Multicultural Harlem lives again in this daringly diverse tale of growing up against the odds and the imaginative, healing possibilities that we can create through the choices we make. Moore turns his back on the newly whitewashed Harlem, taking readers to the St. Nick projects to meet brown-skinned West Indian (Trini, to be exact) Wallace "Lolly" Rachpaul, full of contradiction and agency. Moore surrounds Lolly with a grand ensemble of characters that echo the ample cross sections and cultural milieus of the big city. There's Lolly's mother, who has embraced her queer sexuality with toy-store security guard Yvonne, who becomes a secondary caregiver after the tragic loss of Lolly's older brother, Jermaine to the drug-hustling crew underworld of Harlem. Lolly hopes that he and his dark-skinned Dominican best friend, Vega, can resist its allure. Mr. Ali is the veteran social worker with marginal resources and a big heart, refashioning his little basement space to unravel the traumas and difficult choices that could lead astray the black and brown youth he serves. And don't forget Big Rose (who doesn't like to be called Big). Then there are Lolly's Legos, which, block by block, help him imagine a healthy future. These characters are vibrantly alive, reconstituting the realness that is needed to bring diverse, complicated stories to the forefront of our shelves. A debut that serves as a powerful instructive for writing from and reading the intersections125th Street-size intersections for all readers to enjoy. (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

MY LAI: Vietnam, 1968, and the Descent Into Darkness, by Howard Jones. (Oxford, $34.95.) This book about the famous massacre of Vietnamese villagers by American soldiers may be difficult to read - but it is essential for understanding our recent history, and should become the standard reference on the subject. DRAFT NO. 4: On the Writing Process, by John McPhee. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $25.) Eight essays, originally published in The New Yorker, offer writing advice from the master prose stylist who is perhaps the most revered narrative journalist of our time, letting readers behind the scenes of his creative process. BIRDCAGE WALK, by Helen Dunmore. (Atlantic Monthly, $26.) In her radiantly charged final novel, Dunmore (who died of cancer in June) imagines the turbulent life of an 18th-century British woman, a political activist at the time of the French Revolution, and the effect her radicalism has on her daughter's troubled marriage to an imposing real estate developer. KISS ME SOMEONE, by Karen Shepard. (Tin House, $19.95.) A sharp-edged short story collection that vividly demonstrates how a woman can be another woman's worst enemy. "They'd always walked the line between teasing and cruelty," Shepard writes of four bridesmaids, nominally friends, in one story. A MOONLESS, STARLESS SKY: Ordinary Women and Men Fighting Extremism in Africa, by Alexis Okeowo. (Hachette, $26.) A Nigerian-American journalist profiles ordinary Africans living in defiance of the continent's extremist movements, dramatically at times but more often through simple daily endurance. AFTER THE FALL, by Dan Santat. (Roaring Brook, $17.99; ages 4 to 8.) What if Humpty Dumpty (here decked out in jeans and a skinny tie) decided to pull himself together and get back up on that wall? Santat's picture book explores that premise in a delightful tribute to resiliency and facing fears, with a stellar surprise ending. THE STARS BENEATH OUR FEET, by David Barclay Moore. (Knopf, $16.99; ages 8 to 12.) In this debut novel celebrating community and the power of imagination, a 12-year-old boy in the Harlem projects, still grieving his brother's recent death, finds answers to his life's questions by competing to build cities with Lego. TUMBLE & BLUE, by Cassie Beasley. (Dial, $17.99; ages 8 to 12.) A generations-old family curse and a mystical swamp-dwelling alligator are at the center of Beasley's second fantasy novel, featuring a warmhearted exploration of fate. GOOD NIGHT, PLANET, by Liniers. (TOON Books, $12.95; ages 4 to 8.) The latest picture book from the Argentine cartoonist Liniers is a lively tale of a stuffed rabbit who, once his little girl falls asleep, promptly heads out for an adventure of his own. The full reviews of these and other recent books are on the web: nytimes.com/books

Realistic problems and vivid depictions of family and city life make this middle-grade debut stand out. Twelve-year-old Wallace Lolly Rachpaul lives in the St. Nick projects at 127th street in Harlem, New York. Wallace copes with the death of his older brother, Jermaine, due to crew violence, by making masterpieces with the LEGOs his mom's girlfriend, Yvonne, brings him. He likes hanging out with his best friend Vega, and when he makes his own world with LEGOs and creates a game around it after school with a new friend Rose, things seem to be looking up. But when crew members interested in recruiting Wallace start following him around, and his friend Vega thinks about joining, Wallace must confront his grief and the events that led up to his brother's death. A Sundance Screenwriters Lab finalist, Moore imbues his first novel with a strong voice and includes a diverse cast. Fans of Jason Reynolds' When I Was the Greatest (2014) will enjoy this moving and poignant novel.--Gilfillian, Courtney Copyright 2017 Booklist

Wallace "Lolly" Rachpaul, 12, is still reeling from the murder of his older brother, Jermaine. The only thing that makes him feel better is building with Legos, and after his mother's girlfriend, Yvonne, gives him two trash bags full of loose Legos for Christmas, he lets his imagination soar. When Lolly's creation outgrows his West Indian family's Harlem apartment, he moves it to the rec center. Encouraged by the facility's director, Mr. Ali, Lolly and Big Rose, a girl with autism, begin to build "the alien metropolis of Harmonee." Outside the safety of the rec center, life for Lolly and his best friend Vega is getting more complicated. Two older boys, Harp and Gully, are hassling them, and their menacing presence escalates into an act of violence. Debut author Moore delivers a realistic and at times brutal portrait of life for young people of color who are living on the edge of poverty. At the same time, Moore infuses the story with hope and aspiration, giving Lolly the chance to find salvation through creativity. Ages 10-up. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 5-8-Twelve-year-old Wallace, whom everyone calls Lolly, resides in Harlem with his mother. His older brother's recent gang-related murder has left Lolly with raw, unresolved emotions. His mom's partner brings Lolly two garbage bags full of LEGOs from the toy store where she works; the journey unfolds from there. Lolly finds his path via the ever-evolving LEGO constructions. This debut novel lacks profanity, yet Moore doesn't shy away from critical issues: bullying, gun violence, police brutality, child protective services, and autism. He's created a believable self-discovery story in which the will to survive is achieved by channeling a talent and by the support of friends and family. Nile Bullock provides excellent narration and the author contributes his insights at the novel's conclusion. VERDICT Recommended purchase for all middle schools and most upper elementary collections.-Deb Whitbeck, formerly at West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Bullock delivers an accomplished reading of Moores debut novel about twelve-year-old Wallace Lolly Rachpauls struggle to rebuild his life after his older brother is killed by gang violence. Theres great pain in Lollys story, but hope and humor, too, especially in his relationships with his friends Vega and Big Rose, a girl with autism who becomes his Lego-building collaborator at the local rec center. Bullocks youthful, elastic voice ably delivers diverse characters accents (Dominican, Trinidadian, African American, German, Midwestern U.S.), but his greatest feat is in realizing Lollys full range of emotions, from anger and fear to inspiration, from grief to joy. megan dowd lambert March/April 2019 p 109(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.