My First Editor Shout Out And More

If anyone is wondering, I haven't decided to review only picture books. That might be hard to tell from my last few entries but I ran into a few bad middle grade and young adult books.

If you haven't seen it yet. Check out my review of Rita Williams-Garcia's upcoming release One Crazy Summer @ Color Online - I thought One Crazy Summer was a wonderful book. I loved the three sister who spend the summer of 68 with there mother in Oakland, where they are introduced to Black Panthers.

Lets here it for another historical fiction novel featuring Black people that's not about slavery. Oh yeah.

Lets here it for another historical fiction novel about the Black Panthers. Kekla Magoon's The Rock and the River will soon have some great company.

I've always thought part of an editors job is making sure a novel appeals to the largest audience possible. Sometimes I believe making sure more people will like a book limits the amount of honesty we see in middle grade and young adult fiction with characters of color.

I don't know what didn't make it into the final verison of One Crazy Summer but I know what did. For that I say thank you. For an editor allowing three little Black girls to keep their voices, I am going to give my first ever editor shout out.

Thank you Rosemary Brosnan.

And More
I recently finished The World is Mine by Lyah B LeFlore illus. by DL Warfield. Its the first book in LeFlore's new YA series the The Come Up. This is LeFlore's YA debut and her fourth novel. Having finished the World is Mine, I am very happy LeFlore, has decided to start writing YA fiction.

When I saw that this book was illustrated I didn't know what to expect. The artwork is only near start of a new chapter. I thought it fit in well with the text.

The illustrator Warfied has an extensive bio. I just want to give a quick highlight. In 2000 he launched is own copy called Goldfinger a few of his clients, Nike, Sprite, Dreamworks Music, Nordstrom, Coca Cola , Sony Music and Adidas.

I also recently finished Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda. It took a serious well deserved jump up my reading queue after I read the author's interview at Findering Wonderland., where he said this

The violence is there for a reason. I'm hoping it affects you because it is brutal and leads to loss. I hate the 'kill and quip' style of comedy violence where brutal things happen and the hero walks away with a smart one-liner. Death has consequences. I needed to establish that on the first page, on the first line.

Chadda had me right there and the book embraces diversity. What! Sold.

I will be reviewing both of these books soon. Looking forward to talking about older books again. I think picture books are the hardest to review.