My Name Is Leon

By: Kit de Waal

Narrated by: Madeleine Maby

“Taut, emotionally intense, and wholly believable, this beautiful and uplifting debut” (Kirkus Reviews) about a young black boy’s quest to reunite with his beloved white half-brother after they are separated in foster care is a sparkling novel perfect for fans of The Language of Flowers.

Leon loves chocolate bars, Saturday morning cartoons, and his beautiful, golden-haired baby brother. When Jake is born, Leon pokes his head in the crib and says, “I’m your brother. Big brother. My. Name. Is. Leon. I am eight and three quarters. I am a boy.” Jake will play with no one but Leon, and Leon is determined to save him from any pain and earn that sparkling baby laugh every chance he can.

But Leon isn’t in control of this world where adults say one thing and mean another. When their mother falls victim to her inner demons, strangers suddenly take Jake away; after all, a white baby is easy to adopt, while a half-black, nine-year-old faces a less certain fate. Vowing to get Jake back by any means necessary, Leon’s own journey will carry him through the lives of a doting but ailing foster mother, Maureen; Maureen’s cranky and hilarious sister, Sylvia; a social worker Leon knows only as “The Zebra”; and a colorful community of local gardeners and West Indian political activists.

Told through the perspective of young Leon, too innocent to entirely understand what has happened to him and baby Jake, but determined to do what he can to make things right. In the end, this is an uplifting story about the power of love, the unbreakable bond between brothers, and the truth about what ultimately makes a family. My Name Is Leon will capture your imagination and steal your heart with its “moving exploration of race and the foster-care system that offers precious insight into the mind of a child forced to grow up well before his time” (Booklist).

Compelling & heartfelt

An important lesson in empathy beautifully performed. Will be looking for more work from this author.

Among the Best

This is unputdownable. The story and the narration were superb. Themes of family, racism, growing up eloquently presented.

Wonderful book, beautifully read.

This story will break your heart and then mend it in ways you might not think possible. The writing is gorgeous and the characters will stay with you for the best reason: love. Fabulous narration too.

My Name Is Leon

Very well written and enlightening book. Anyone who works with children should read this. A good read.

Depends on your job

As a social worker, I like this book. Especially the realistic portrayal of foster care, the people who are foster parents, the devastation of mental health and addiction and how the system can work against the good. I also felt it was on point about how Leon was depicted as a child who was unadoptable. His pain, his confusion, his grief was palpable.
I think my only issue was it felt like work. And I felt like it was a text book I had to read rather than an enjoyable read. If this isn’t your field of work you would probably enjoy it much more.