CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARDâWINNING AUTHOR SUNDEE T. FRAZIER WRITES HER MOST PERSONAL, HEARTFELT WORK TO DATE.
Melvin Robinson wants a strong, smooth, He-Man voice that lets him say what he wants, when he wantsâespecially to his crush Millie Takazawa, and Gary Ratliff, who constantly puts him down. But the thought of starting high school is only
making his stutter worse.
And Melvinâs growing awareness that racism is everywhereânot just in the South where a boy his age has been brutally killed by two white men, but also in his own hometown of Spokaneâis making him realize that he canât mutely stand by.
His new friend Lenny, a fast-talking, sax-playing Jewish boy who lives above the townâs infamous (and segregated) Harlem Club, encourages Melvin to take some risksâto invite Millie to Homecoming and even audition for a local TV variety
show. When they play music together, Melvin almost feels like heâs talking, no words required. But there are times when one needs to speak up.
When his moment comes, can Melvin be as mighty on the outside as he actually is on the inside?