First published 2009
Red and his younger brother roam the vibrant streets of New Orleans, collecting bottle caps and searching for their place in a world that seems to shift around them like the Mississippi River itself. The boys face the daily challenges of growing up in their neighborhood, where family bonds are tested and friendships form in unexpected ways. Red must learn to balance his protective instincts toward his brother with his own need to find independence. As the summer unfolds along Royal Street, the brothers discover that some treasures cannot be found in bottle caps or spare change. Their journey becomes one of understanding what it means to belong somewhere and to someone. Williams-Garcia captures the rhythm of childhood in a city where music spills from every doorway and stories live in every corner. The emotional heart of the story lies in how the boys learn that growing up means holding onto what matters most while letting go of what no longer serves them.
Genres: family-life, african-american, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: New Orleans, Mississippi River
Period: Summer
32 pages · Paperback · Marimba