body of proof
My little dragons are still getting around! They made it onto the list of Best Books of 2018 for Young Readers compiled by Prof. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas and her team at UPenn’s Graduate School of Education. I also spotted them in the holiday display window at Penn Bookstore, and then I read this amazing review over at Charlotte’s Library. Not a lot of bloggers are open to self-published books, but Charlotte is one of the few who has reviewed my indie and traditionally published titles. Her last line really hit home because I’ve been feeling the same way—I am not a debut author! And folks who love DRAGONS IN A BAG would probably love my CITY KIDS books, too…if they gave them a chance:
As I said above, it’s great to have a book like this–there really aren’t many. In fact, the only other diverse urban fantasy books for this age group that I can think of (you get more moving into middle grade territory of books for 9-12 year olds) are Zetta Elliott’s earlier City Kids books (with links to my reviews where applicable)–the aforementioned Phoenix on Barkley Street, Dayshaun’s Gift, The Ghosts in the Castle, and The Phantom Unicorn (which I haven’t reviewed yet, so it’s a goodreads link). These earlier books were all self-published. While it’s great to see Dragons in a Bag being traditionally published, with all the greater reach that offers, and I’m really happy about this, I am a teensy bit huffy about people saying Dragons is something new and different, when the other books are all excellent too, but the commenters maybe just don’t know about them…
Charlotte also runs KidLitCon and I’m happy to be heading back in 2019. Our panel is on “Diverse Fantasy in the Real World:”
Middle grade fantasy set in the real world can be a great escape for young readers, but just as importantly, it can offer new ways of seeing what is “real,” bringing attention to critical issues and making visible histories that maybe aren’t part of the standard curriculum. And of course it’s important that we have books with diverse protagonists to reflect the diversity of the real world; every kid should have the chance at magic! As well as addressing diversity gaps in fantasy, and how to fill them, this panel considers what makes good real world fantasy—how much magic do kids want? What stories resonate, and with whom? And how do gatekeepers know when the fantastical elements in a story warrant putting the little unicorn sticker on the spine, or when the magical realism of a particular culture falls on the side of realistic fiction?
Hope you can join us in Providence next March!
I slept well last night because this sparkly tweet came in as I was heading to bed. I really value Njeri’s opinion, in part because she exclusively (and critically) reviews Black speculative fiction on her YouTube channel, ONYX Pages. If you aren’t already following her reviews, check her out!
