The unforgettable, heartwarming and deeply moving, coming-of-age, children's novel about discovering what's inside the mind of a precocious African American boy searching for greatness.
Jesse, a rambunctious, 5th grade loner, has an intelligence and imagination that has always made him appear socially awkward. An "everyman," with ever-changing mood and grace, he develops an unlikely bond with the beautiful and infinitely more popular Khalilah that only tragedy can tear apart.
Using the shape shifting metamorphosis of caterpillars - from craving, crawling, earthbound creatures, to graceful winged beauties - as lessons for life, love, happiness and hope, it is a powerful story that rises out of the ashes and becomes more emotionally driven with each turning page.
"It gives you the ability to reach higher ground and keep climbing. Gave me hope and showed there were possibilities in life." Oprah Winfrey
"The book is so pure!" says Hollywood Writer/Dir., Tim Chey, "I read it in ONE sitting and absolutely LOVED IT. It's as engaging as it is valuable."
"Jesse is simply, the Charlie Brown, for the millennial age. Never before has an African American author written about African American adolescents with so much depth." Roxbury Longview Journal
Bold, beautiful, perceptive and raw, this transcendent work, takes you inside the subconscious mind of an insightful, deep-thinking kid who talks to himself. With the power to hook boys, girls and adults, it's a modern release that has the timeless beauty of a classic. The story will make you laugh, cry, reminisce and question, "When the age of innocence is lost, how do you rebuild what remains?"
Jesse is a hero for all times, ages and cultures. One who proves, "When there's greatness inside you, who says you can't fly?"
*Academic Language and Common Core Standards aligned. Teacher and quarantine recommended!
About the Author: Hailing from Boston, MA, and growing up in Santa Rosa CA, Aaron Braxton currently resides in Southern California where he is a graduate of San Diego State University with a B.A. in Speech Communication and a M.A. in Curriculum Writing and Instruction from the University of Southern California. He is the author of several books, plays, features films and television pilots. "A strong, vital, and progressive society cannot be made unless people create it together. We are free to examine limits, but we have to be motivated by recognizing that there are none."
