Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Author’s website: https://kwamembalia.com/

Activities & Resources:

African and African-American legends

John Henry: https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/the-legend-of-john-henry-talcott-wv.htm

Brer Rabbit: https://kids.kiddle.co/Br%27er_Rabbit

Anansi: http://anansistories.com/

Anansi the Spider Craft: http://teachermomplus3.blogspot.com/2016/03/anansi-spider-craft.html

Write your own legend using one or more of the characters in Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.

Boxing

Kids Boxing Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I9WBNPbtsU (10:41)

Rules of Boxing: https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/boxing/352876

Storytelling

Tristan was an Anansesem, a skilled storyteller.

Storytelling Tips for Kids: https://www.mensaforkids.org/teach/lesson-plans/the-art-of-storytelling/

Student Storyteller Christian Diaz (8:41): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCGzUPPwUWo

Use a wordless picture book, such as A Ball for Daisy or A Wolf in the Snow, as inspiration for a story to tell to others.

MakerSpace Activities:

Tristan liked comic books. Recreate one of the scenes from Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky using Book Creator (https://bookcreator.com/) or these graphic novel templates (https://www.storyboardthat.com/create/worksheet-graphic-novel).

Design a floating raft like the one Ayanna used to travel around Alke. Use a hair dryer or fan to test if it will move on the air.

Use paper and pencil or https://ui2.worldspinner.com/ to create a map of Alke, MidPass, and other places Tristan traveled.

On page 274, Gum Baby sings “Ballad of Gum Baby.” Write another verse and set the song to music using the GarageBand app or https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker.

Discussion Questions:

Have you heard John Henry, Brer Rabbit, or Anansi stories before? What do you know about these stories?

What does Tristan mean when he says, “who deals with their problems by choice” (page 2)?

How did Gum Baby know where to find the journal?

Why do John Henry, Brer Rabbit, Gum Baby, and the other characters only start to appear when Tristan arrives in Alabama?

Why does Gum Baby get offended when Tristan calls her a doll (page 38)?

What does Brer fox mean when he says “stories are powerful magic. You’ll find that out soon enough” (page 71).

Brer Fox said, “wounding or hurting someone else leaves just as big a mark on the attacker. You can’t see it, but it’s there. (page 94)” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Tristan is an Anansesem, a skilled storyteller who can make magical things happen when he tells a story. Do you know anyone who is a talented storyteller? What do they do to make stories come alive?

One page 185, Tristan says, “I don’t want to go because I’m afraid. Of failing. Of letting another person down.” Have you ever felt that way? Explain.

Tristan thinks, “We all had something to prove to someone, even if it was just ourselves” (page 273). What did he mean?

How do you think the crowd will react when Tristan admits he caused the hole in the Sky? How would you have reacted if you were in the crowd?

How would you feel about riding on a forebear? Would it be scary or exciting? Why?

Does the story of Abiyoyo on page 302 remind you of any other stories? How is it similar or different from stories you’re familiar with?

On page 311, Nana says, “Everybody has a story. Listen to it, and they’ll be friendly. Engage with it, and they’ll be your friend.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Have you had an experience like this? Describe it.

What does the Amagqhira mean when she says, “There is strength in not fighting” (page 355)?

One page 391, Tristan says “There’s a point where I get so worked up I can’t tell my emotions apart. Am I angry or scared? Is it everything at once, or none of the above?” Have you ever felt this way?

Which character was your favorite? Why?

Book Talk Teasers:

Watch the TBA book trailer for Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.

Read the Readers Theater for Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky.

Read Alikes:

Mythology

Acevedo, Chantel. The Cassandra Curse. When her simple pep talk catapults her best friend into pop stardom, a Cuban American girl discovers her identity as the one of nine muses of Greek mythology who uses secret poetic talents to protect humanity’s fate. (NoveList Plus)

Cervantes, Jennifer. The Storm Runner. To prevent the Mayan gods from battling each other and destroying the world, thirteen-year-old Zane must unravel an ancient prophecy, stop an evil god, and discover how the physical disability that makes him reliant on a cane also connects him to his father and his ancestry.(NoveList Plus)

Chokshi, Roshani. Aru Shah and the End of the World. Telling fibs in order to fit in better with her wealthier peers, 12-year-old Aru Shah spends her school break at the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, where her decision to light a cursed lamp unwittingly releases an ancient demon. (NoveList Plus)

Fantasy Worlds

Barron, Rena. Maya and the Rising Dark. Struggling to understand why nobody else in her South Side Chicago neighborhood can see strange phenomena, 12-year-old Maya discovers that her missing father has been protecting a supernatural boundary between worlds. (NoveList Plus)

Hernandez, Carlos. Sal and Gabi Break the Universe. In order to heal after his mother's death, thirteen-year-old Sal learns to reach into time and space to retrieve things--and people--from other universes. (NoveList Plus)

Reviews:

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. Mbalia, Kwame. Disney/Rick Riordan Presents. Oct 2019.

Booklist

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Starred)

Mbalia, Kwame (author)

Oct. 2019. 496p. Disney/Rick Riordan Presents, $16.99 (9781368039932). Grades 4-8.

REVIEW. First published August, 2019 (Booklist).

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. By Kwame Mbalia. Oct. 2019. 496p. Disney/Rick Riordan Presents, $16.99 (9781368039932). Grades 4-8.

After losing his debut boxing match, two weeks following his best friend Eddie’s death, Tristan Strong is sent to his grandparents’ Alabama farm. He grew up on his nana’s stories—Black American folklore and African myths—which Eddie had been collecting in writing. This journal is all Tristan has left of his friend, so when one of those myths, the hilariously volatile Gum Baby, shows up to steal it, Tristan gives chase. In the struggle, he punches a Bottle Tree, inadvertently unleashing an evil spirit and tearing a hole into a parallel universe. The world he falls into is an amalgam of Nana’s stories, and as Tristan lands in the middle of a conflict between gods, heroes, and ruthless iron monsters—snapping, serpentine manacles—he must reclaim Eddie’s journal and return home, but not before discovering his own power and fixing the damage he caused. Mbalia’s epic debut centers African American characters and tradition, featuring a pantheon of legends and a plot worthy of such tricksters as Brer Rabbit and Anansi the Weaver. Perfectly paced, this cinematic adventure never drags, anchored by Tristan’s conversational narration and balanced by his struggle to cope with a friend’s passing. It brims with heart, humor, and action, successfully crafting a beautifully unified secondary world that brings the power of stories to glorious life. — Ronny Khuri

Reprinted with Permission of Booklist https://www.booklistonline.com/

School Library Journal (November 1, 2019)

Gr 5-8-Tristan is reluctantly on his way to spend the summer with his grandparents on the family farm. In his pocket he carries the journal of his best friend Eddie, killed in a bus accident. Tristan's survivor guilt means he hasn't read the journal, and he is trying very hard to ignore the strange green glow coming from its cover. When Gum Baby, a figure from West African legend, tries to steal the journal, Tristan races to retrieve it, breaking a bottle on his grandmother's bottle tree and falling through a flaming hole into a parallel world. Here, the stories Tristan's grandmother tells are solidly real: in the course of breathless chases, close escapes, and mounting stakes, he meets John Henry, Brer Fox, High John the Conqueror, and other figures from African and African American folklore. A race to retrieve Anansi's story box reveals Tristan's destiny as an Anansesem, a storyteller of power, and makes him a pivotal figure in the saving of this strange new world. While the novel is lengthy, the pace is quick, secondary characterizations are nicely delineated, and the folkloric figures are heroic and true to their legends. The world-building includes evocative descriptions of skeleton ships, manacled monsters, and deadly villains. In addition to being rife with action, the story is rooted in the emotional journey of the protagonist; between making friends and losing them, Tristan finally makes peace with Eddie's death. VERDICT Part of the "Rick Riordan Presents" series, this debut novel offers a richly realized world, a conversational, breezy style, and a satisfying conclusion that leaves room for sequels.-Janice M. Del Negro, GSLIS Dominican University, River Forest, IL © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reprinted with permission from School Library Journal, 2019. http://www.slj.com.