Onyx & Beyond
1960s United States: Onyx lives in Lexington, Virginia, with his mother and grandmother; his father and cousins are nearby in Washington, DC. Because he is named for a rock, Onyx loves rocks, has a collection, and believes certain rocks have special powers. Gran makes Onyx promise that when he’s done at college, he’ll take care of his Mama, who has started showing signs of dementia. Unfortunately, Gran dies when Onyx is twelve years old. How can he take care of his increasingly confused mother? He focuses on his Gran’s stories of magic stones and enslaved people who grew wings.
This story is told in beautiful verse. Early poems skillfully illustrate Onyx’s struggles with grief, how he folds into himself and lets his imagination soar. His character is well presented; readers will feel his sorrow, hope for him, and probably see the faults in his plans to save his mother. The historical setting is less present because it isn’t the focus of the story. Onyx remembers driving with his mother through a burning Washington after Martin Luther King Jr.’s murder, and he gets into a fight about school integration when the instigator makes fun of his mother. There is a realistically happy ending and an important, age-appropriate lesson. Recommended. Ages 8-12.
