lift the curtain…

I just had a fantastic school visit at PS 1 and left with my phone buzzing with notifications. Like me, plenty of folks online are excited about the cover reveal for Dragons in a Bag—see what the buzz is about here or click on the red curtain. I also wrote a short essay about my inspiration and the importance of Geneva B‘s artwork in a moment when Black boys are still being misrepresented…

I’ve never done a cover reveal before and knew I wanted to draw attention not just to my book, but to an alternative way of looking at kid lit. So I was thrilled when Social Justice Books and my colleagues at See What We See agreed to host the reveal:

My investment in reading children’s literature through a critical lens drew me to like-minded scholars, librarians, and bloggers, and together we joined forces to form See What We See (SWWS). It’s not enough to celebrate the publication of books that feature kids of color; each addition to the field needs to be analyzed and assessed by critics who are culturally competent. It’s also important to recognize that the books that end up on our shelves have been curated—selected and shaped by members of an industry that is sorely lacking in diversity. I was fortunate to find in my editor a partner who respected my vision for Dragons in a Bag. For me, fantasy fiction’s purpose isn’t to shield kids from the harsh realities of the world in which we live. Everyone doesn’t get to live happily ever after, but magical tales can inspire and even prepare young readers to challenge the injustice that plagues our society.

My presentation this morning was for mostly 3rd graders and it was awesome to have so many brown eyes trained on me, taking in every word as I talked about my love of Merlin and unicorns and fairies. The teachers at the school were also engaged in my book talk, and several educators came up afterward to tell me that their childhood also lacked “mirror books.” Now they’re committed to having inclusive books in their classrooms and school library. We have so much healing to do! But it starts with honesty and awareness, which is why sites like Social Justice Books are so important.

I head to the Bay Area in a couple of days! Check my tweets and Facebook page for more details. This event at Jefferson Elementary School in Berkeley is open to the public on Thursday night:

And this event is on Friday afternoon:

And on Saturday I’ll be at the San Mateo Young Adult Novel Convention!