Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 04/07/2025 Twelve-year-old Andreus "Andy" Carter isn’t thrilled to be spending the summer in fictional Bryville, Ohio, with his aunt Nonie. The only Black kid in town, he endures frequent racism, experiences that worsen feelings of loneliness stemming from his incarcerated father’s postponed parole hearing. Then Andy is apprehended for the purported arson of curmudgeonly neighbor Mr. Gilbert’s barn. Rather than have Andy sentenced to juvenile detention, elderly Mr. Gilbert offers an alternative consequence: helping the barn owner restore his dilapidated home, which local kids call the "murder house." Andy learns that the house was owned by infamous magician the Red Nave, who disappeared in 1954 after he was implicated in the murder of a prominent Bryville resident. The tween decides to strike a new deal: if he can close the Red Nave’s unsolved case, Mr. Gilbert will release Andy from his renovation duties. Intertwining plotlines regarding the mystery of the Red Nave and Andy’s struggles navigating prejudice shed light on how preconceived assumptions can strain friendships and communities. Andy’s journal entries, presented as letters addressed to his father, appear throughout Ransaw’s thoughtful debut about second chances. Ages 8-12. (June) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 06/01/2025 Gr 4–6—Ransaw's debut will have readers reevaluating biases and eager to uncover clues to a small-town mystery. Twelve-year-old Andy is living with his aunt while his dad waits for his parole hearing. As the only Black kid in town, Andy experiences microaggressions and feels like he doesn't fit in, especially after the townsfolk accuse him of arson. Now his summer will be spent working for grumpy Mr. Gilbert on a dilapidated mansion that once belonged to the Red Knave, a mysterious magician who vanished after being suspected of murder in 1954. Having firsthand experience of being falsely accused of a crime, Andy is determined to prove that the Red Knave is innocent even if everyone else in town believes otherwise. While uncovering hidden rooms and piecing together clues, Andy also begins to process his feelings over his own situation and that of his dad. The conflict between Andy and the local boys in town feels authentic. Readers will be able to relate to Andy's frustrations over feeling unheard and misunderstood by the adults around him. VERDICT A fast-paced, multilayered mystery that will encourage readers to question preconceived notions and search for the truth in their own lives.—Susan Elbag - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/01/2025 *Starred Review* Andy is sorry. Sorry that his aunt has to put up with him all summer. Sorry that his dad is in jail and too embarrassed to talk to him about it. Sorry that Mr. Gilbert’s barn burned down, even though he didn’t do it. Everyone’s all too willing to believe that Andy, the town’s only Black kid, is responsible, though. Now, as punishment, he has to spend the summer helping Mr. Gilbert restore an old home that’s linked to a decades-old mystery. The former owner of the home was the Red Nave, a master magician who vanished after a murder occurred at his show. Mr. Gilbert has long been obsessed with the tale, so Andy strikes a bargain with the old man: if he can discover the Red Nave’s identity and the truth about that night, Andy can stop working on the house. Andy is eager to get his summer back, but he’s also interested in potentially proving the Red Nave’s innocence—and, by extension, Andy’s and his father’s. Debut author Ransaw has built a mystery that is as satisfying to adults as it will be to middleschool readers. Her message of self-advocacy is particularly empowering, and readers will feel gratified by Andy’s emergence as a stronger, more confident kid. A worthwhile read for any mystery fan or anyone in need of a little magic. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.