Yolanda's Genius (1995)

After moving from Chicago to Grand River, Michigan, fifth grader Yolonda, big and strong for her age, determines to prove that her younger brother is not a slow learner but a true musical genius.
Lexile: 710

We just finished the book, Yolonda’s Genius by Carol Fenner. In this book, a fat, young, Black girl named Yolonda decides that her younger brother is an undiscovered genius.



Andrew is an outstanding harmonica player, and only 6 years old. The music seems to flow through him. He was a slow learner, very young, very shy, and very quiet. Because of this, their mama would not believe that he is a genius. Yolanda has to come up with a plan to show her mama, and world, Andrew’s genius.



In this book Carol Fenner showed how genius is not always obvious. Most people think of a genius as someone who is very academically smart. A math prodigy for example. Just because they are smart does not mean they are a genius. Unless this math prodigy has the ability to look at old math theories for example and create a whole new theory based on the old one, unless he can do that he is not a genius. Just knowing all the already known facts does not make you a genius.



People might look at Andrew, a small young boy who doesn’t even know how to read music yet, and they might not think of him as a genius. But he is. Yolanda is also a genius and she does not even recognize herself as one. She was able to look at the definition of a genius in a dictionary and recognize Andrew as a genius. She then also comes up with great ideas to get Andrew recognized. She made it happen. She pretended to be a lost child so that she could get back stage at the blues festival, then she got Andrew on stage and he played his harmonica. She is also a true genius.



Andrew reminds me of the other famous Rock and Roll artists that we learned about at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is an outsider, and not like everyone else. Other than Yolonda, no one understands him.



He was also very amazing at music. For example, he hears popping toast and turns it into a song. He has the ability to rearrange old material in a way never seen before. All the best Rock and Roll musicians have this ability. This means that you take old chords from old songs and mix them together to make a new song. That is what music is all about. Andrew is a child prodigy, and just like all Rock and Roll heroes, a true genius.

Yolanda and her family are adjusting as they move from Chicago to a small suburb in Michigan. Yolanda’s brother, who appears to have a disability, is really gifted. She is determined to help him and bring out his true hidden talents. The themes throughout this book are change, family, weaknesses, gifts, growing up, music, and differences. I think students will enjoy this book. It is a Newbery book.

In this book, there was a girl named Yolanda who has a brother who supposedly is a genius on the harmonica, but no one knows this except her. Yolanda must get her brother noticed by everyone else. Throughout the book, Yolanda learns what it means to be a genius. It means to be smart, but also to be able to take old material and turn into something new. In a way, Yolanda is also a genius because of the way she encourages her brother to play the harmonica well again, and how she gets him noticed.

It wasn't my favorite book, but it might be good for anyone who likes realistic fiction. ( )

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Inclusion
Age Appropriateness: Middle School
Media: N/A
Setting: The setting is in important because it shapes the story. They move from the city of Chicago Illinois to small town of Grand River, Michigan. When Yolanda’s family moves causes the characters to make new friends and encounter unique situations they may not have been able to experience in Chicago.
Review: This is a good example of realist fiction, because there are situations in the book that kids may be able to relate to in their own lives/experiences. Yolanda did not really acknowledge her brother’s exceptionality or is a genius until they moved. The lifestyle or experiences that Yolanda and her brother encounter may or may not be ones that a student has encountered, but there is that possibly they will later on in their life. ( )