Waiting on Wednesday: Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles

Image: Penguin Random House

Not An Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles. 256 p. Random House Children's Books, February 28, 2023. 9780593175217.

Happy Wednesday. It's another rainy day here in northern NJ, only the temperature rose to a balmy 56 degrees. I absentmindedly put on my down coat and warm hat and had quite the surprise when I opened the deck door to walk the pups at 5:15 this morning. Such weird weather!

Waiting on Wednesday features Not An Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles. I reviewed Ms. Giles' 2021 debut, Take Back the Block for School Library Journal, so when I learned from the author's social media, her sophomore effort was releasing, I added it to my list of preorders for our library. Not an Easy Win will publish on February 28, 2023. Here's what the publisher has to say about it: Can Lawrence figure out how to get on the board, even though the odds are stacked against him?

Introducing a powerful novel about family, forgiveness, and figuring out who you are when you don’t make the rules—just right for middle-grade fans of Nic Stone and Jason Reynolds.

Lawrence is ready for a win. . . .

Nothing’s gone right for Lawrence since he had to move from Charlotte to Larenville, North Carolina, to live with his granny. When Lawrence ends up in one too many fights at his new school, he gets expelled. The fight wasn’t his fault, but since his pop’s been gone, it feels like no one listens to what Lawrence has to say.

Instead of going to school, Lawrence starts spending his days at the rec center, helping out a neighbor who runs a chess program. Some of the kids in the program will be picked to compete in the Charlotte Classic chess tournament. Could this be Lawrence's chance to go home?

Lawrence doesn’t know anything about chess, but something about the center—and the kids there—feels right. Lawrence thought the game was over . . . but does he have more moves left than he thought?

Happy reading!