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American Ace Hardcover – Illustrated, January 12, 2016

by Marilyn Nelson (Author)

21 ratings

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This riveting novel in verse, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Toni Morrison, explores American history and race through the eyes of a teenage boy embracing his newfound identity

Connor’s grandmother leaves his dad a letter when she dies, and the letter’s confession shakes their tight-knit Italian-American family: The man who raised Dad is not his birth father.

But the only clues to this birth father’s identity are a class ring and a pair of pilot’s wings. And so Connor takes it upon himself to investigate—a pursuit that becomes even more pressing when Dad is hospitalized after a stroke. What Connor discovers will lead him and his father to a new, richer understanding of race, identity, and each other.

Reading age

12 - 17 years
Print length

128 pages
Language

English
Grade level

7 - 9
Lexile measure

780L
Dimensions

5.69 x 0.58 x 8.56 inches
Publisher

Rocky Pond Books
Publication date

January 12, 2016
ISBN-10

0803733054
ISBN-13

978-0803733053
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up—When she dies, Nonna Lucia leaves a letter to Connor's father, her oldest son, which reveals that he is not the biological son of her husband but rather of an American who died during World War II. It is as if Connor's father has lost himself as well as his beloved mother; he is devastated. The confusion and questions emerging from the discovery propel Connor to explore who this mysterious grandfather might have been. It emerges that he was one of the storied, heroic Tuskegee Airmen. Through 45 poems in Connor's voice, Nelson considers such matters as identity, heredity, nurture, race, and family. Connor and his father, who is teaching him to drive, have ample opportunity to probe tentatively and delicately into their feelings about such things while they're on the road. Connor's research takes on urgency after his father suffers a stroke, and his gradual recovery is deftly linked to Connor's increasing pride about their newfound heritage. VERDICT Nelson packs a good deal into these verses, and though the subject matter is weighty, she leavens it with humor and deep family affection.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY

Review

Praise for American Ace

“[Nelson’s] meticulous verse is the perfect vehicle to convey the devastating fragility of racial and familial identity in an America where interracial love is still divided through the problem of the color line.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Inspired by her father’s remarkable experiences as a Tuskegee Airman, esteemed historian-poet Nelson has aced it again. . . . This slice of history has been told before, but not like this.”—Booklist

“Nelson’s powerful command of language is inarguable.”—Publishers Weekly

“A quietly powerful story about race, ignorance, and identity from a poetry master.”—Bustle.com

“A skillful exploration into identity, culture, and race.”—Examiner.com

“A gorgeous story that stays with you long after you finish.”—Buzzfeed

“A bright spot in historical fiction.”—BookPage

“Stunning.”—Shelf Awareness

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rocky Pond Books; Illustrated edition (January 12, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803733054
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803733053
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 17 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 780L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.69 x 0.58 x 8.56 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,194,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #283 in Teen & Young Adult Multigenerational Family Fiction
- #403 in Teen & Young Adult 20th Century United States Historical Fiction
- #488 in Teen & Young Adult Parents Fiction

Customer Reviews:
21 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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jcampbell

Interesting story

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 13, 2018

Verified Purchase

It’s the first time I’ve read a book in prose. I really liked the format and it was a fast read. I enjoyed the authors note

Helpful

BPK

Required / Easy / Liberal

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 4, 2020

Verified Purchase

Required reading by schoolteacher. Easy read for my 6th grader. Book was politically biased in some ways.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 27, 2016

satisfied

An engaging historical novel in verse

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 30, 2016

Review copy: purchased

It’s funny to think about identity,
Dad said. Now I wonder how much of us
we inherit, and how much we create.

Connor and his family go through some soul-searching as they find out their heritage is something other than what they had always believed. We see the unfolding story through Connor’s eyes. His family has suffered the loss of his beloved Nonna and Connor is concerned about his father’s grief and possible depression. Otherwise life had been moving along as expected. Connor spends a lot of time with his dad as he practices driving to get his license. Things become complicated quickly though when Connor’s father explains that he has no idea who his father was. The journey to discover their family history leads them to new ways of thinking about themselves and the society they inhabit. After learning about their more complicated heritage, Connor sees his school in a new way.

I walked between classes in slow motion,
seeing the ancient intertribal wars
still being fought, in the smallest gestures.
Little things I hadn’t noticed before:
the subtle put-downs, silent revenges.

The story is delivered in nine parts containing five vignettes each. These are made up of two twelve line stanzas written in iambic pentameter. I often forget that poetry can be incredibly mathematical. Such a structure makes for extremely deliberate choices. This format meant there wasn’t much room for explanation. Nelson kept things tight. I appreciate that and so will readers looking for something quick yet meaningful. I almost always enjoy a novel in verse. I like the way Nelson delivers small packages of information and makes every word count. The titles are even important.

In part seven, the text shifts a bit and becomes a paper for Connor’s Honors History class. This brought in something I really appreciated. Photos of airmen from WWII are included every few pages. These added a lot to the story. With the photos, the pilots became something more than history. They became individuals with lives and stories of their own. In the author’s note, Nelson explains about the information for Connor’s report, “I did not invent any of the facts Connor learns….That part of the story is true. And still amazing.”

One thing did shake me out of the story a bit. The setting appears to be the present day since Connor uses google and his father has rapid DNA testing. With Connor being a teen, it seems a little strange that his grandfather is old enough to have been a pilot in WWII. My grandfather fought in the war and my children are older than Connor. It sort of works because Connor’s father has a child and grandchildren from a previous relationship so he was not young when he had Connor. It made me do some math though because it seemed difficult to believe.

Recommendation: Get it soon if you are a fan of verse novels or enjoy historical novels and want something quick. Otherwise, borrow it someday. I truly enjoyed the book, but if I were recommending Nelson’s poetry, I would first hand someone A Wreath for Emmett Till and How I Discovered Poetry.

Extra: Warning – the following interview reveals their family heritage. I tried not to do that here since the publisher’s summary didn’t. If you want to know precisely what history this book explores though, please read this Publisher’s Weekly interview with author [...]l

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 31, 2016

FTC Disclosure: Penguin Teen sent an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

American Ace is the first book that I've read by National Book Award Finalist, Marilyn Nelson, and I'm pretty sure that it won't be my last. I didn't know what to expect when this book showed up on my doorstep, but what I got was a book that I know will stick with me for the rest of my life because it's full of life and history.

Told in a poetic-like prose, American Ace tells the story of a teenager named Connor Bianchini. Connor has grown up believing that he's half Italian-American and half Irish-America. He's very close to his father's side of the family, and they all help run the family-owned Italian restaurant. Connor's world changes after his grandmother passes away. He notices changes in his father, and he doesn't think that it's just grief. He soon finds out that his grandfather, the man who raised his father, is not a blood relative. His father was adopted, and he now has clues - a class ring and a pair of pilot's wings - to help figure out their new genetic identity.

I loved how Ms. Nelson approached identity in American Ace. Following Connor's journey is an interesting ride, and it's one that readers will remember for a long time to come. It's full of questions, but it's also full of answers. Not only will readers find out about Connor and his father's journey to discover who they are, but they will learn a great deal about history, particularly the Tuskegee Airmen.

The most important part of the book is how Connor feels. To him, it doesn't matter that things in his life are changing. He embraces the change and wants to learn as much as he can. I loved that. I'm sure that we all want to know who we are and where we come from, and Connor takes it upon himself to find that out for his father. In the end, he finds out a lot about a whole group of people, instead of the one person who gave him his DNA.

Themes included in this book are family, racial identity, and personal identity. There are moments that show you just how strong the bond of a family is, and there are moments in the book that show you how just one new piece of information can change your whole outlook on life.

American Ace isn't a book I would have picked up on my own, and I'm very grateful that Penguin sent it to me. I enjoyed the historical aspects, and I also enjoyed Connor's story. I would recommend American Ace to middle grade and YA readers. I would also recommend this title to teachers and school librarians. I think it would be a great book for kids to read to learn about WWII and the Tuskegee Airmen.

Helpful

GeekyPhotogMomSings

I didn't expect to like it so much!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 28, 2021

I thought books written in verse were weird, but this book changed my mind. It's fantastically written- spare, simple, and oftentimes poetic. There will be a little phrase that's so poetic that it makes your heart hurt a little. I loved it!

Helpful

Maci and Zoe Read Books

Maci and Zoe's Review: A good discussion starter

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 5, 2017

This book is about identity. It is told completely in prose, which makes it very fast to read. The small size and fast story does not take away from the depth and the message that Marilyn Nelson is showing. This book is told from the perspective of Conner, who is Italian and never considered himself to be anything else. But when Conner's father discovers that his birth father is not who he thought, Conner takes it upon himself to rediscover himself through discovering his father's father. This is a good book for middle schoolers to start discussions about race and identity. It went by very fast and although it did not have a ton of character development or dialogue, it instead invoked the reader to fill in the blanks and put themselves in the shoes of Conner so that maybe they would be able to discover something about themselves as well.

Helpful