that is, Bobby Gene, who is holding Susie, holds her up over his head to sniff her diaper, at which point Cory says “SOLD!” That’s right, he sells the fireworks for their baby sister!!  The boys shrug and agree, and somehow the dad doesn’t notice when they walk home holding the sack like it is Susie. You can imagine what happens when their mom gets home!

We see a fair amount of Cory, even after Susie is returned to her family, and his desire for a baby sister or brother is a constant. The idea that a boy might yearn for a baby sister or brother is not one often depicted in kids’ books.

A third thread involves Bobby Gene’s and Caleb’s dad wanting to keep them safe. Their father is so determined to keep them safe in their little town, “where everyone knows us,” he forbids them to go to the Indy Children’s museum on a school field trip. The adventures the boys have with Styx take place against the backdrop of their father’s fears for their safety. This undercurrent concerning the dangers of being black in our society does not dominate the book, but it is a key part of the family’s backstory and very deftly handled.

What can I say? There’s nothing I didn’t love about The Season of Styx Malone. I’m now officially a big fan of Kekla Magoon and plan to read every one of her middle-grade novels.

PS The day I posted this, May 28, 2019, the Boston Globe – Horn Book awards were announced. This book won the Fiction prize!! Can I pick them or what?!