Boy 2.0

By: Tracey Baptiste

Narrated by: Ariel Blake

An action-packed superhero story from New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste

Win “Coal” Keegan has just landed in his latest foster home, with a big, noisy, slightly nosy family named the McKays. They seem eager to welcome Coal, but he’s wary of trusting them. So, he doesn’t tell them that he went for a walk with chalk in his pocket to cover a nearby street with his art. He doesn’t tell them that a neighbor found Coal drawing, pulled a gun on him, and fired it. He doesn’t tell them the police chased him. And he definitely doesn’t tell them that when everything went down, Coal somehow turned invisible.

But he did.

Now he has to figure out how. Is he a superhero? Some kind of mutant? A science experiment? Is that why he has no family of his own? As Coal searches for answers and slowly learns to control his invisibility, he turns to the McKay kids and friends both new and old for help. But they soon discover they’re not the only ones looking for a Black boy with superpowers, and the situation is far stranger—and more dangerous—than they ever could have expected.

Critic reviews

I'm honestly not sure how Baptiste spun biology, anthropology, chemistry, politics, and foster care into a suspenseful romp about family and the extraordinary nature of ordinary people, but she did. And it's masterful. Is Boy 2.0 the origin story of our new favorite superhero? Or a metaphoric nod to the lives of everyday Black boys in America? Or...both? Either way, this is a special, special read.—Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Long Way Down and Twenty-Four Seconds from Now

Tracey Baptiste blends heart wrenching realism with unpredictable science fiction, to create an unputdownable tale about a boy’s quest to find the truth about his family and his power. Baptiste cleverly tackles real-world issues in a story filled with easter eggs and plot twists that are sobering, eye-opening, and downright irresistible.—Kwame Alexander, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Crossover and The Door of No Return

Captivating. Innovative. Original. Perfection. Tracey Baptiste is a masterful storyteller. Once again she's given us compelling characters and an unforgettable story about the magic and miracle of family, friendship and legacy. —Renee Watson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Black Girl You Are Atlas and Piecing Me Together

Propulsive and dazzling from the very first page, Boy 2.0 is as ingenious as it is impossible to put down. An astonishing book.—Anne Ursu, National Book Award longlisted author of Not Quite a Ghost

Coal awaiting spark and wind

A lovely read! Great characters, funny, witty, and heartfelt. A great origin story for a new kind of hero.