Diversity in YA Book Tour - Last Stop

The Diversity in YA book tour's last stop is today, Saturday May 14th in NYC. Author's Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo will be joined by

Matt de la Peña my review

Kekla Magoon my review


Neesha Meminger my review


Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich my review

Rita Williams-Garcia - an excerpt

Jacqueline Woodson my review

Camo Girl - Kekla Magoon

Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon

Ella has recently started the 6th grade and everything has changed. Before Ella was best friends with Zachary and Millie. Now Millie has moved on, leaving Ella and Zachary to be the outcast. Both are teased for different reasons. Ella because she's the only Black girl in her class. The taunts are worse because Ella has white splotches on her face. Some of Ella's classmates call her camo face.

Zachary is picked on for always creating imaginary worlds. Sometimes Ella plays along. Zachary becomes Zachariah, and Ella becomes Eleanor. These new personalities can handle the taunts.

Ella's voice is strong and realistic. Author's are asking a lot of their main characters when they are required to carry the story. There are other well rounded characters like Zachary, Ella's grandmother and mother but in the end it comes back to Ella and she carries the story with ease.

When Bailey James, a new kid starts at school, I felt Ella's loneliness of being the only Black student.

"Bailey James. I say his name in my mind a few times. First to myself, then as if to others:Yeah, Bailey James. You, know, the other black kid. The other black kid. Bailey James is looking around the room. I haven't had time to worry what he'll think. I'm too shocked, too busy looking. to try to hid my face. His glance lands on me moves on. Returns. Moves on. Returns. My heart is all but leaping. Then his face breaks. Bailey James smiles at me. Actually smiles. Then he gives this little nod as if to say. Yeah, I'm here. You're not alone. I lay my head on the desk, in case I start to cry." (arc)

I love that Magoon doesn't ignore race and nor is it the focal point. Ella being the only Black student is just a part of the story. There's so much more going on, like Ella missing her father, wishing her mother didn't have to travel for work, or being self conscious about her face.

It seems that Ella and Zachary have nothing in common with the very popular Bailey. In the end Magoon reveals a common thread that will touch readers hearts. Ella lives with her grandmother while her mother is traveling for work. One of my favorite parts of the story is the three women family dynamic when the mother is home. Camo Girl is simply a very good and well told story.

Read the first chapter

A starred Kirkus Review

Give Autographed Books (Support the Economy & Authors of Color)

It's no surprise that many books by children's authors of color have to be ordered. So why not order an autographed copy for the holidays

Tuesday December 7, this Tuesday, YA author Caridad Ferrer will be signing her newest book When the Stars go Blue @ Third Place Books - (206) - 366-3333

When the Stars go Blue is so very good and visually beautiful. I loved the main character Soledad Reyes. This contemporary YA retelling of the Carmen is a great gift for any one who loves the arts.

A personalized copy of When the Stars go Blue would make a wonderful gift for a music or dance instructor.

On Monday December 13th,

Authors - Zetta Elliott, Christopher Grant, Kekla Magoon and Rita Williams -Garcia will be signing @ Daddy's Basement Bookstore - (347) 770-8114
This line up is some serious WOW.

If you've been visiting my blog for awhile now, you know I love Zetta Elliott's A Wish After Midnight - my review when it was re released by Amazon Encore this year, I talked about A Wish After Midnight again will pretty much mention AWAM whenever I can. Its that good.

Teenie is Christopher Grant's YA debut. Its very good. It was such a pleasure to read a hard to put down, contemporary YA novel featuring a Black female character with Caribbean roots.

The Rock and the River is Kekla Magoon's wonderful, award winning middle grade debut. It's historical fiction novel set in 1968 Chicago. 13 yr old Sam must decide which path for change will work better from him. I believe this is the first MG novel that deals with the Black Panthers. (about time). The Rock and the River is very good and shouldn't be missed.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia was a 2010 National Book Award finalist. It's 1968, three sisters will be spending the summer with their mother in Oakland. The sisters spend most of their time at a local committee center run by The Black Panthers. This is one of my favorite middle grade novels of the year.

Every once in awhile, someone on the news will talk about ways to help improve the economy. I have yet to hear anyone give the most obvious answer. Don't Do All Of Your Holiday Shopping Online.

Sure Amazon can give you free shipping, but can Amazon give you a personalized gift? NO!

So order some autographed books for the Holidays. If you do, you'll be supporting the economy, authors of color and giving some great gifts. Everyone wins.