Eleven-year-old Dmitri, aka “D,” doesn’t fit in anywhere. After his single mother died three months ago,
he was taken in by an elderly white foster mom who also cares for a crack-addicted infant. At school, D’s
the smartest kid around, yet worries constantly that he’s not “black enough.” So it’s an oddball twist of
fate the afternoon he finds himself birdwatching with pierced military brat Nyla and basketball star,
Hakeem. A bond of friendship is solidified when D confides in them a secret: he has found a one-of-a-kind
“bird,” though it’s really not a bird—it’s a being named Nuru that has asked D to help her rescue the souls
of dead soldiers located at Manhattan’s African Burial Ground. Urban fantasies are nothing rare, but few
mesh gritty realism with poetic mysticism so convincingly. By turns sad, joyful, frightening, funny, and
inspirational, Elliott’s second novel is a marvel of tone and setting, creating a universe where angry
corpses and rock-monsters are every bit as expected as dirty subways and bag ladies. Issues of war,
poverty, racism, Islam, and 9/11 do not bog down the telling but instead enrich it. Different readers will
take away different messages, all of them powerful—quite an accomplishment for so few pages.
— Daniel Kraus

To my knowledge, there weren’t any dead soldiers buried in the African Burial Ground, but other than that, I’m *thrilled* with this review. Found out today that Kirkus passed because they didn’t have enough lead time…but hopefully more great reviews are yet to come.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Two King Author Honor Book recipients were selected: Eloise Greenfield, author of “The Great Migration: Journey to the North,” illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and Patricia C. McKissack, author of “Never Forgotten,” illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom,” is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

One King Illustrator Honor Book recipient was selected: Kadir Nelson, illustrator and author of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” published by Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Ashley Bryan is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime achievement. The award, which pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

Storyteller, artist, author, poet and musician, Bryan created his first children’s book in first grade. He grew up in the Bronx and in 1962, he became the first African American to both write and illustrate a children’s book. After a successful teaching career, Bryan left academia to pursue creation of his own artwork. He has since garnered numerous awards for his significant and lasting literary contribution of poetry, spirituals and story.

African Canadian Novelists (2000-2011)

1.  Any Known Blood by Lawrence Hill (HarperCollins 2001)
2. The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera (Random House Canada 2002)
3. The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke (Thomas Allen 2002)
4. Kipligat’s Chance by David Odhiambo (Penguin Group Canada 2003)
5. George & Rue by George Elliott Clarke (HarperCollins 2004)
6. The Second Life of Samuel Tyne by Esi Edugyan (Knopf Canada 2004)
7. This Body by Tessa McWatt (HarperCollins 2004)
8. Venous Hum by Suzette Mayr (Arsenal 2005)
9. What We All Long For by Dionne Brand (Knopf Canada 2005)
10. The Unfortunate Marriage of Azeb Yitades by Nega Mezlekia (Penguin Canada 2006)
11. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill (HarperCollins 2007)
12. Soucouyant by David Chariandy (Arsenal 2007)
13. Asylum by Andre Alexis (McClelland & Stewart 2008)
14. More by Austin Clarke (Thomas Allen 2008)
15. The Reverend’s Apprentice by David Odhiambo (Arsenal 2008)
16. Heading South by Dany Laferriere (Douglas & McIntyre 2009)
17. Doing Dangerously Well by Carole Enahoro (Random House Canada 2010)
18. I Am a Japanese Writer by Dany Laferriere (Douglas & McIntyre 2010)
19. Step Closer by Tessa McWatt (HarperCollins 2009)
20. Vital Signs by Tessa McWatt (Random House Canada 2011)
21. Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan (Thomas Allen 2011)
22. Monoceros by Suzette Mayr (Coach House Books, 2011)
23. The Return by Dany Laferriere (Douglas & McIntyre 2011)

I was quite surprised to reach 20 titles, and I now know that I’ve got some catching up to do in terms of my reading. You may have heard that McClelland & Stewart was recently acquired by Random House. If my list is correct, M&S has only published one black Canadian author in the 21st century, so I won’t be shedding too many tears for them…

Short Story Collections:

1. Ladies of the Night by Althea Prince (Insomniac 2005)
2. Pink Icing by Pamela Mordecai (Insomniac 2006)

About Us:

The Birthday Party Pledge emerged from an ongoing conversation between authors, educators, librarians, and book bloggers. We wanted to promote children’s books by authors of color, and we wanted to encourage the building of home libraries in low-income communities. According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, less than 5% of all books published annually for children in the US are written by people of color. Many publishers insist that they can’t find more writers of color and/or claim that the market doesn’t exist for books about children of color. Yet a study conducted by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation revealed that many adults want to purchase multicultural books and are simply unable to find them:

Nearly eight in ten (78%) U.S. adults believe that it is important for children to be exposed to picture books that feature main characters of various ethnicities or races—but one-third (33%) report that it is difficult to find such books, according to a recent survey that was commissioned by The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the love of reading and learning in all children.

Some parents simply can’t afford to buy books, and we encourage all families to draw on the resources available at their local public library. In other cases, buying books for children is a matter of shifting priorities and redirecting resources. Compared to video games and other toys, books are relatively inexpensive (and can often be purchased “like new” from online resellers). Buying books locally puts money back into your community, and we encourage you to support those independent bookstores that carry multicultural books.

The BPP has two goals:

1. To encourage childhood literacy in order to promote a lifelong love of books.

2. To assist adults in providing children with books that truly reflect the diverse society in which we live.

Take the pledge today!

Hello, Zetta,

The book which arrived today is beautifully written, even for a reader who is not into fantasy.  You have excellent control over the prose, the plotline, the characters, the dialogue, and the READER! Although you said not to edit — and I didn’t — it seemed to me that your ability to create realistic tension, crisis, and relationships was very mature. Thank you for sending me the proof copy.  I really enjoyed all the special effects, the interesting characters, and the magical bird. Please keep in touch and let me know how things go as this book goes into print.

So what happens when a world-traveling private chef, author-professor, DJ-filmmaker, actress-playwright, physician-activist, young mothers’ advocate, and a professor-author-music connoisseur are in the same room sharing their life stories?

The practical and the fantastical.

Here are selected gems the circle of women shared…

* The distance between where you are and where you want to go is shorter than the distance between where you started and where you are.

* Birds remind me to look up…Keep your feet on the ground and look up.

* You might try and fail but success is about endurance.

* Fear will paralyze you. Don’t make decisions based on fear.

* Never fail to stand up for what you believe in.

* Daydream.

* Usually the most difficult thing you choose to do is the right thing to do. And will bring rewards.

I’m sure you can guess which piece of advice came from me. When I learned that invited guests would be asked to give a 2-3 minute speech on the theme “Building Your Wings,” I naturally sat down at my computer and wrote a speech about birds. But as I sat in the circle and listened to the other guests sharing their advice, I realized that I wasn’t meant to deliver a formal speech. So I had to improvise. I *suck* at improvising. I tried to remember part of what I’d written and then I realized I was rambling so I just stopped talking and resolved to be better prepared next time. But maybe what I really need is to let go of the need to be prepared all the time. I want to be better at thinking on my feet, which is hard because I’m accustomed to sitting at this laptop with the ability to cut and paste. I spent the afternoon sharing my college experiences and listening to the young women in Sister Sol—they were so honest and earnest. And bright! They reminded me of my students and I wondered how many young women have a support group to help them get through life? We all need mentors, we all need a space to ask questions and search for answers. I learned a lot from the other guests as well—that first point is especially important, I think. It’s easy to get caught up in all the things you *want* to achieve, but don’t forget to draw strength from the distance you’ve already traveled. Take time to acknowledge the progress you’ve made in life. My anxiety issues are better than they once were, and I can practice spontaneity while still being moderately prepared. The advice I needed to hear as a teen? You don’t have to be perfect. And forgive yourself when you fail.

What’s your platform for the next two years?

“Reading is not an Option!” is my platform. The value of reading has escalated in my lifetime. As a young man, I saw families prosper without reading because there were always sufficient opportunities for willing workers who could follow simple instructions. This is no longer the case. Children who don’t read are, in the main, destined for lesser lives. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to change this.

The Birthday Party Pledge team couldn’t agree more! We’re almost ready to launch our site…

Finally, I wrote these words back when I used to make my own Xmas cards; last year I posted them on my blog and that post has been getting a lot of hits as of late so I thought I’d repost this wish today:

May you have

a resilient spirit,

and a compassionate heart,

the desire to heal,

and the will to forgive.

May you never exhaust

your capacity for kindness.

May you always find peace

in your home and in your mind.

May your eyes be awake

to the beauty all around you.

May your ears be tuned

to the hush of falling snow.

May your arms always be ready

to embrace those needing comfort,

and may even the simplest blessings

fill your heart with gratitude.

I wish you joy, health, and prosperity—

for this season, and for the new year.

~ ZE