Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson with illustrations by Ekua Holmes. A gorgeous and powerful collection of poetry and images. I kept wanting to highlight specific lines and share them with the person next to me.

For Girls Who Walk Through Fire by Kim DeRose. If Promising Young Woman met The Craft, DeRose weaves a story of magic and pain and power and community.

Rez Ball by Byron Graves. A grounded, funny, and moving portrayal of a teen boy striving to take his reservation high school basketball team to state after the untimely death of his beloved older brother.

White Rose by Kip Wilson. A novel-in-verse from the perspective of college student Sophie Scholl, who spoke out against the Nazi regime as part of the White Rose resistance group. All too timely and gorgeously powerful.

The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin. A true survivor story, centered around a teen girl who finds a pack of wild girls living in the woods and discovers the deep connections they have as they navigate the often cruel ‘real world.’

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr. A novel-in-verse about a teen girl standing up against the powerful pastor who abused her. I finished this in one sitting it was so good!

Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire by Paula Yoo. A phenomenally researched and written look at the assault of Rodney King and the LA civil unrest that followed, digging into the history and relationships of Black and Korean communities in that area.

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu. The perfect blend of contemporary middle grade and fantasy horror in this moving adaptation of The Yellow Wallpaper. I wish I could give this to my sixth-grade self!

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo. A novel-in-verse about a teen poet who navigates between her traditional Sudanese upbringing and her contemporary American friends as she falls under the sway of a charming older poet.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Fantastic and fresh world-building as a Native American teen enters a magic school to learn how to work with the young dragon who bonded to her at birth.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Both personal and expansive, one woman’s story of her young acting life, particularly her relationship with a now-famous star, as told to her young adult children during COVID. Sharply written and thoughtful.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. Sweet and charming and surprisingly touching, this fantasy tale of an orc who establishes the first coffee shop in a small town is exactly as good as the hype suggests.

I’ve talked before about the annual NESCBWI conference. It’s where I connected with my crit group; where I see lots of writer friends; where I’ve heard inspiring keynotes; where I’ve taken awesome workshops; and where I go every year in April.

This year, I’m especially excited, because I’m teaching two workshops! They are:

J1 – Stories Without Stigma: Writing About Mental Health
Sunday, 10:50 am – 11:45 am
This workshop will focus on crafting nuanced, realistic characters who are struggling with mental health. Topics covered will include the importance of talking about mental health in fiction for young readers; questions to ask when researching a particular mental health issue; creating dynamic characters and avoiding stereotypes; mental health issues vs. neurodiversity and intersectionality in mental health; avoiding romanticizing mental health struggles and providing hope for readers. We will look at examples from work such as Laurie Halse Anderson’s The Impossible Knife of Memory (PTSD), Other Broken Things by Christa Desir (addiction), OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu (OCD), Pointe by Brandy Colbert (eating disorder), and Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (depression).

M8 – Write Like a Runner: Training Your Writing for the Long Haul
Sunday 3:05 pm – 4:00 pm
Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life — and for me, for writing as whole.”—Haruki Murakami. Writing a novel and running a marathon require a lot of time, focus, dedication, and can also feel like pretty intimidating. But with a little planning and a lot of motivation, you can approach the novel writing process with the focus and heart of a marathoner. Learn how to craft a schedule, deal with setbacks, and focus on short-term goals to get yourself to the finish line.

Registration opens this Saturday (February 4) at 2pm. NESCBWI fills up fast, so make sure to be at your computer this weekend. And hey, maybe sign up for my workshops while you’re at it! (I promise I won’t make you run.)

Happy Friday, everyone! I’m excited to head into a potentially snowy weekend with a great pile of library books. Let’s head into the weekend with a little look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or under.

Reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Cozy and heartfelt–exactly the kind of book I needed. And the sequel just published!

Writing: “Masha and I were in the same orientation session at Ov.”
Working on my next story for the Hanging Garden. Check back on Monday for the full story!

For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, another reason why we need diverse books:

The more we read about people other than ourselves and experiences other than our own, the more empathetic we are and the stronger we are as a society.

Check out more great quotes by Dr. King here. If you’re looking for some MLK-inspired reading, checking out these excellent reading lists.

(Image: Next Avenue)