Playing the Cards You're Dealt (Scholastic Gold)

Starred review from September 20, 2021
Johnson (Twins) addresses themes of toxic masculinity, family, and legacy in this vividly told novel centering Black 10-year-old card shark Anthony “Ant” Joplin. As he starts the fifth grade in South Carolina, Ant is preparing for the Oak Grove annual spades tournament. The game is a family tradition in the Joplin house, and Ant, whose play was “less than satisfactory” the previous year, wants to live up to his champion brother’s success and make their father proud. Ant practices with the help of his trash-talking best friend, Jamal, and meets new schoolmate Shirley, from Texas, who proves to be just as good at spades as Ant. But as Ant’s father, who holds a limited view of masculinity, begins to spiral into online gambling and alcohol abuse, and Jamal’s teasing becomes hurtful, Ant teams up with Shirley for the game, juggling compassion and disappointment as things grow worse on all sides. Via an omniscient, “mostly hands-off” narrator who dynamically breaks down the “great African American institution called spades,” Johnson deftly and realistically portrays family, friend, and classroom dynamics alongside lively descriptions of the beloved game. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

Starred review from December 3, 2021

Gr 4-6-Anthony "Ant" Joplin is just starting fifth grade. This year, he really wants to impress his dad by winning a local spades tournament. Last year he and his partner Jamal lost, and he has been teased about it ever since. On the first day of school, Ant and Jamal meet new student, Shirley, who is able to beat Ant and Jamal handily. This sets up a rivalry between Jamal and Shirley for Ant's friendship, as well as a burgeoning crush for Ant. Meanwhile, Ant's dad is struggling with alcoholism and a gambling addiction. Ant decides that winning the tournament with his dad watching will solve everything. Trash talk, strategy, and the rules of spades are deftly interwoven into the narrative so the uninitiated can understand how the game works. The self-aware narrator serves to explain Ant's decisions while making clear that Ant may have unrealistic expectations of the consequences of winning the tournament. Ant grows as a character; he learns what real friendship looks like, and there are nice moments where the characters tackle toxic masculinity in kid-appropriate ways. For example, Ant receives support from adults in choosing a girl for his spades partner even though he is teased, Ant's older brother is interested in things other than sports and shrugs off negativity from his peers about his hobbies, and Ant sees the value in talking about his family situation with people who care about him. The characters are well developed, and a difficult story is told with tenderness and humor. Most primary characters are Black. VERDICT A first-rate contemporary realistic fiction title that centers a Black boy and his community, and offers expansive notions of masculinity.-Kristin Lee Anderson

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2022
After his first attempt at winning his neighborhood's annual spades tournament ended in disqualification, Anthony Joplin felt as small as his nickname -- Ant. Born into a long line of card sharks, Ant aims to prove to his father that he has what it takes to win. But the game requires a trustworthy partner, and Ant has conflicting feelings about both his best friend (who was recently suspended from school and probably can't play anyway) and the new kid in his fifth-grade class (a girl -- not that he thinks there's anything wrong with that). His trust is also waning in his father, who has been acting strangely lately, especially when it comes to betting and drinking. As family secrets come to light, the stakes are raised for Ant, and he makes some hard decisions that he feels will help him win the tournament -- and his family back. The story and its characters are compelling, as is the omniscient narrator, who becomes increasingly involved in the tale. Themes of addiction and consent are addressed honestly and compassionately, and more than enough tips are given to spark the interest of "youngbloods" in the game of spades. Eboni Njoku

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 15, 2021
Spades is as much a game of partnership and trust as it is about cunning and trash talk, but when the deck seems stacked against Anthony, he's forced to consider what it means to be a good card player as well as a good (young) man. Ten-year-old South Carolina native Anthony Arnold Joplin prefers Ant; to his chagrin, however, the nickname "little man" has stuck. He's short. He gets it. But when his spades partner and best friend Jamal's constant ribbing leads even to Shirley, the cute new girl from Texas, teasing Ant about his height, he starts questioning his skills, his relationships, and how his so-called best friend makes him feel. Eventually, Ant and Shirley hit it off despite Ant's being too shy to admit it, but issues in the Joplin household and Jamal's own volatility put a lot of stress on this budding relationship. Ant's father is an alcoholic and gambler with a lot of reductive opinions on masculinity that confuse the naturally compassionate and thoughtful Ant. Spades becomes a way for Ant to prove himself to his father and hopefully mend some familial wounds, as well as a compelling allegory for the ways he must navigate some uniquely thorny setbacks. A charismatic omniscient narrator explains the intricacies of the game and its venerable position in Black American culture. Realistic character and community portrayals give a difficult story a great amount of heart. Main characters are Black. A story about showing great courage and perseverance when life gets shuffled. (Fiction. 10-14)

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Starred review from September 15, 2021
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Ten-year-old Anthony "Ant" Joplin has always been captivated by the game of spades. Game play has been passed down in his Black community from generation to generation, and Ant loves teaming up with his best friend, Jamal, to take on the other kids. After a disastrous showing in last year's junior division, Ant and Jamal are hell-bent on proving their prowess at an upcoming tournament. They've been practicing their skills--and trash talk--and feel confident about their chances, but change looms on the horizon: Ant has a burgeoning crush on a new fifth-grader, his beloved dad is struggling with work and acting strangely, and Jamal won't be honest with his pal about problems at home. As observant Ant awakens to issues of alcoholism and sexist double standards, he is unsure of how best to help the people he loves, particularly if they hurt him in the process. The ever-present game of spades is a clever thread that binds the story together, and a chatty, omniscient narrator is there to explain the game to the uninitiated. The cards provide plenty of fodder for spades-related wisdom ("you lose 100% of the games you're too scared to play"), as a fierce sense of family and community root Ant and lift him up even in the toughest moments. A compelling story of cards, courage, and compassion.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2022
After his first attempt at winning his neighborhood's annual spades tournament ended in disqualification, Anthony Joplin felt as small as his nickname -- Ant. Born into a long line of card sharks, Ant aims to prove to his father that he has what it takes to win. But the game requires a trustworthy partner, and Ant has conflicting feelings about both his best friend (who was recently suspended from school and probably can't play anyway) and the new kid in his fifth-grade class (a girl -- not that he thinks there's anything wrong with that). His trust is also waning in his father, who has been acting strangely lately, especially when it comes to betting and drinking. As family secrets come to light, the stakes are raised for Ant, and he makes some hard decisions that he feels will help him win the tournament -- and his family back. The story and its characters are compelling, as is the omniscient narrator, who becomes increasingly involved in the tale. Themes of addiction and consent are addressed honestly and compassionately, and more than enough tips are given to spark the interest of "youngbloods" in the game of spades.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)