The Rule of Three

Gr 4-7–Wyatt, like many young people, is wholly focused on his love: baseball. He and his best friend Dallas have a three-step, capital “P” Plan to get to the majors, with each step being pivotal to success. Wyatt and Dallas try out for the local travel baseball team. Tryouts are the beginning of Wyatt’s unraveling as he battles covert and overt racism and bullying. This harassment yields surprising results, in wisps of smoke that emerge from Wyatt’s body. Historical events are woven into Wyatt’s story of trying to solve the smoke mystery and succeed as a young multiracial boy (Black, Mexican, and white). Readers are given a deeper understanding behind his and his father’s reactions to current events, such as Black Lives Matter and the death of George Floyd. Capps interweaves the racial struggles both father and son have endured that led to family trauma (epigenetics), shaping how they view themselves and their world. The author’s willingness to tackle difficult topics with thoughtfulness and compassion makes this compelling novel a must-read. Readers will connect to Wyatt’s strife and journey of self-discovery.