Boy 2.0

After 13-year-old Coal Keegan's foster father experiences a mental health crisis, Coal is sent to live with new foster family the McKays. Though the adults try to make Coal feel welcome, he doesn't trust them yet, and is still smarting from the last time he thought he'd found a forever home. His new situation sours further when, during Coal's trek to make a chalk memorial of Allana Hastings, a Black woman killed by law enforcement, he's threatened at gunpoint and chased by police--and the only reason he escapes is by inexplicably turning invisible. After confiding in his best friend, the boys decide to investigate Coal's newfound powers. Could their existence be linked to his absent family? And what role does the mysterious company Mirror Tech Industries play in all this? Baptiste (Jumbies) utilizes close third-person narration to sensitively explore Coal's fears and frustrations surrounding his experiences in the foster care system as well as issues of racism, police brutality, and mental health. The inclusion of sympathetic and well-drawn supporting characters heightens the stakes of this tightly plotted sci-fi thriller. Most characters cue as Black or brown. Ages 10--up. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Oct.)

Gr 5--8--A thrilling superhero origin story. Win "Coal" Keegan, 13, has just been placed in a new foster home and he takes a walk through the neighborhood to scout locations for his chalk art. A neighbor fires a gun at him and he is chased by the police. Coal is terrified; his fear triggers a family gift and Coal's skin becomes invisible. In his search for the cause behind his newfound power, Coal catches the attention of Mirror Tech Industries and must find his answers before they find him. The McKay kids, his new foster siblings, are quick to rally around Coal as he learns more about his new ability. Friendships new and old bring the perfect amount of levity and humor to a highly suspenseful story. Although this is a superhero tale, Baptiste beautifully weaves in a variety of significant topics like racial justice, science, and mindfulness. The villains' search for Coal resolves itself very quickly at the end, but hopefully the origin story here paves the way for future adventures. Coal and the McKays are cued Black and most other characters are racially ambiguous. VERDICT This is sure to be a hit with fans of the X-Men franchise, but Baptiste's inclusion of real-world topics is the story's true superpower.--Maria Martin