By Elizabeth Agyemang The first time I ever read about a Black character in literature was when I was introduced to Jim from Huckleberry Finn. Likewise, it was only when my English class was assigned to read Heart of Darkness that I experienced a story set in Africa. As a young reader, I quickly … [Read more...] about A Suitcase Full Of Stories: How Stories Shape Elizabeth Agyemang’s Sense Of Place and Belonging
personal essay
My River, My Syria: The Lost Children of Syria
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is Zoulfa Katouh's debut novel, available now wherever books are sold. A love letter to Syria and its people, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a speculative novel set amid the Syrian Revolution, burning with the fires of hope, love, and possibility. By … [Read more...] about My River, My Syria: The Lost Children of Syria
A Black Girl. A Black Book. An Accidental Book Shunning.
By Lakita Wilson “Next week, when you go to the library, I want you to come home with at least one Black book in your stack,” my mother told me one random Thursday in the 90s. My dad and I had this ritual. Every Thursday, while my mom cooked dinner, he’d drive me to Fairmount Heights Library … [Read more...] about A Black Girl. A Black Book. An Accidental Book Shunning.
Balancing Authentic and Accessible: A. J. Sass on Autistic Representation in Ellen Outside the Lines
We previously interviewed A. J. about Ellen Outside the Lines here. By A. J. Sass When my proposal for my sophomore novel, Ellen Outside the Lines, sold, I cycled through a mix of emotions. I was thrilled to get to write another book, of course, but I was also nervous. Although I am autistic … [Read more...] about Balancing Authentic and Accessible: A. J. Sass on Autistic Representation in Ellen Outside the Lines
Nepantla and Writing Latinx Characters
Time Villains by Victor Piñeiro is on sale now. By Victor Piñeiro “Dolly was un-com-FOR-ta-ble.” I wasn’t pronouncing it, I was speaking it. Mrs. Brown and the other four students in my kindergarten reading group snickered. “What did he say?” I’d been reading at home since I was three, but … [Read more...] about Nepantla and Writing Latinx Characters
Writing YA as Freedom
Things We Couldn't Say is out now. By Jay Coles Once upon a time, my high school guidance counselor told me that my voice was my power. I admit, I had no idea what that really meant then—and I didn’t know what it meant when I started writing my debut, either. That was something that had to be … [Read more...] about Writing YA as Freedom
Skin Deeper: On Publishing A Sister Novel 20 Years Later
By Sharon G. Flake The first book I ever published was The Skin I’m In. The first editor to read it was the one who purchased it. The Skin I’m In went on to win awards and become a classic, read in thousands of classrooms around the world, selected by book clubs, and written about in Ph.D. … [Read more...] about Skin Deeper: On Publishing A Sister Novel 20 Years Later
Making a Joyful Noise Through Writing
By Ashley Franklin 2020 is a year that has certainly taken away more from many of us than it has given. During a time when we have lost friends, loved ones, stability, and sometimes our peace of mind, it seems like a tall order to talk about joy. Yet, here I am, on a quest to continue capturing … [Read more...] about Making a Joyful Noise Through Writing
How Young Adult Literature Can Help Biracial Teens Find Themselves
By Ismée Williams One of the reasons I love to read YA fiction is that the characters resonate. They face the same struggles of the human experience we all face, struggles we remember, one of the most important of which is figuring out where you belong—finding your place and your pack. This can … [Read more...] about How Young Adult Literature Can Help Biracial Teens Find Themselves
