But building a fantastical Lego city at the community center provides Lolly with an escape-and an unexpected bridge back to the world.ĭavid Barclay Moore paints a powerful portrait of a boy teetering on the edge-of adolescence, of grief, of violence-and shows how Lolly’s inventive spirit helps him build a life with firm foundations and open doors.įollow DAVID BARCLAY MOORE online at, on Twitter at and on Instagram at dbarclaymoore.ĭavid is a Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe Award-winning author whose novel, The Stars Beneath Our Feet, is being made into a film by actor/director Michael B. When Lolly and his friend are beaten up and robbed, joining a crew almost seems like the safe choice. His path isn’t clear-and the pressure to join a “crew,” as his brother did, is always there. Now, faced with a pile of building blocks and no instructions, Lolly must find his own way forward. Lolly’s always loved Legos, and he prides himself on following the kit instructions exactly. Then Lolly’s mother’s girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with Legos. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-related shooting just a few months earlier. It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t celebrating. A boy tries to steer a safe path through the projects in Harlem in the wake of his brother’s death in this outstanding debut novel that celebrates community and creativity.

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