A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Expert quilter Kim Taylor shares a unique and powerful story of the celebration of the first Juneteenth, from the perspective of a young girl.On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army delivered the message that African Americans in Texas were free. Since then, Juneteenth, as the day has come to be known, has steadily gained recognition throughout the United States. ln 2020,a powerful wave of protests and demonstrations calling for racial justice and equality brought new awareness to the significance of the holiday.A Flag for Juneteenth depicts a close-knit community of enslaved African Americans on a plantation in Texas, the day before the announcement is to be made that all enslaved people are free. Young Huldah, who is preparing to celebrate her tenth birthday, can’t possibly anticipate how much her life will change that Juneteenth morning. The story follows Huldah and her community as they process the news of their freedom and celebrate together by creating a community freedom flag. Debut author and artist Kim Taylor sets this story apart by applying her skills as an expert quilter. Each of the illustrations has been lovingly hand sewn and quilted, giving the book a homespun, tactile quality that is altogether unique. BIO Kim Taylor is a speech language pathologist and Department Supervisor at a large school for deaf children on Long Island. She is also an expert quilter whose works have been exhibited at several venues throughout the Midatlantic region. Taylor’s quilts reflect African American life, and she tells stories through her materials (visit Kim’s website to see her quilts). After researching the origins of the Juneteenth celebration, she created a Juneteenth story quilt which she has exhibited and presented in dozens of local schools. Realizing that few teachers and students had ever heard of the holiday, she was moved to write the book A Flag for Juneteenth. REVIEWS “The picture book . . . not only reveals Taylor’s considerable talents as an inspiring raconteur but as a self-taught quilter whose creations uniquely and symbolically illustrate the historically based narrative.” -- Newsday★ ”Kim Taylor’s portrayal of a girl witnessing the first Juneteenth, accompanied by exquisite quilted artwork, is filled with a spirit of jubilation and freedom. . . . her textile art perfectly complements her evocative prose. . . .” -- BookPage, Starred Review “The illustrations quilted by Taylor display strong artistic use of color, texture, movement, stitching, and symbols. Each page has vibrant colors that grab readers at first glance. . . . Taylor effectively breathes life into the characters, even those muddled in the background, by showing their humanity in each page.” -- School Library Journal“Both lyrical and descriptive, Huldah’s voice conveys the joy that is found in freedom. . . . A great introduction to the federal holiday.” -- The Horn Book“Taylor aptly depicts this story through colorful woven fabrics and folk art-style, quilted scenes.” -- Booklist“[A] moving debut. . . . It’s a discussion-starting, personal-feeling portrait of a communal celebration.” -- Publishers Weekly“The art in this work from quilter Taylor is stunning. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are breathtaking. . . . Visually dazzling. . . .” -- Kirkus Reviews [H] Neal Porter Books / January 03, 2023 0.39" H x 10.24" L x 9.92" W (0.92 lbs) 40 pages

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In this lyrical picture book, world-renowned poet, New York Times bestselling author, and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni and fine artist Erin Robinson craft an ode to the magic of a library as a place not only for knowledge but also for imagination, exploration, and escape. In what other place can a child "sail their dreams" and "surf the rainbow" without ever leaving the room? This ode to libraries is a celebration for everyone who loves stories, from seasoned readers to those just learning to love words, and it will have kids and parents alike imagining where their library can take them. This inspiring read-aloud includes stunning illustrations and a note from Nikki Giovanni about the importance of libraries in her own childhood. BIO Nikki Giovanni, poet, activist, mother, and professor, is a seven-time NAACP Image Award winner and the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award, and holds the Langston Hughes Medal for Outstanding Poetry, among many other honors. The author of twenty-eight books and a Grammy nominee for The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, she is the University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Erin Robinson is a Fashion Designer by trade but also a trained fine artist from Parsons School of Design and the Corcoran School of Art. Her daydreamy, magical imagination is inspired by travel, color, texture, the feminine shape and the many shades and coifs of Brooklyn. She currently splits her time between New York City and Washington, D.C. Find her at brooklyndolly.com and on Instagram @brooklyndolly. REVIEWS “Powerful.... Playful and inspiring. Every lover of books, young or old, will see themselves in this story.” -- Booklist (starred review) “Vibrant, carefully composed digital illustrations, with bright colors that invite readers in.... A lushly illustrated homage to librarians.” -- Kirkus Reviews “In this picture-book celebration of libraries and reading, poet Giovanni writes about the Carnegie Library, which she regularly visited as a child. Robinson’s digital art resembles vibrant collages.” -- Horn Book Magazine “Poetic text and evocative, textured illustrations work in concert to show how books and libraries enable people to imagine other lives—including other versions of their own selves.... A must-have.” -- School Library Journal [H] Versify / September 27, 2022 0.3" H x 11.1" L x 9.0" W (0.95 lbs) 32 pages

A Library /// Nikki Giovanni, illustrations by Erin K. Robinson

﻿THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK. Born in 1923 in Madisonville, Louisiana, Leah Chase would marry into the Chase restaurant family in nearby New Orleans, but that small geographic move would end up taking her worlds away. Today she is a national-award-winning cook and civic figure. This novel, told in the form of letters to God, shares her inspirational journey with middle-grade readers. BIO Carol Allen was born in Elton, Louisiana, part of Cajun country. As a young girl, she traveled across the state with her father and became fascinated with the richness of Louisiana culture and her own unique heritage. In 1968, she began teaching at Oakdale High School, where she experienced the switch to the integrated school system. Soon after, she became an elementary-school principal and completed her doctorate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After a year as an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, she returned home to become the superintendent of curriculum and instruction for New Orleans Public Schools. In 1985, Allen married a Frenchman and moved to France. There, she volunteered for various service organizations, served on boards for international schools, and worked for an educational institute in Paris that was affiliated with the American College in Paris. Allen helped plan and direct an international conference designed to address the needs and interests of expatriate women. The conference, organized and conducted entirely by volunteers, attracted four hundred conferees representing nineteen different nationalities from twenty-one different countries of residence. She went on to create the Paris Writers Workshop, now an internationally respected program that allows aspiring writers to develop their talents. Allen has written articles for the Writer's Chronicle, Washington Post, Epicurean Magazine, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Allen compiled and edited They Only Laughed Later: Tales of Women on the Move, a book of humorous essays written by women about their experiences living abroad. In 1996, she received honorable mention from Writer’s Market for a self-published book in the children's-literary category. She has been a guest lecturer at the Geneva Writers' Conference and is a motivational speaker for the European Speakers Bureau. Allen has been close friends with Leah Chase, the subject of her biography, Leah Chase: Listen, I Say Like This, for more than twenty years. For the book, she spent hours with Chase herself, in the woman's kitchen, reminiscing her own Louisiana childhood and the diverse background and joie de vivre that both the author and her subject share. In addition to writing, Allen loves to cook. Much to the surprise of her French neighbors, she garnered the grand prize in what is known as Les Journées Gourmandes in the region of the Vaucluse, Provence, where she lives most of the time. Her winning recipes were for jams and jellies in 1995 and for Wild-Mushroom Soup in 2001. [P] Pelican Publishing Company / August 24, 2020 0.6" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (0.65 lbs) 160 pages

﻿THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK.
<meta charset="utf-8">Born in 1923 in Madisonville, Louisiana, Leah Chase would marry into the Chase restaurant family in nearby New Orleans, but that small geographic move would end up taking her worlds away. Today she is a national-award-winning cook and civic figure. This novel, told in the form of letters to God, shares her inspirational journey with middle-grade readers.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Carol Allen was born in Elton, Louisiana, part of Cajun country. As a young girl, she traveled across the state with her father and became fascinated with the richness of Louisiana culture and her own unique heritage. In 1968, she began teaching at Oakdale High School, where she experienced the switch to the integrated school system. Soon after, she became an elementary-school principal and completed her doctorate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After a year as an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, she returned home to become the superintendent of curriculum and instruction for New Orleans Public Schools. In 1985, Allen married a Frenchman and moved to France. There, she volunteered for various service organizations, served on boards for international schools, and worked for an educational institute in Paris that was affiliated with the American College in Paris. Allen helped plan and direct an international conference designed to address the needs and interests of expatriate women. The conference, organized and conducted entirely by volunteers, attracted four hundred conferees representing nineteen different nationalities from twenty-one different countries of residence. She went on to create the Paris Writers Workshop, now an internationally respected program that allows aspiring writers to develop their talents. Allen has written articles for the Writer's Chronicle, Washington Post, Epicurean Magazine, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Allen compiled and edited They Only Laughed Later: Tales of Women on the Move, a book of humorous essays written by women about their experiences living abroad. In 1996, she received honorable mention from Writer’s Market for a self-published book in the children's-literary category. She has been a guest lecturer at the Geneva Writers' Conference and is a motivational speaker for the European Speakers Bureau. Allen has been close friends with Leah Chase, the subject of her biography, Leah Chase: Listen, I Say Like This, for more than twenty years. For the book, she spent hours with Chase herself, in the woman's kitchen, reminiscing her own Louisiana childhood and the diverse background and joie de vivre that both the author and her subject share. In addition to writing, Allen loves to cook. Much to the surprise of her French neighbors, she garnered the grand prize in what is known as Les Journées Gourmandes in the region of the Vaucluse, Provence, where she lives most of the time. Her winning recipes were for jams and jellies in 1995 and for Wild-Mushroom Soup in 2001.
[P]  Pelican Publishing Company  /  <meta charset="utf-8">August 24, 2020
<meta charset="utf-8">0.6" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (0.65 lbs) 160 pages

A Long Way from the Strawberry Patch: The Life of Leah Chase /// Carol Allen with Leah Chase

Paperback

Femi and her friends planned to leave traditional Caribbean treats out for Santa, including Black Cake. The children shared warm wishes for their favorite dishes while enjoying winter activities at the Christmas fair. This book includes a Black Cake recipe for all to enjoy! BIO Yolanda T. Marshall is a Guyanese-born Canadian Author. The daughter of a Jazz musician, she began writing poems at eight. A cross-genre writer, world traveller, jazz lover and devoted mother, she embodies art and takes her readers on adventurous, cultured journeys. This author is Agented. Titles since 2020 have been traditionally published in Canada. She is also a proud member of CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers) and The Writer's Union of Canada. [H] Garnalma Press / November 18, 2019 0.25" H x 8.5" L x 11.0" W (0.89 lbs) 32 pages

A Piece of Black Cake for Santa /// Yolanda T. Marshall, illustrations by Subi Bosa

The first book in a fast-paced, witty, and big-hearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy about a twelve-year-old apprenticing in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans, who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom. Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil. Life is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia. Her aunt and uncle believe she’s an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child that brings misfortune wherever they go, and Adia can’t disagree—especially when she suddenly manifests mysterious powers that she can’t control, causing an earthquake in her village. So when Adia is offered a kitchen apprenticeship at the faraway Academy of Shamans, she flees with nothing but a pouch of change, her cat Bubbles, and the hope that someone there can figure out what's wrong with her—and fix it. But just as she's settling in, Adia stumbles upon a shocking secret: Unlike her, the kingdom's emperor really is possessed—by a demon more wicked than any other. And he’s on his way to the Academy for a visit. Joining forces with a snarky goddess, a 500-year-old warrior girl, and an annoying soldier-in-training, Adia must travel through hidden realms to exorcise the emperor and save her kingdom. But to succeed, she first must come to understand the powers inside her…. The fate of the world hangs in the balance. BIO Isi Hendrix is a children’s book author who has been lucky enough to live and work all over the world, from the Himalayas to the Amazon rainforest, during her past life as an anthropologist. Now she’s based in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with a rotating roster of foster kittens and a stubborn refusal to accept that she is highly allergic to cats. Her debut novel, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans, received a starred review from Booklist and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. REVIEWS “This book is incredible! With a dazzling cast of characters wrapped up in a rich, imaginative afrofantasy world, Adia’s thrilling journey will have you eager to turn the next page!” -- B.B. Alston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Amari and the Night Brothers “Deep, piercing, and urgent, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans marries historic heft with the soaring possibilities of magic to tell a spellbinding story of empowerment and liberation. Author Isi Hendrix makes a passion-packed entrance onto the middle grade stage, and readers of all ages will do well to pick up this first entry in a powerful new fantasy series.” -- Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series. “With heart and humor, Adia Kelbara is a tale of victory for anyone who’s been made to feel ashamed of who they are. Not only does Adia prove that our power can be reclaimed, she takes us on a rollicking fun adventure along the way.” -- Graci Kim, New York Times bestselling author of the Gifted Clans trilogy “By turns immersive, thrilling, funny, and powerful, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans will grab readers from the first lines to the breathtaking finale. Readers will fall in love with Adia and root for her fierce quest to right the wrongs done against her people.” -- Sylvia Liu, award-winning author of Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation [H] Balzer & Bray/Harperteen / September 19, 2023 1.1" H x 8.51" L x 5.85" W (0.81 lbs) 352 pages For ages 8 to 12

The first book in a fast-paced, witty, and big-hearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy about a twelve-year-old apprenticing in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans, who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom. Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil.
Life is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia. Her aunt and uncle believe she’s an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child that brings misfortune wherever they go, and Adia can’t disagree—especially when she suddenly manifests mysterious powers that she can’t control, causing an earthquake in her village.
So when Adia is offered a kitchen apprenticeship at the faraway Academy of Shamans, she flees with nothing but a pouch of change, her cat Bubbles, and the hope that someone there can figure out what's wrong with her—and fix it. But just as she's settling in, Adia stumbles upon a shocking secret: Unlike her, the kingdom's emperor really is possessed—by a demon more wicked than any other. And he’s on his way to the Academy for a visit.
Joining forces with a snarky goddess, a 500-year-old warrior girl, and an annoying soldier-in-training, Adia must travel through hidden realms to exorcise the emperor and save her kingdom. But to succeed, she first must come to understand the powers inside her….
The fate of the world hangs in the balance.
BIO
Isi Hendrix is a children’s book author who has been lucky enough to live and work all over the world, from the Himalayas to the Amazon rainforest, during her past life as an anthropologist. Now she’s based in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with a rotating roster of foster kittens and a stubborn refusal to accept that she is highly allergic to cats. Her debut novel, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans, received a starred review from Booklist and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.
REVIEWS
“This book is incredible! With a dazzling cast of characters wrapped up in a rich, imaginative afrofantasy world, Adia’s thrilling journey will have you eager to turn the next page!” -- B.B. Alston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Amari and the Night Brothers
“Deep, piercing, and urgent, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans marries historic heft with the soaring possibilities of magic to tell a spellbinding story of empowerment and liberation. Author Isi Hendrix makes a passion-packed entrance onto the middle grade stage, and readers of all ages will do well to pick up this first entry in a powerful new fantasy series.” -- Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series.  
“With heart and humor, Adia Kelbara is a tale of victory for anyone who’s been made to feel ashamed of who they are. Not only does Adia prove that our power can be reclaimed, she takes us on a rollicking fun adventure along the way.” -- Graci Kim, New York Times bestselling author of the Gifted Clans trilogy
“By turns immersive, thrilling, funny, and powerful, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans will grab readers from the first lines to the breathtaking finale. Readers will fall in love with Adia and root for her fierce quest to right the wrongs done against her people.” -- Sylvia Liu, award-winning author of Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation
[H]  Balzer &amp; Bray/Harperteen  /  September 19, 2023
1.1" H x 8.51" L x 5.85" W (0.81 lbs) 352 pages
For ages 8 to 12

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans /// Isi Hendrix

African Proverbs for All Ages is a beautifully-illustrated, engaging picture book about the power of proverbs, how they evolve over time, and the wisdom of various cultures in Africa. It has been said that a proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.Whether you are young or old, proverbs can open your mind to a whole new way of seeing the world. We underestimate children when we assume they are incapable of understanding metaphor and deeper meaning. There are multiple ways that children learn, but for each method by which they learn, they need their imagination engaged and their visual sensibilities ignited. And as adults, we underestimate ourselves when we allow our lives to be about practical matters only. Proverbs can stir our soul and spark our imagination. --Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D. President Emerita of Spelman and Bennett CollegesIn African Proverbs for All Ages, noted anthropologist and educator Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole and award-winning illustrator Nelda LaTeef invite children and adults to explore and reflect on complex notions about relationships, identity, society, and the human condition.A Roaring Brook Press and Oprah Book BIO Johnnetta Betsch Cole is an American anthropologist, educator, museum director, and college president. Cole was the first female African-American president of Spelman College, a historically black college, serving from 1987 to 1997. She was president of Bennett College from 2002 to 2007. REVIEWS A Children's Africana Book Awards 2022 Honor Book for Children's winner"This ingeniously designed volume is as engaging as a game, one that becomes more rewarding with each round of play... This is a book that sparks conversation." -- The New York Times"This interactive, multilayered, gorgeously illustrated book of wisdom is for all ages, and it demands repeated reading." -- Booklist"This lushly illustrated collection of African proverbs proposes a game of sorts... Strikingly detailed." -- Horn Book“This beautifully illustrated collection of wisdom will be a treasure for children and the adults who share this book with them.” -- Marian Wright Edelman, President Emerita, Children’s Defense Fund“Again and again these irresistible pictures invite you to turn the pages of this quietly powerful book... and to discover exactly the inspiring words you need to hear at the moment.” -- Ann Temkin, The Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture, Department of Painting and Sculpture, The Museum of Modern Art“Proverbs are important for all ages, and Dr. Johnnetta Cole and Nelda LaTeef have inspired us with the beautifully illustrated African Proverbs for All Ages! Kids remember proverbs whereas they might forget a long conversation. A must buy!” -- Laura Nader, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley“The genius of African Proverbs for all Ages is that each stunningly eloquent panel offers a teachable moment. In this regard, this gem of a book leads readers of all ages, of all lands and climes, towards a shared understanding.” -- Olásopé O. Oyèláràn, Linguist, Scholar of the Yorùbá Language [H] Roaring Brook Press / November 30, 2021 0.4" H x 11.1" L x 8.7" W (0.9 lbs) 40 pages ﻿For ages 4 to 8

African Proverbs for All Ages /// Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Nelda LaTeef, illustrations by Nelda LaTeef

- ﻿THIS BOOK WILL SHIP JUNE 18, 2024 - A collection of 40+ deliciously fun and whimsical treats for every occasion inspired by the magical world of Afro Unicorn. From unicorn cream puffs and hand-pies, to no-bake unicorn horns, and full out interactive "imagination stations" for Afro Unicorn theme parties, there's something sweet for everyone! But that's not all...The pages in this baking book are also sprinkled with empowering illustrations and "Express Yourself" pages for custom notes, stickers and doodles, to keep all little bakers and their families delighted and creative in the kitchen. BIO Entrepreneur, innovator, and founder April Showers is the creator of Afro Unicorn® picture books and board books for children of color to celebrate how magical, unique, and divine they truly are. When Afro Unicorn creator April Showers realized that her favorite emoji—the unicorn!—was only available in white, she was inspired to create a more inclusive, conscious brand. Shattering the glass ceiling, trailblazer Ms. Showers is the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand with a presence in seven major retailers across the United States and Canada with 25 categories, from apparel and accessories to toys, puzzles, books, bedding, backpacks, collectibles, and an original Afro Unicorn Holiday EP.Ms. Showers is a prolific public speaker and ABC News Good Morning America 3: What You Need To Know and CBS Mornings created segments on Afro Unicorn®. Oprah Daily, Viola Davis, Sherri Shepherd, Alicia Keys, and Tina Knowles are all early believers. Ms. Showers hopes her success is the "blueprint" to empower and inspire fellow entrepreneurs to enter the licensing space with 45 + licensee partners worldwide. [H] Genius Cat Books / June 18, 2024

- ﻿THIS BOOK WILL SHIP JUNE 18, 2024 - 
<meta charset="utf-8">A collection of 40+ deliciously fun and whimsical treats for every occasion inspired by the magical world of Afro Unicorn. From unicorn cream puffs and hand-pies, to no-bake unicorn horns, and full out interactive "imagination stations" for Afro Unicorn theme parties, there's something sweet for everyone! But that's not all... The pages in this baking book are also sprinkled with empowering illustrations and "Express Yourself" pages for custom notes, stickers and doodles, to keep all little bakers and their families delighted and creative in the kitchen.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Entrepreneur, innovator, and founder April Showers is the creator of Afro Unicorn® picture books and board books for children of color to celebrate how magical, unique, and divine they truly are. When Afro Unicorn creator April Showers realized that her favorite emoji—the unicorn!—was only available in white, she was inspired to create a more inclusive, conscious brand. 
Shattering the glass ceiling, trailblazer Ms. Showers is the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand with a presence in seven major retailers across the United States and Canada with 25 categories, from apparel and accessories to toys, puzzles, books, bedding, backpacks, collectibles, and an original Afro Unicorn Holiday EP. Ms. Showers is a prolific public speaker and ABC News Good Morning America 3: What You Need To Know and CBS Mornings created segments on Afro Unicorn®. Oprah Daily, Viola Davis, Sherri Shepherd, Alicia Keys, and Tina Knowles are all early believers. Ms. Showers hopes her success is the "blueprint" to empower and inspire fellow entrepreneurs to enter the licensing space with 45 + licensee partners worldwide.
[H]  Genius Cat Books  /  June 18, 2024

Afro Unicorn Bake Book (How to Cake It's Kids Cookbooks) /// April Showers and Yolanda Gampp Gampp /// pre

The newest novel by the author of Akata Witch and the forthcoming Marvel comic book series about Shuri, Black Panther's sister! "The most imaginative, gripping, enchanting fantasy novels I have ever read!" --Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of Speak A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book. Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity. BIO Much-honored Nnedi Okorafor, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, merges today's Nigeria with a unique world she creates. Akata Warrior blends mythology, fantasy, history and magic into a compelling tale that will keep readers spellbound. REVIEWS "★ Akata Warrior swiftly synthesizes the lessons and knowledge of the first book into a heart-racing story of resilience and a determination to save the world. This title is a unique coming of age story, coupling the distinct experience of the cultural duality as both African and African-American with lessons of love, loyalty, and the pains of adolescent insecurities." -- BCCB, starred review "There's more imagination on a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics." --Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of A Wizard of Earthsea "The voice of Nnedi Okorafor does not obey the rules of distance, time, or place. Hers is the voice that fuses matter and imagination. She shows us just how close we are to that alternate reality." --Tchidi Chikere, Nigerian award-winning film director and screenwriter [H] Viking Books for Young Readers / October 03, 2017 1.7" H x 8.3" L x 5.4" W (1.3 lbs) 496 pages [P] Speak / October 16, 2018 1.4" H x 8.2" L x 5.4" W (0.94 lbs) 512 pages

Akata Warrior /// Nnedi Okorafor

Affectionately dubbed the Nigerian Harry Potter, Akata Witch weaves together a heart-pounding tale of magic, mystery, and finding one's place in the world. Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing--she is a free agent with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too? Ursula K. Le Guin and John Green are Nnedi Okorafor fans. As soon as you start reading Akata Witch, you will be, too! BIO Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism for both children and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi's work, the New York Times called Nnedi's imagination "stunning." Nnedi has received the World Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award, and the Nebula Award, among others, for her novels. She holds a PhD in English and is a professor at SUNY Buffalo. She divides her time between Buffalo and the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her daughter. Learn more at nnedi.com or follow her on Twitter @nnedi. REVIEWS "Okorafor's novels tend to reflect both her West-African heritage and American experiences, but in this series she creates a stunningly original world of African magic that draws on Nigerian folk beliefs and rituals instead of relying on the predictable tropes of Western fantasy novels." -- Time Magazine "There's more imagination on a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics." --Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of A Wizard of Earthsea "I always loved science fiction, but I didn't feel I was part of it--until I read first Octavia Butler, and now Nnedi Okorafor." --Whoopi Goldberg [H] Viking Books for Young Readers / April 14, 2011 1.35" H x 8.58" L x 5.82" W (1.05 lbs) 368 pages [P] ﻿Speak / July 17, 2017 1.1" H x 8.1" L x 5.4" W (0.75 lbs) 384 pages

Akata Witch /// Nnedi Okorafor

#1 New York Times Bestselling and award-winning author of The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander, pens a powerful picture book that tells the story of American slavery through the voice of a teacher struggling to help her students understand its harrowing history. From the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South, this is a story of a people’s struggle and strength, horror and hope. This is the story of American slavery, a story that needs to be told and understood by all of us. A testament to the resilience of the African American community, this book honors what has been and envisions what is to be. With stunning mixed-media illustrations by newcomer Dare Coulter, this is a potent book for those who want to speak the truth. Perfect for family sharing, the classroom, and homeschooling. BIO Kwame Alexander is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books, including his Newbery Medal-winning novel The Crossover and The Undefeated, winner of the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor. He is the founding editor of Versify, which aims to change the world one word at a time. REVIEWS An Indie Next List Pick "Beautifully crafted and brutally honest, this offers a thoughtful introduction to a necessary topic." -- Booklist, starred review "With powerful art from a bold new talent, this is a probing and sensitive take on a devastating chapter of U.S. history." -- Kirkus, starred review "Alexander and Coulter have created a powerful counternarrative in their efforts to answer the question, “How do you tell a story about slavery?” -- Horn Book, starred review "A layered, compassionate telling that considers how to relay difficult truths, and as the art converges into a visual of past and present together, stirring concluding lines suggest a route forward." -- Publisher's Weekly, starred review [H] Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / January 03, 2023 0.6" H x 10.1" L x 10.1" W (1.28 lbs) 56 pages

An American Story /// Kwame Alexander

A West African story about the much-loved trickster, Anansi, retold and reimagined for a new generation by award-winning author Taiye Selasi“Allow me to introduce myself.” But he needed no introduction. “Anansi the spider!” said Anansi the boy. “The tales were true!” “Traditional tales are always true,” the spider answered, laughing. “Nothing lasts so long as truth, nor travels quite so far.” Award-winning author of Ghana Must Go, Taiye Selasi, reimagines the story of Anansi, the much-loved trickster, for a new generation. Kweku has grown up hearing stories about the mischievous spider Anansi. He is given the nickname Anansi by his father because of his similarly cheeky ways. On a holiday to visit his beloved Grandma in Ghana, Anansi the spider and Anansi the boy meet, and discover a magical pot that can be filled with whatever they want. Anansi fills it again and again with his favorite red-red stew, and eats so much that he feels sick. Will he learn to share this wonderful gift? This charming retelling of a West African story teaches readers about the dangers of greed, and the importance of being kind. Tinuke Fagborun’s colorful illustrations bring the magic and wonder of the tale to life. When you’ve finished sharing the story, you can also find out more about the origins of Anansi folktales. This is a beautiful storybook that little ones will treasure forever. BIO Taiye Selasi was born in London and raised in Massachusetts. She holds a BA in American studies from Yale and an MPhil in international relations from Oxford University. “The Sex Lives of African Girls” (Granta, 2011), Selasi’s fiction debut, appears in Best American Short Stories 2012. Author of Ghana Must Go, she lives in Rome. REVIEWS “A great choice to introduce young readers to West Africa’s wonderful Anansesem storytelling tradition.” --Kirkus Reviews“Selasi brilliantly explores family, tradition, and sharing with a stylish telling and grand show of humanity.” --School Library Journal [H] DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) / February 15, 2022 0.4" H x 9.6" L x 9.6" W (0.9 lbs) 32 pages

Anansi and the Golden Pot /// Taiye Selasi, illustrated by Tinuke Fagborun

B is for Baby. B is for Brother. B is for going to see Baba! One morning after breakfast, Baby's big brother is getting ready to take the basket of bananas all the way to Baba's bungalow in the next village. He'll have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds, and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge. But what he doesn't realize is that his very cute, very curious baby sibling has stowed away on his bicycle! Little ones learning about language will love sounding out the words in this playful, vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa. BIO Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales. Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in children's book publishing before turning her hand to her own illustration. Baby Goes to Market is her debut picture book. She lives in London. REVIEWS "A circular tale of family love with visual rewards. . . . There's no denying the joy in this book." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) [H] Candlewick Press (MA) / March 12, 2019 0.4" H x 11.1" L x 10.0" W (1.2 lbs) 40 pages [B] Candlewick Press (MA) / March 09, 2021 0.6" H x 7.1" L x 6.3" W (0.62 lbs) 28 pages

B is for Baby. B is for Brother. B is for going to see Baba! 
One morning after breakfast, Baby's big brother is getting ready to take the basket of bananas all the way to Baba's bungalow in the next village. He'll have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds, and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge. But what he doesn't realize is that his very cute, very curious baby sibling has stowed away on his bicycle! Little ones learning about language will love sounding out the words in this playful, vibrantly illustrated story set in West Africa. 
BIO
Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales.
Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in children's book publishing before turning her hand to her own illustration. Baby Goes to Market is her debut picture book. She lives in London.
 REVIEWS
"A circular tale of family love with visual rewards. . . . There's no denying the joy in this book." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
[H] Candlewick Press (MA)  /  <meta charset="utf-8">March 12, 2019
<meta charset="utf-8">0.4" H x 11.1" L x 10.0" W (1.2 lbs) 40 pages
[B] Candlewick Press (MA)  /  <meta charset="utf-8">
March 09, 2021
<meta charset="utf-8">0.6" H x 7.1" L x 6.3" W (0.62 lbs) 28 pages

B Is for Baby /// Atinuke with illustrations by Angela Brooksbank

Board Book

Join Baby and his doting mama at a bustling southwest Nigerian marketplace for a bright, bouncy read-aloud offering a gentle introduction to numbers. Market is very crowded.Mama is very busy.Baby is very curious. When Baby and Mama go to the market, Baby is so adorable that the banana seller gives him six bananas. Baby eats one and puts five in the basket, but Mama doesn't notice. As Mama and Baby wend their way through the stalls, cheeky Baby collects five oranges, four biscuits, three ears of sweet corn, two pieces of coconut . . . until Mama notices that her basket is getting very heavy! Poor Baby, she thinks, he must be very hungry by now! Rhythmic language, visual humor, and a bounty of delectable food make this a tale that is sure to whet little appetites for story time. BIO Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales. Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in children's book publishing before turning her hand to her own illustration. Baby Goes to Market is her debut picture book. She lives in London. REVIEWS The smiling, all-black cast sort through myriad wares, while the text keeps up its rhythm, introducing both typical items bought in a West African market and a gentle lesson in arithmetic as Baby alternately snacks and stashes his gifts. Indeed, no one will be able to resist this baby. --Kirkus Reviews The vibrant marketplace is filled with color, texture, and patterns created using a mixed-media palette. The opening and ending endpapers feature the same pattern that is on the wrap Mama uses to hold Baby on her back. Young listeners will delight in getting to know Baby and his Mama as they shop throughout the market. Consider for first purchase in larger collections. --School Library Journal Brooksbank's illustrations, based on her own childhood memories of going to market in Nigeria, are full of colours, patterns and prints, and varieties of local transport. Repetition and variation make the book especially good for the young, and its wealth visual detail promises many satisfying rereadings.--Saturday Star [H] Candlewick Press (MA) / September 05, 2017 0.5" H x 11.3" L x 10.0" W (1.13 lbs) 32 pages [B] Candlewick Press (MA) / March 12, 2019 0.6" H x 7.2" L x 6.2" W (0.65 lbs) 26 pages

Baby Goes to Market /// Atinuke with illustrations by Angela Brooksbank

A magical coming-of-age story from Coretta Scott King honor author Jewell Parker Rhodes, rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids, plus an environmental twist.It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings - the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Jewell Parker Rhodes weaves a rich tale celebrating the magic within. BIO Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for youth, including Ghost Boys; Black Brother, Black Brother; Paradise on Fire; and Treasure Island: Runaway Gold. She is the recipient of many distinguished awards and honors, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Green Earth Book Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the Octavia E. Butler Award. Rhodes is the Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair at Arizona State University. REVIEWS "Bayou Magic revels in friendship, and love while reflecting life in the Deep South. Looking to add diversity to your shelves? Look no farther than the characters that populate Bon Temps and experience the community in which they live." -- Booklist"Maddy is a brave and hopeful heroine, and the descriptions of the bayou are almost as magical as her legacy." -- School Library Journal"Readers will be easily drawn into Rhodes's (Sugar) heady descriptions, and as environmental disaster threatens the landscape Maddy has come to love, her heroism shines as she protects the community and recognizes her own strength." -- Publishers Weekly [H] Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / May 12, 2015 1.0" H x 7.7" L x 5.4" W (0.7 lbs) 256 pages [P] Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / May 03, 2016 0.7" H x 7.6" L x 5.2" W (0.4 lbs) 272 page For ages 8 to 12

A magical coming-of-age story from Coretta Scott King honor author Jewell Parker Rhodes, rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids, plus an environmental twist. It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings - the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Jewell Parker Rhodes weaves a rich tale celebrating the magic within.
BIO
Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for youth, including Ghost Boys; Black Brother, Black Brother; Paradise on Fire; and Treasure Island: Runaway Gold. She is the recipient of many distinguished awards and honors, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Green Earth Book Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the Octavia E. Butler Award. Rhodes is the Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair at Arizona State University.
REVIEWS
"Bayou Magic revels in friendship, and love while reflecting life in the Deep South. Looking to add diversity to your shelves? Look no farther than the characters that populate Bon Temps and experience the community in which they live." -- Booklist "Maddy is a brave and hopeful heroine, and the descriptions of the bayou are almost as magical as her legacy." -- School Library Journal "Readers will be easily drawn into Rhodes's (Sugar) heady descriptions, and as environmental disaster threatens the landscape Maddy has come to love, her heroism shines as she protects the community and recognizes her own strength." -- Publishers Weekly
[H]  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers  /  May 12, 2015
1.0" H x 7.7" L x 5.4" W (0.7 lbs) 256 pages
[P]  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers  /  May 03, 2016
0.7" H x 7.6" L x 5.2" W (0.4 lbs) 272 page
For ages 8 to 12

Bayou Magic /// Jewell Parker Rhodes

An exuberant picture book written by Alliah L. Agostini and illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice is about a Black boy with big dancing dreams who learns the meaning of courage and community. It’s the weekend, first in June; speaker’s blasting out big tune!Cousins, aunties, uncles, friends pack the house, and fun begins.Shane is shy but loves to dance—and all year long, he’s picked up cansto earn some money toward his goal: high-tops with a pump-up sole.But then the speaker blows—it’s done! Will this stop his family’s fun?Can Shane come through to save the day and bring back Big Tune Saturday?Set within a vibrant Caribbean American neighborhood and told to a rhythmic beat, Big Tune is a story of Black boy joy that touches on determination, confidence to express who you are, selflessness, and community gratitude. BIO Alliah L. Agostini is an author and the founder of Grownesque, a blog and social media destination for Xennial women. She has an AB and MBA from Harvard and currently resides in New Jersey, where she enjoys impromptu dance parties and making up corny jokes with her husband and two children. Big Tune is her first fiction picture book. Shamar Knight-Justice is an illustrator based in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up with a crayon in his hand and a love for patterns. He currently serves as the principal of an elementary school in Southwest Atlanta, where his scholars’ stories and personalities inspire him to create illustrations that honor their identities. When not drawing, Shamar loves to spend time hoarding collage materials, going on long walks with his family, and devouring the nearest pancake. REVIEWS This lively, vibrant narrative has an infectious spirit, and Shane is irresistible. Grounded in a tightknit Jamaican American community, the story deftly incorporates visual and textual references to dance styles, food, and other cultural touchstones... Themes of joy, solidarity, and artistic expression are effortlessly woven throughout the words and images... An exuberant celebration of community that leaps off the page." -- Kirkus, starred review"Portrayals of diasporic Caribbean culture and a child’s selflessness distinguish Agostini’s 1990s Brooklyn-set story celebrating connection and community... Agostini’s buoyant rhyming verse pulses with details, and Knight-Justice’s stylized illustrations layer bold patterns and textures with typewritten text, sheet music, and images of the Jamaican flag, building a joyfully immersive portrait of neighborhood gatherings where 'Swaying hips wine fast and slow./ Brown skin shines with black light’s glow.'" -- Publishers Weekly, starred review"The vibrant beat of the rhyming text makes a splendid complement to the energetic art. Rich textures evocative of cutpaper collage and dynamic patterns give enthusiastic life to the more geometric backgrounds, and figures are always in movement, with poses swinging, swaying, and bopping." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"The picture book stresses the importance of community and selflessness, essential lessons for a picture book audience. Distinctive and vibrant collage-style illustrations depict a Black community of various skin tones and hair textures. This unique picture book’s celebration of Jamaican culture and community is a great addition to every ­library." -- School Library Journal [H] Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) / March 28, 2023 1.0" H x 11.0" L x 9.0" W (1.0 lbs) 40 pages

Big Tune: Rise of the Dancehall Prince /// Alliah L. Agostini; illustrations by Shamar Knight-Justice

A thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood by award-winning author and poet Renée Watson.In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renée Watson writesabout her experience growing up as a young Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender.Using a variety of poetic forms, from haiku to free verse, Watson shares recollections of her childhood in Portland, tender odes to the Black women in her life, and urgent calls for Black girls to step into their power.Black Girl You Are Atlas encourages young readers to embrace their future with a strong sense of sisterhood and celebration. With full-color art by celebrated fine artist Ekua Holmes throughout, this collection offers guidance and is a gift for anyone who reads it. BIO Renée Watson is an American teaching artist and author of children's books, best known for her award-winning and New York Times bestselling young adult novel Piecing Me Together, for which she received the John Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Josette Frank Award for fiction. Watson founded the nonprofit I, Too, Arts Collective to provide creative arts programs to the Harlem community. REVIEWS “[A] moving, introspective poetry collection celebrating the possibilities of Black girlhood complemented by atmospheric mixed-media illustrations…A compelling ode to self-resurrection and Black sisterhood.” -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review “Brimming with vibrant, layered poetry and stunningly textured collage art, this ballad for Black girls is a must for all collections…The combination of poetry and collage art is exceptionally powerful and dynamic.” -- School Library Journal, starred review“[A] semi-autobiographical collection that speaks to…the expansive experience of Black girlhood as it cycles toward womanhood via sharp and loving poetry. Accompanied by striking and vintage-feeling multimedia collage artwork… a tender ode to universal yearnings for safety, love, and justice, as well as a celebration of Black girlhood.” -- Publishers Weekly [H] Kokila / February 13, 2024 0.8" H x 6.3" L x 5.5" W (0.6 lbs) 96 pages For ages 13 - 17

Black Girl You Are Atlas /// Renée Watson, illustrations by Ekua Holmes /// new

A little girl helping her grandmother prepare a holiday meal learns about the origins of soul food in this powerful picture book that celebrates African American cuisine and identity from an award-winning author.Know what I like most about Grandma’s kitchen?More than jambalaya? More than sweet potato pie? Even more than pralines?Grandma’s stories! Every meal Grandma cooks comes with a story.What will today’s story be?While visiting her grandma in Louisiana, nine-year-old Frances is excited to help prepare the New Year’s Day meal. She listens as Grandma tells stories—dating back to the Atlantic Slave Trade—about the food for their feast. Through these stories, Frances learns not only about the ingredients and the dishes they are making but about her ancestors and their history as well. A celebration of the stories that connect us, this picture book urges us to think about the foods we eat and why we eat them. This book was inspired by the author’s own childhood and includes her family’s very own recipe for pralines in the back! BIO GLENDA ARMAND has had a long career as a teacher and school librarian and enjoys writing picture-book biographies that inspire children to dream big. Glenda is the author of the award-winning Love Twelve Miles Long, Ira’s Shakespeare Dream, and Song in a Rainstorm: The Story of Musical Prodigy Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins. Her picture book Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese will be published by Crown Books for Young Readers in Fall 2022. When not writing or practicing the piano, Glenda tends a garden full of succulents and roses. She lives in Los Angeles, and you can learn more about her at glenda-armand.com. [H] Crown Books for Young Readers / September 06, 2022 0.4" H x 10.1" L x 10.35" W (1.03 lbs) 40 pages

Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese: A Story of Food, Family, and Freedom /// Glenda Armand, illustrations by Steffi Walthall

A celebration of the color black, from the team who created Brown: The Many Shades of Love Black is a wonderful color. Black is special. It is true. It’s the sky when the morning is new. In this loving and lovely ode to the color black, a girl describes the many wonders of her world—from the black of starry nights to her own black eyes, clear and bright. BIO Nancy Johnson James is a writer and educator based in Oakland, California. She is the author of Brown: The Many Shades of Love, illustrated by Constance Moore, published by Cameron Kids. Constance Moore is an artist and educator based in Oakland, California. She loves teaching elementary school art and shares her students’ love of color. REVIEWS An eye-opening tribute to an often underrated color." --Kirkus Reviews "The text discusses positive examples of the color black, deliberately diminishing its stereotypical associations with danger, negativity, and sadness. Childlike collage illustrations layer images on abstract or earth-toned backgrounds, successfully conveying black’s ubiquitous presence in the world, along with its beauty." --Booklist [H] Harry N. Abrams / April 12, 2022 0.4" H x 10.0" L x 7.8" W (0.65 lbs) 32 pages

Black: The Many Wonders of My World /// Nancy Johnson James, illustrated by Constance Moore

- THIS BOOK WILL SHIP ON OR AFTER MAY 07, 2024 - A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut unlike anything you’ve seen before.Ten years ago, Malik’s life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother: a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at Caiman: feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries. In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what’s left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion. BIO﻿ LaDarrion Williams is a Los Angeles based-playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter whose goal is to cultivate a new era of Black fantasy, providing space and agency for Black characters and stories in a new, fresh and fantastical way. He is currently a resident playwright/co-creator of The Black Creators Collective, where his play UMOJA made its West Coast premiere in January 2022 and produced North Hollywood’s first Black playwrights festival at the Waco Theater Center. Blood at the Root is his first novel. His viral and award-winning short film based on the same concept, is currently on YouTube and Amazon Prime. REVIEWS “Exuberant contemporary fantasy series opener….a serpentine, high-intensity celebration of Black culture, history, and power.” -- Publishers Weekly “The extensive worldbuilding incorporates West African, Caribbean, and Black American history and cultures to explain a magical reality hidden from view and relevant to the Black diaspora and Malik’s family history….A well-thought-out magical world that provocatively centers Black experiences.” -- Kirkus Reviews “A refreshing, thrilling, magical, and all-around good read! Cheering for you, LaDarrion!” -- James Bland, Creator of Daytime Emmy Award-winning drama series “Giants” [H] Labyrinth Road / May 07, 2024 432 pages For ages 14 and up

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- THIS BOOK WILL SHIP ON OR AFTER MAY 07, 2024 -
A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut unlike anything you’ve seen before. Ten years ago, Malik’s life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother: a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended. At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at Caiman: feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.  In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what’s left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.
BIO﻿
LaDarrion Williams is a Los Angeles based-playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter whose goal is to cultivate a new era of Black fantasy, providing space and agency for Black characters and stories in a new, fresh and fantastical way. He is currently a resident playwright/co-creator of The Black Creators Collective, where his play UMOJA made its West Coast premiere in January 2022 and produced North Hollywood’s first Black playwrights festival at the Waco Theater Center. Blood at the Root is his first novel. His viral and award-winning short film based on the same concept, is currently on YouTube and Amazon Prime.
REVIEWS
“Exuberant contemporary fantasy series opener….a serpentine, high-intensity celebration of Black culture, history, and power.” -- Publishers Weekly
“The extensive worldbuilding incorporates West African, Caribbean, and Black American history and cultures to explain a magical reality hidden from view and relevant to the Black diaspora and Malik’s family history….A well-thought-out magical world that provocatively centers Black experiences.” -- Kirkus Reviews
“A refreshing, thrilling, magical, and all-around good read! Cheering for you, LaDarrion!” -- James Bland, Creator of Daytime Emmy Award-winning drama series “Giants”
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[H] Labyrinth Road  /  May 07, 2024
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<div>432 pages</div>
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<div>For ages 14 and up</div>

Blood at the Root /// LaDarrion Williams /// pre

Terry J. Benton-Walker's contemporary fantasy debut, Blood Debts, is "an extravaganza from start to finish" (Chloe Gong) with powerful magical families, intergenerational curses, and deadly drama in New Orleans.Featured on NPR Weekend Edition Sunday, Buzzfeed, BookPage, Nerd Daily, POPSUGAR, and more.“A conjuring of magnificence.” —NIC STONE • “A force.” —ROSEANNE A. BROWN • “An extravaganza.” —CHLOE GONG • “Powerful.” —AYANA GRAY • “Sings with hope and rage.” —TJ KLUNE • “An unforgettable thrill ride.” —J. ELLE • “Steeped in magic.” —ALEXIS HENDERSON • “Crackles with mystery and ferocity.” — MARK OSHIROThirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau—the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family—are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick—she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.Cristina and Clement used to be each other’s most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other and their family's magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city’s magical and non-magical communities. And if they don't succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.★ “Riveting and relevant.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review BIO Terry J. Benton-Walker grew up in rural GA and now lives in Atlanta with his husband and son, where he writes fantasy and horror for adults, young adults, and children. He has an Industrial Engineering degree from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Georgia State. When he’s not writing, he can be found gaming, eating ice cream, or both. Blood Debts is his first novel. Terry is also the author of Alex Wise vs the End of the World and editor and contributor of The White Guy Dies First anthology. REVIEWS “Riveting and relevant.” -- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review"Steeped in spiritual lore that takes cues from the rich cultural history of the Black diaspora, Walker paints an evocative picture of an enchanted New Orleans as earthly as it is divine." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review“Benton-Walker creates a fantastical thriller and deftly weaves in historical and current-day social issues, including racism, cultural appropriation, sex work, mental health, and homophobia. A complex and intriguing fantasy that is sure to be popular with teens.” -- School Library Journal"Blood Debts takes on issues of racism, intergenerational trauma, assault, and homophobia through the fantastical lens of magical families in conflict, but it also finds joy in the power of reclaiming lost knowledge and rebuilding community." --NPR"Blood Debts is flooded with Southern culture and a magical system inspired by Afro and Afro-Latinx rituals and practices." ﻿-- Shelf Awareness“Fully charged with magic and mystery. Blood Debts is an extravaganza from start to finish, weaving age-old family history alongside the tender feelings of new love. Terry J. Benton-Walker will have you breathless by the end.” -- Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights [H] Tor Teen / April 04, 2023 1.36" H x 8.48" L x 5.68" W (1.04 lbs) 416 pages ﻿For ages 13-17 years old

Blood Debts /// Terry J. Benton-Walker

The 1619 Project's lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson. A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.And the people planted dreams and hope, willed themselves to keep living, living. And the people learned new words for love for friend for family for joy for grow for home. With powerful verse and striking illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, Born on the Water provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity. BIOS Nikole Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine and creator of the landmark 1619 Project. In 2017, she received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, known as the Genius Grant, for her work on educational inequality. She has also won a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards, three National Magazine Awards, and the 2018 John Chancellor distinguished journalism award from Columbia University. In 2016, Nikole co-founded the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, a training and mentorship organization geared towards increasing the numbers of investigative reporters of color. Renée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author. Her young adult novel, Piecing Me Together (Bloomsbury, 2017) received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books for young readers include Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and Ways to Make Sunshine, which received the SCBWI Golden Kite Award. She has given readings and lectures at many renown places including the United Nations, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Embassy in Japan and New Zealand. Renée is on the Council of Writers for the National Writing Project and is a member of the Academy of American Poets' Education Advisory Council. Renée grew up in Portland, Oregon, and splits her time between Portland and New York City. To learn more about Renée's work, visit her at www.reneewatson.net Nikkolas Smith is a Houston, Texas-born Artivist, picture book author, and Hollywood film illustrator. He is the author/illustrator of The Golden Girls of Rio, nominated for an NAACP Image Award, My Hair Is Poofy And That's Okay, and World Cup Women. As a Black illustrator, Nikkolas is focused on creating captivating art that can spark important conversations around social justice in today's world and inspire meaningful change. Many of his viral, globally shared and published sketches are included in his book Sunday Sketch: The Art of Nikkolas. Nikkolas also speaks on his Artivism at conferences, workplaces, and schools around the world, and leads workshops in digital painting, character, and movie poster design. He lives in Los Angeles, California. Learn more here: www.NIKKOLAS.art [H] ﻿Kokila / ﻿November 16, 2021 0.4" H x 9.3" L x 9.3" W (0.8 lbs) 48 pages

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water /// Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith

In this heartwarming tale inspired by her childhood, superstar chef and TV host Carla Hall shares the story of young Carla, who eats a sugar cookie meant for Santa on the night before Christmas and tries to make things right. Christmas is Carla's favorite holiday of the year. She goes to her grandparents' house and eats grandma's special recipe--a perfectly delicious cornbread. She listens to her grandpa Doc's marvelous stories about traveling the world. And, best of all, she spends lots of time with her family. But when Carla accidentally takes a bite out of Santa's sugar cookie, she thinks she's ruined Christmas. How will Santa know to stop at their house if they don't leave him a midnight snack? With her grandmother's help, Carla comes up with a plan, but will it be enough to save Christmas? BIO Carla Hall attended L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland. She gained her audience when she competed on Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef: All Stars. She has been a TV personality since then, cohosting on the ABC talk show The Chew, contributing on Good Morning America, and featuring as a judge on Crazy Delicious on Netflix and on Bakeaway Camp on the Food Network. She is the author of Carla's Comfort Foods, Cooking with Love, and Carla Hall's Soul Food, which received an NAACP Image Awards nomination. She lives in Washington D.C. with her husband. Visit carlahall.com for more. Cherise Harris is an illustrator from Barbados. Her work centers around an interest in fairy tale and its role in telling deep and meaningful stories. Cherise uses pencil, watercolor, and clay, exploring her ideas in both 2D and 3D form. She also uses Photoshop to create digital art and gifs. She received her associate's degree in visual arts at the Barbados Community College, her BFA in illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and most recently completed her master's in illustration at Falmouth University in the UK. Cherise currently lives back home in Barbados with her husband, Ryan, and her daughter. REVIEWS "With expressive illustrations that set the story in the early 1970s and evoke the Christmas mood in the context of a loving Black family, this tale reminds readers that love and good intentions can almost always save the day. Readers will be eager to try out the cornbread recipe included in the endmatter...[h]eartwarming and cozy." --Kirkus Reviews Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / November 02, 2021 0.41" H x 10.28" L x 11.4" W (1.18 lbs) 40 pages

Carla and the Christmas Cornbread /// Carla Hall, illustrated by Cherise Harris

In this remarkable author-illustrator debut that's perfect for fans of Last Stop on Market Street and Extra Yarn, a generous woman is rewarded by her community. Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself? Debut author-illustrator Oge Mora brings to life a heartwarming story of sharing and community in colorful cut-paper designs as luscious as Omu's stew, with an extra serving of love. An author's note explains that Omu (pronounced AH-moo) means queen in the Igbo language of her parents, but growing up, she used it to mean Grandma. This book was inspired by the strong female role models in Oge Mora's life. BIO Oge Mora graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration. When not painting in her studio, Oge is in the kitchen cooking her late grandmother's recipes. Her first picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, a New York Times Notable Book and Editors' Choice, and a Junior Library Guild selection. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and invites you to visit her website at www.ogemora.com. REVIEWS "[*] A memorable tale of community and the unexpected rewards of sharing." --School Library Journal, starred review "All at once fresh and like a classic folktale." --The Washington Post "[*] A lovely story of giving and community founded in Nigerian culture. Delectable." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / October 02, 2018 ﻿0.5" H x 11.31" L x 9.38" W (1.05 lbs) 40 pages

Thank You, Omu! /// Oge Mora

This stunning picture book looks into the life of Georgia Gilmore, a hidden figure of history who played a critical role in the civil rights movement and used her passion for baking to help the Montgomery Bus Boycott achieve its goal. Georgia decided to help the best way she knew how.She worked together with a group of women and together they purchased the supplies they needed- bread, lettuce, and chickens. And off they went to cook.The women brought food to the mass meetings that followed at the church. They sold sandwiches. They sold dinners in their neighborhoods. As the boycotters walked and walked, Georgia cooked and cooked.Georgia Gilmore was a cook at the National Lunch Company in Montgomery, Alabama. When the bus boycotts broke out in Montgomery after Rosa Parks was arrested, Georgia knew just what to do. She organized a group of women who cooked and baked to fund-raise for gas and cars to help sustain the boycott. Called the Club from Nowhere, Georgia was the only person who knew who baked and bought the food, and she said the money came from "nowhere" to anyone who asked. When Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for his role in the boycott, Georgia testified on his behalf, and her home became a meeting place for civil rights leaders. This picture book highlights a hidden figure of the civil rights movement who fueled the bus boycotts and demonstrated that one person can make a real change in her community and beyond. It also includes one of her delicious recipes for kids to try with the help of their parents! BIO Dee Romito is an author and former elementary school teacher. Her middle grade novels include The BFF Bucket List, No Place Like Home, and The Italy List. She blogs about writing at writeforapples.com, where she and her team share tips to help fellow writers. Dee is also Co-Advisor of Buffalo-Niagara Children's Writers and Illustrators. You can visit her website at deeromito.com. Laura Freeman received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and began her career illustrating for various editorial clients, including the New York Times Book Review, the National Law Journal, and New York magazine, and previous titles include Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe and Hidden Figures. Laura now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their two children. Find out more about Laura at lfreemanart.com. REVIEWS "While this historical picture book includes the two best known figures in the Civil Rights movement, it is most notable for celebrating the life and contributions of a little-known person who, like so many, many others, put herself at risk to further the cause she believed in." --Booklist, STARRED REVIEW Little Bee Books / November 06, 2018 0.5" H x 11.0" L x 8.6" W (1.05 lbs) 40 pages

This stunning picture book looks into the life of Georgia Gilmore, a hidden figure of history who played a critical role in the civil rights movement and used her passion for baking to help the Montgomery Bus Boycott achieve its goal.
 Georgia decided to help the best way she knew how. She worked together with a group of women and together they purchased the supplies they needed- bread, lettuce, and chickens. And off they went to cook. The women brought food to the mass meetings that followed at the church. They sold sandwiches. They sold dinners in their neighborhoods.
 As the boycotters walked and walked, Georgia cooked and cooked. Georgia Gilmore was a cook at the National Lunch Company in Montgomery, Alabama. When the bus boycotts broke out in Montgomery after Rosa Parks was arrested, Georgia knew just what to do. She organized a group of women who cooked and baked to fund-raise for gas and cars to help sustain the boycott. Called the Club from Nowhere, Georgia was the only person who knew who baked and bought the food, and she said the money came from "nowhere" to anyone who asked. When Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for his role in the boycott, Georgia testified on his behalf, and her home became a meeting place for civil rights leaders. This picture book highlights a hidden figure of the civil rights movement who fueled the bus boycotts and demonstrated that one person can make a real change in her community and beyond. It also includes one of her delicious recipes for kids to try with the help of their parents!
BIO
Dee Romito is an author and former elementary school teacher. Her middle grade novels include The BFF Bucket List, No Place Like Home, and The Italy List. She blogs about writing at writeforapples.com, where she and her team share tips to help fellow writers. Dee is also Co-Advisor of Buffalo-Niagara Children's Writers and Illustrators. You can visit her website at deeromito.com. 
Laura Freeman received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and began her career illustrating for various editorial clients, including the New York Times Book Review, the National Law Journal, and New York magazine, and previous titles include Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe and Hidden Figures. Laura now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their two children. Find out more about Laura at lfreemanart.com.
REVIEWS
"While this historical picture book includes the two best known figures in the Civil Rights movement, it is most notable for celebrating the life and contributions of a little-known person who, like so many, many others, put herself at risk to further the cause she believed in." --Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Little Bee Books  /  <meta charset="utf-8">November 06, 2018
<meta charset="utf-8">0.5" H x 11.0" L x 8.6" W (1.05 lbs) 40 pages

Pies From Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott /// Dee Romito, illustrated by Laura Freeman

With passion and precision, Kekla Magoon relays an essential account of the Black Panthers--as militant revolutionaries and as human rights advocates working to defend and protect their community. In this comprehensive, inspiring, and all-too-relevant history of the Black Panther Party, Kekla Magoon introduces readers to the Panthers' community activism, grounded in the concept of self-defense, which taught Black Americans how to protect and support themselves in a country that treated them like second-class citizens. For too long the Panthers' story has been a footnote to the civil rights movement rather than what it was: a revolutionary socialist movement that drew thousands of members--mostly women--and became the target of one of the most sustained repression efforts ever made by the U.S. government against its own citizens. Revolution in Our Time puts the Panthers in the proper context of Black American history, from the first arrival of enslaved people to the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Kekla Magoon's eye-opening work invites a new generation of readers grappling with injustices in the United States to learn from the Panthers' history and courage, inspiring them to take their own place in the ongoing fight for justice. BIO Kekla Magoon's young adult novel The Rock and the River, which won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award, was the first mainstream novel for young people to feature the Black Panther Party. She is the Margaret A. Edwards Award-winning author of more than a dozen books for young readers, including Fire in the Streets and How It Went Down. She is also the coauthor, with Ilyasah Shabazz, of X: A Novel, which was long-listed for the National Book Award and received an NAACP Image Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor. Kekla Magoon grew up in Indiana and now lives in Vermont, where she serves on the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts. REVIEW ﻿This comprehensive, meticulously researched volume helps readers understand the Panthers within the spectrum of Black resistance. The narrative is cinematic in its descriptions of the personalities and incidents that make up the party's history while presenting a throughline to the anti-racist activism of today. The book's attractive graphic design, with ample use of robin's egg blue in contrast to dramatic black-and-white photographs, and with memorable quotes scattered throughout, makes it visually pleasing. The highly readable and not-to-be-missed story of America's history and current reality. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Kekla Magoon is a national treasure, and Revolution in Our Time passionately and meticulously details a critical truth that is both feared and necessary in the classroom. --Rita Williams-Garcia, award-winning author of A Sitting in St. James [H] Candlewick Press / November 08, 2021 1.2" H x 10.1" L x 7.6" W (3.0 lbs) 400 pages

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People /// Kekla Magoon

Tola lives in an apartment in the busy city of Lagos, Nigeria, with her sister, Moji, who is very clever; her brother, Dapo, who is very fast; and Grandmommy, who is very bossy. Tola may be small, but she's strong enough to carry a basket brimming with groceries home from the market, and she's clever enough to count out Grandmommy's change. When the faucets in the apartment break, it's Tola who brings water from the well. And when Mr. Abdul, the tailor, has an accident and needs help taking his customers' measurements, only Tola can save the day. BIO Atinuke is a Nigerian-born author who started her career doing traditional oral storytelling. Her books include a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Winner, a Notable Book for a Global Society, a Cybils Award Winner, and an Africana Award Winner. She lives in Wales. Onyinye Iwu was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and moved to England when she was thirteen. She is a designer, illustrator, and educator. Too Small Tola is her first book for children. She lives in London. REVIEWS "Too Small Tola has a diminutive heroine, but it's a big charmer and treats its newly capable readers with a respect that will make them feel knowledgeable and sophisticated." --The Wall Street Journal "Nigerian-born children's author Atinuke introduces a memorable new heroine in Too Small Tola...Atinuke is a masterful storyteller, playing with language and rhythm as she evokes Tola's world. Every sentence is fun to read...Too Small Tola's gentle morals linger with an unusually satisfying combination of inevitability and surprise...Onyinye Iwu renders Tola and her family in endearing and expressive images that capture their personalities perfectly. Too Small Tola will make readers eager to read more about Tola; Lagos is clearly bursting with more stories to tell. --BookPage (starred review) "Tola is small, but she is mighty. In three episodic chapters, Tola uses her not-inconsequential perseverance to help her grandmother, other family members, and those in her wider Lagos community. . . Atinuke's writing is rich with imagery and replicates the music and rhythm of Tola's daily life. The stories are copiously illustrated with line drawings of a round-faced, appealingly welcoming protagonist. The friendly format, universal emotional truths, helpful illustrations, and strong writing work together to immerse young readers in Tola's world." --The Horn Book (starred review) [H] Candlewick Press (MA) / March 02, 2021 0.6" H x 8.0" L x 5.4" W (0.45 lbs) 96 pages

Too Small Tola /// Atinuke with illustrations by Onyinye Iwu

Gia is tired of hearing about the new baby. It hasn't even been born yet, but everyone, even her friends, seem fixated on it. Gia thinks things are fine just the way they are! And she's worried: if the baby's such a big deal now, what's going to happen to Gia's nice, cozy life with Mama once it's born? Beloved author Jacqueline Woodson and Sophie Blackall have created a heartwarming story for kids adjusting to the idea of a new family member. Young readers will be reassured by Gia's eventual understanding that the baby won't ruin the special bond she has with her mom, and might even be a sweet addition to the family. BIO Jacqueline Woodson (www.jacquelinewoodson.com) is the recipient of a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the 2018 Children's Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and in 2015, she was named the Young People's Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She received the 2014 National Book Award for her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, which was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, the NAACP Image Award, and a Sibert Honor. She wrote the adult books Red at the Bone, a New York Times bestseller, and Another Brooklyn, a 2016 National Book Award finalist. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jacqueline grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English. She is the author of dozens of award-winning books for young adults, middle graders, and children; among her many accolades, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a four-time National Book Award finalist, and a three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Her books include Coretta Scott King Award winner Before the Ever After; New York Times bestsellers The Day You Begin and Harbor Me; The Other Side, Each Kindness, Caldecott Honor book Coming On Home Soon; Newbery Honor winners Feathers, Show Way, and After Tupac and D Foster; and Miracle's Boys, which received the LA Times Book Prize and the Coretta Scott King Award. Jacqueline is also a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement for her contributions to young adult literature and a two-time winner of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. Sophie Blackall (www.sophieblackall.com) is the illustrator of several award-winning picture books, including Meet Wild Boars by Meg Rosoff, Big Red Lollipop (by Rukhsana Khan), and the Ivy and Bean books by Annie Barrows, and she wrote and illustrated The Baby Tree. Her many honors include a BCCB Blue Ribbon, Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, Society of Illustrators Founders Award, Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book, Book Sense 76 Pick, and New York Times Top Ten Picture Book. Her artwork has also appeared in murals as part of the New York City MTA's "Arts for Transit" program. Previously she has had jobs in a shoe shop and a robot factory. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. REVIEWS "Fresh and wise." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Gia's narrative voice is prime Woodson--lyrical, colloquial, and imbued with the authentic feelings of a child." --The Horn Book, starred review [H] G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers / October 28, 2010 0.38" H x 9.26" L x 9.47" W (0.79 lbs) 32 pages [P] Puffin Books / October 17, 2013 0.2" H x 8.8" L x 8.8" W (0.3 lbs) 32 pages

Pecan Pie Baby /// Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

“I will always rememberwhen the stars fell down around meand lifted me up abovethe George Washington Bridge.” Cassie Louise Lightfoot, eight years old in 1939, has a dream: to be free to go wherever she wants for the rest of her life. One night, up on “tar beach” –the rooftop of her family’s Harlem apartment building–her dream comes true. The stars lift her up, and she flies over the city. She claims the buildings as her own–even the union building, so her father won’t have to worry anymore about not being allowed to join just because his father was not a member. As Cassie learns, anyone can fly. “All you need is somewhere to go you can’t get to any other way. The next thing you know, you’re flying above the stars.” This magical story resonates with a universal wish. Originally written by Faith Ringgold for her story quilt of the same name, Tar Beach is a seamless weaving of fiction, autobiography, and African-American history and literature. BIO Faith Ringgold, born 1930 in Harlem, New York, is a painter, mixed media sculptor, performance artist, writer, teacher and lecturer. She received her B.S. and M.A. degrees in visual art from the City College of New York in 1955 and 1959. Professor Emeritus of Art at the University of California in San Diego, Ringgold has received 23 Honorary Doctorates. Crown Publishers published Faith Ringgold’s first book, the award winning Tar Beach in 1991. It has won over 20 awards including the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King award for the best-illustrated children’s book of 1991. An animated version with Natalie Cole as the voice over was created by HBO in 2010. The book is based on the story quilt of the same title from The Woman on a Bridge Series, 1988. The original painted story quilt, Tar Beach, is in the permanent collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. REVIEWS "The triumphant soaring of imagination over reality is beautifully expressed in Ringgold's bold, vibrant paintings, newly rendered to tell this story, and with details from the quilt's glowing patchwork as a delightful continue along the bottom of each page. Beautiful, innovative, and full of the joy of one unconquerable soul." -- Kirkus Reviews "Ringgold's strong figures and flattened perspective bring a distinctive magic to this dreamy and yet wonderfully concrete vision." -- Publishers Weekly [H] Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers / January 16, 1991 0.6" H x 12.2" L x 9.5" W (1.2 lbs) 32 pages [P] Dragonfly Books / December 03, 1996 0.22" H x 11.64" L x 9.22" W (0.39 lbs) 32 pages ﻿For ages 5 - 8

Tar Beach /// Faith Ringgold

A lyrical picture book debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long I can hear change hummingIn its loudest, proudest song.I don't fear change coming,And so I sing along. In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes--big or small--in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. With lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations that build to a dazzling crescendo by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long, Change Sings is a triumphant call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference. BIOS ﻿Amanda Gorman is the youngest presidential inaugural poet in US history. She is a committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice. Amanda's activism and poetry have been featured on The Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in the New York Times, Vogue, Essence, and O, The Oprah Magazine. In 2017, Urban Word named her the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, she now lives in her hometown of Los Angeles. The special edition of her inaugural poem, "The Hill We Climb," was published in March 2021 and debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Her debut picture book, Change Sings, will be published in September 2021. Please visit theamandagorman.com. Loren Long is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Otis series which is in development as an animated television series. He's also the illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama and Love by Matt de la Pena. He recently illustrated a modern edition of the Clement C. Moore classic The Night Before Christmas. He lives near Cincinnati with his wife and rescue hound, Charlie. Visit him online at LorenLong.com or on Twitter @lorenlong. REVIEWS "In rich language and vivid art, this hopeful celebration of the life-affirming power of change to ripple out into a better future is irresistible. Text and poetry work together to regulate a careful reading of this beautiful work. One to keep, to read, and to reread." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This uplifting serenade will instill readers of any age with hope for the future and the initiative to improve it." --Publishers Weekly, (starred review) "A lovely and loving call to action and kindness." --Booklist "So rich are both the art and the verses in uplifting imagery that it's hard to imagine any young audience remaining unstirred by this call to be the change they want to see." --School Library Journal Viking Books for Young Readers / September 21, 2021 0.5" H x 11.1" L x 10.3" W (1.2 lbs) 32 pages

Change Sings: A Children's Anthem /// Amanda Gorman

"Nothing short of magic. One of the best writers of our times." --Elizabeth Acevedo, New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X The powerful novel-in-verse from Safia Elhillo, the critically acclaimed poet featured on Forbes Africa's "30 Under 30" list. This mesmerizing journey of family, identity, and finding yourself in the most unexpected places is filled with lyrical beauty and stunning strength. Nima doesn't feel understood. By her mother, who grew up far away in a different land. By her suburban town, which makes her feel too much like an outsider to fit in and not enough like an outsider to belong somewhere else. At least she has her childhood friend Haitham, with whom she can let her guard down and be herself. Until she doesn't. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen, the name her parents didn't give her at birth: Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might be more real than Nima knows. And more hungry. And the life Nima has, the one she keeps wishing were someone else's . . . she might have to fight for it with a fierceness she never knew she had. BIO Safia Elhillo is the author of the poetry collection The January Children, which received the the 2016 Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets and a 2018 Arab American Book Award.Sudanese by way of Washington, DC, she holds an MFA from The New School, a Cave Canem Fellowship, and a 2018 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. Safia is a Pushcart Prize nominee, co-winner of the 2015 Brunel International African Poetry Prize, and listed in Forbes Africa's 2018 30 Under 30. She is a 2019-2021 Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. REVIEWS "Movingly unravels themes of belonging, Islamophobia, and the interlocking oppressions thrust upon immigrant women." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "[A] surreal crash-course in perspective, agency, and self-love." --Booklist, starred review "Artfully profound and achingly beautiful, Elhillo's verse aptly explores diasporic yearning for one's home and a universal fascination with possibilities." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Elhillo's tender and descriptive writing may leave readers feeling the need to live life to the fullest...[a] passionate, piercing YA collection of poems." --Shelf Awareness, starred review "A love letter to anyone who has ever been an outsider, or searched to understand their history, no matter where they come from." --NPR Make Me a World / March 02, 2021 1.1" H x 8.4" L x 5.6" W (0.75 lbs) 224 pages

Home Is Not a Country /// Safia Elhillo

What do you do when an octopus captures Grandma? Put on your superhero cape and rescue her! This clever picture book tells two stories in one, from award-winning Afro-Latino artist Eric Velasquez. The octopus Grandma is cooking has grown to titanic proportions. ¡Tenga cuidado! Ramsey shouts. Be careful! But it's too late. The octopus traps Grandma! Ramsey uses both art and intellect to free his beloved abuela. Then the story takes a surprising twist. And it can be read two ways. Open the fold-out pages to find Ramsey telling a story to his family. Keep the pages folded, and Ramsey's octopus adventure is real. This beautifully illustrated picture book, drawn from the author's childhood memories, celebrates creativity, heroism, family, grandmothers, grandsons, Puerto Rican food, Latinx culture and more. With an author's note and the Velasquez family recipe for Octopus Stew! A Bank Street Best Book of the Year BIO Eric Velasquez' awards include the John Steptoe / Coretta Scott King Award for new talent, a Pura Belpré Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a Carter G. Woodson Award. For Holiday House, he both wrote and illustrated Looking for Bongo, and he illustrated Ol' Clip-Clop: A Ghost Story by Patricia C. McKissack (Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award Winner, Georgia Children's Book Award, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year--Outstanding Merit) and New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer (Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, New York State Reading Association Charlotte Award).The son of Afro-Puerto Rican parents who encouraged music and storytelling, Eric grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York. As a child, he loved superheroes, comics and drawing, much like the boy in Octopus Stew.He teaches illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology and lives in New York. REVIEWS "Velazquez draws a great octopus, the intense primary color palette is wonderfully energized for a group read-aloud, and the story provides an invitation for families to create tall tales together." --The New York Times "With love and humanity, Velasquez ( Looking for Bongo, Grandma's Gift) once again affirms young Black Latinx boys' identities and family experiences. . . . With the exaggerated detail of a tall tale and the pacing and sound effects ('Bloop, Bloop, Bloop, Brrrr') of oral storytelling, Velasquez depicts an intergenerational tale filled with food, family, humor, and love (fans of Looking for Bongo will find some familiar characters). The oil-paint illustrations effectively convey the story's larger-than-life supernatural elements as well as the protagonists' affectionate relationship; the many shades and features of Afro-Latinx families are displayed, including in a central foldout spread that contains a humorous and effective narrative surprise." --The Horn Book, starred review "Realistic oil paintings bring to life the action and excitement of encountering a giant octopus. Important cultural notes are detailed in the story and pictures through emphasis on art, storytelling, musical instruments, and more. Spanish dialogue mixes fluidly into the primarily English text, with a glossary providing definitions and pronunciations of Spanish terms. Happily, Velasquez also includes a recipe for octopus stew." --Booklist [H] Holiday House / September 17, 2019 0.4" H x 11.0" L x 8.8" W (0.97 lbs) 40 pages [P] Holiday House / February 02, 2021 0.3" H x 10.8" L x 8.3" W (0.39 lbs) 40 pages

Octopus Stew /// Eric Velasquez

Culinary sorceress Nancy Mehagian teams with TedKids sensation Haile Thomas to create a special collection of kid friendly "supernatural" recipes. Exciting and innovative, this cookbook introduces mindful eating to junior chefs with healthy, tasty and easy to prepare foods. Kids will learn about food groups, basic prep, kitchen equipment and how to create healthy snacks and meals the whole family will enjoy, including: baked bananas, curried sweet carrots, baked apples, vegetable pudding and Mexiquinoa Salad. ﻿BIO Nancy Mehagian teaches gourmet cooking classes and has been a health care practitioner in Los Angeles for over thirty-five years. She opened the first vegetarian restaurant in Ibiza and is the author of the award-winning culinary memoir "Siren's Feast, An Edible Odyssey." Haile Thomas is the host of "Kids Can Cook" and has collaborated with chef Alice Waters to create healthy menus for children at Hyatt Hotels. She sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, was a Food Network "Kids Cook Off" contestant and was a featured speaker at the 2013 Sages and Scientists Symposium. She introduced First Lady Michelle Obama at the Kids State Dinner at the White House, has cooked alongside Chelsea Clinton on the Rachael Ray Show and has appeared on the Today show to promote healthy eating for kids of all ages. Huqua Press / December 25, 2013 0.3" H x 8.3" L x 8.4" W (0.5 lbs) 88 pages

Culinary sorceress Nancy Mehagian teams with TedKids sensation Haile Thomas to create a special collection of kid friendly "supernatural" recipes. Exciting and innovative, this cookbook introduces mindful eating to junior chefs with healthy, tasty and easy to prepare foods. Kids will learn about food groups, basic prep, kitchen equipment and how to create healthy snacks and meals the whole family will enjoy, including: baked bananas, curried sweet carrots, baked apples, vegetable pudding and Mexiquinoa Salad.
﻿BIO
Nancy Mehagian teaches gourmet cooking classes and has been a health care practitioner in Los Angeles for over thirty-five years. She opened the first vegetarian restaurant in Ibiza and is the author of the award-winning culinary memoir "Siren's Feast, An Edible Odyssey."
Haile Thomas is the host of "Kids Can Cook" and has collaborated with chef Alice Waters to create healthy menus for children at Hyatt Hotels. She sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, was a Food Network "Kids Cook Off" contestant and was a featured speaker at the 2013 Sages and Scientists Symposium. She introduced First Lady Michelle Obama at the Kids State Dinner at the White House, has cooked alongside Chelsea Clinton on the Rachael Ray Show and has appeared on the Today show to promote healthy eating for kids of all ages.
Huqua Press  /  December 25, 2013
0.3" H x 8.3" L x 8.4" W (0.5 lbs) 88 pages

The Supernatural Kids Cookbook - Haile's Favorites /// Nancy Mehagian and Haile Thomas

Twenty years after the release of the first edition of this bestseller, poet Nikki Giovanni has added 10 new poems to the 22 that made up the original collection. Powerfully illustrated by George Ford, Ego-Tripping captures the essence of the African-American experience in ways that have special relevance and appeal for adolescents. BIO Nikki Giovanni, poet, activist, mother, and professor, is a seven-time NAACP Image Award winner and the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award, and holds the Langston Hughes Medal for Outstanding Poetry, among many other honors. The author of twenty-eight books and a Grammy nominee for The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, she is the University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Lawrence Hill Books / November 01, 1993 0.28" H x 8.92" L x 5.94" W (0.32 lbs) 76 pages

Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People /// Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by George Ford with foreword  by Virginia Hamilton

Zoe Washington isn't sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she's never met, hadn't heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who's been in prison for a terrible crime? A crime he says he never committed. Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. Everyone else thinks Zoe's worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she's worthy of auditioning for Food Network's Kids Bake Challenge. But with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcus's conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesn't know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies. When Marcus tells Zoe he is innocent, and her grandmother agrees, Zoe begins to learn about inequality in the criminal justice system, and she sets out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence. (Publishers Weekly, An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List) BIO Janae Marks graduated from the New School with an MFA in writing for children. When she isn't writing fiction, she's spending time with her husband and daughter at home in Connecticut. From the Desk of Zoe Washington is her debut novel. Visit Janae online at www.janaemarks.com. REVIEWS "Marks tackles the complex costs of the pursuit of justice and motivates readers to feel equipped--and energized--to stand up for what's right, right now. Readers will recognize that, like Zoe Washington, they need not wait until they grow up to make their actions count." --Tanita S. Davis, author of Mare's War "A delightful confection of a novel! Zoe is a wondrous heroine who inspires a deeper love for food, family, and friends. Advocating for social justice, she creates a new recipe for a better, sweeter world. An enticing and enthralling debut from Janae Marks." --Jewell Parker Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Boys "Marks delivers a spirited central character whose determination to get to the truth is admirable. An involving family story, this novel could also serve as an introduction to social justice for elementary schoolers." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books [H] Katherine Tegen Books / January 14, 2020 ﻿1.1" H x 8.2" L x 5.8" W (0.8 lbs) 304 pages [P] Katherine Tegen Books / January 5, 2021 0.8" H x 7.5" L x 5.1" W (0.45 lbs) 320 pages

From the Desk of Zoe Washington /// Janae Marks

Join the celebration in the kitchen as a family makes their traditional New Year's soup -- and shares the story of how Haitian independence came to be. The shake-shake of maracas vibrates down to my toes. Ti Gran's feet tap-tap to the rhythm. Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. This year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup -- Freedom Soup -- just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle's family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle's family is from. In this celebration of cultural traditions passed from one generation to the next, Jacqueline Alcántara's lush illustrations bring to life both Belle's story and the story of the Haitian Revolution. Tami Charles's lyrical text, as accessible as it is sensory, makes for a tale that readers will enjoy to the last drop. BIO Tami Charles is the author of numerous books for children, including her fiction debut, Like Vanessa. During an appearance on Good Morning America, she featured a Thanksgiving version of Freedom Soup, which she first learned to make from her husband's ti gran. Tami Charles lives in New Jersey. Jacqueline Alcántara, the illustrator of The Field by Baptiste Paul, was selected for the inaugural We Need Diverse Books Mentorship program. She lives in Chicago. REVIEWS The dynamically detailed mixed-media artwork swirls with motion, feeling, and references to Haitian culture, and Alcántara ( The Field) creates memorable characters in Ti Gran and Belle. Complete with a soup recipe and a personal note from Charles ( Like Vanessa) honoring her family and Haitian history, this vibrant title is bound to teach, empower, and rumble the bellies of its readers. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) The sumptuous illustrations accentuate Tami Charles's evocative, celebratory text. In an author's note, Charles ( Becoming Beatriz) shares her inspiration for this luscious picture book: her husband's Ti Gran taught her how to make Freedom Soup (or Soup Joumou) with a recipe that had been passed down for generations. She includes their family's kid-friendly recipe, giving readers an opportunity to make the traditional soup at home. Haitian Creole words appear throughout, adding to the book's authenticity, and some are translated within the recipe. --Shelf Awareness for Readers (starred review) [H] Candlewick Press / December 10, 2019 0.5" H x 10.7" L x 9.2" W (0.9 lbs) 32 pages

Freedom Soup /// Tami Charles, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

A People magazine Best Book of Fall 2019An Amazon Best Young Adult Book of 2019F***ing outstanding.--Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author Juliet Milagros Palante is a self-proclaimed closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx. Only, she's not so closeted anymore. Not after coming out to her family the night before flying to Portland, Oregon, to intern with her favorite feminist writer--what's sure to be a life-changing experience. And when Juliet's coming out crashes and burns, she's not sure her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan--sort of. Her internship with legendary author Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women's bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff, is sure to help her figure out this whole Puerto Rican lesbian thing. Except Harlowe's white. And not from the Bronx. And she definitely doesn't have all the answers . . . In a summer bursting with queer brown dance parties, a sexy fling with a motorcycling librarian, and intense explorations of race and identity, Juliet learns what it means to come out--to the world, to her family, to herself. BIO Gabby Rivera is a Bronx-born queer Puerto Rican babe on a mission to create the wildest, most fun stories ever. She's the first Latina to write for Marvel comics, penning the solo series AMERICA about America Chavez, a portal-punching queer Latina powerhouse. In 2017, Gabby was named one of the top comic creators by the SyFy network, and one of NBC's #Pride30 Innovators. Gabby now makes magic on both coasts, currently residing in California. She writes for all the sweet baby queers and her mom. REVIEWS "Juliet Takes a Breath is absolutely breathtaking. This is the homegirl I've always wanted to see in literature, made flesh by Rivera's pen." --Elizabeth Acevedo, National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X "Raw. Powerful. Honest. Juliet Takes a Breath is a luminous journey of self-discovery. Through Juliet's awakening, Rivera gently challenges us to step out of the shadows and into the light, and reminds us that successful rebellion begins with loving yourself in all your infinite variety." --Samira Ahmed, New York Times best­selling author of Love, Hate & Other Filters and Internment Boom Box / December 01, 2020 ﻿0.4" H x 9.0" L x 6.0" W (0.75 lbs) 176 pages

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