April Keep It Real Book Club: Will's Race for Home

Join us for the inaugural meeting of Keeping it Real Book Club, held on the first Thursday of each month!  Readers ages 9-13 who like to keep their feet firmly planted in this world will meet to discuss  compelling new middle-grade realistic fiction.  Dragons and magic? We’ve never heard of ‘em.  Superheroes and unicorns? Get those outta here.  We love history, science, characters you might see walking down the street, and the stories that tie them all together.  This month, we’ll discuss Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes.  We’ll gallop across the country as we meet Will’s family and his beloved mule.  How do you tell the good cowboys from the bad?  What do we think of Will’s constant questions? And how do you know when you’re being brave vs when you’ve gone too far? 

Parents are welcome to stay, drop off, or browse the adult store.  Mention the book club at checkout to receive 10% off this month’s selection!

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About the book

Bestselling and award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes goes West in this thrilling adventure story about a son and his father who set out to win land during the Oklahoma Land Rush–if they can survive the journey.
It’s 1889, barely twenty-five years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and a young Black family is tired of working on land they don’t get to own.
So when Will and his father hear about an upcoming land rush, they set out on a journey from Texas to Oklahoma, racing thousands of others to the place where land is free—if they can get to it fast enough. But the journey isn’t easy—the terrain is rough, the bandits are brutal, and every interaction carries a heavy undercurrent of danger.
And then there’s the stranger they encounter and befriend: a mysterious soldier named Caesar, whose Union emblem brings more attention—and more trouble—than any of them need.
All three are propelled by the promise of something long denied to them: freedom, land ownership, and a place to call home—but is a strong will enough to get them there?

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Old Town Books, 130 South Royal Street, Alexandria, United States