King and the Dragonflies

Callender (Hurricane Child) returns to middle grade in this powerful tale of grief, intersectional identity, and love. Twelve-year-old Kingston "King" Reginald James lost his beloved older brother, Khalid, 16, three months before this book's start, though King believes Khalid has become a dragonfly and visits nightly in his dreams. When Charles "Sandy" Sanders--the son of the racist sheriff and King's former friend-- disappears, and King realizes he was the last to see Sandy, he ponders his obligation to tell anyone; King knows Sandy is a victim of domestic abuse and suspects Sandy's father is the perpetrator. Finding Sandy hiding in his backyard, King struggles with the memory of Khalid's warning to stay away from the boy ("You don't want anyone to think you're gay, too, do you?") and their Louisiana town's homophobia as he decides to help Sandy and explores his own identity. Callender paints dream sequences in evocative prose; notable as well is their exploration of grief's impact on a family. If some side characters feel underdeveloped, it's because King himself shines wholly real as a black child learning to negotiate shifting interpersonal relationships and navigate sociocultural pressures and expectations. Ages 8-12. Agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. (Feb.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 4-9—Although the bayou of Louisiana suggests something slow and gentle, 13-year-old King's contemporary story feels intense and pointed. His 16-year-old brother, Khalid, died unexpectedly of unexplained medical causes, leaving his small family reeling. Three months later, King's mom still isn't cooking and his typically stoic dad has stunned him to silence by offering a rare "I love you" while dropping him off at school. Friends and middle school romance are difficult enough but then his ex-friend Sandy goes missing. Despite a relatively simple set of events, the story delivers emotional depth via the conversations between both friends and family members. The memories of Khalid's dreamy sleep talk grippingly pluck at heartstrings, adding a romantic poetry to an already potent mix. Callender tackles some serious issues—racism, being gay, child abuse, grieving—with finesse and a heady sense of the passions and pangs of youth. On its own, this title solidifies Callender's merit as a powerful middle grade and YA author, even without following on the heels of the well-awarded Hurricane Child. VERDICT An intense, gripping tale of love, loss, and friendship featuring a black youth grappling with his dreams and his identity. Recommended for all middle grade collections.—Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for King and the Dragonflies:
*[A] dynamic tale that will resonate with children struggling to reconcile who they are with what they think society wants them to be.-Booklist, starred review

*Callender tackles some serious issues...with finesse and a heady sense of the passions and pangs of youth...this title solidifies Callender's merit as a powerful middle grade and YA author... An intense, gripping tale of love, loss, and friendship featuring a black youth grappling with his dreams and his identity.-School Library Journal, starred review

*Callender masterfully balances resonant themes of grief, love, family, friendship, racism, sexuality, and coming-of-age...deeply affecting, memorable.-The Horn Book, starred review

*[A] powerful tale of grief, intersectional identity, and love.-Publishers Weekly, starred review

Callender's vivid descriptions...are magical...Elegiac and hopeful.-Kirkus Reviews

From the opening sentence, King and the Dragonflies sings the complications of loving and caring for imperfect and wounded people. Callender sets us deep into King's mind and life, and never lets go of the reins. They don't pull punches...and thank goodness for that!-Alex Gino, the Stonewall and Lambda Literary Award-winning author of George

This sensitive and powerful story speaks to any reader trying to find the courage to be themselves in a complicated world. King's heartbreaking, beautiful, and ultimately hopeful journey helps him come to terms with family loss and his own complex identity.-Veera Hiranandani, Newbery Honor Award Winning author of The Night Diary

Young readers will find friends and allies aplenty in Kacen Callender's vital novel, King and the Dragonflies, which flutters with life, love, loss, and resilience, a story as iridescent and complex as a dragonfly's wings.-Alex London, author of Proxy and Black Wings Beating

King and the Dragonflies is a lyrical coming of age tale about grief, friendship, family, belonging, identity, and hope. I honestly could not put this book down. This is a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading.-Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound

Praise for Hurricane Child:

* Writing in Caroline's present-tense voice, Callender draws readers in and makes them identify with Caroline's angst and sorrow and joy and pain. Embedding her appealing protagonist in a fully realized Caribbean setting, Callender has readers rooting for Caroline the whole way. -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* Lush descriptions bring the Caribbean environment to vivid life...An excellent and nuanced coming-of-age tale.-School Library Journal, starred review

* Set against the richly evoked backdrop of the Caribbean, Callender's novel captures the exquisite agony and pain that accompanies rejection and abandonment. Caroline's search for answers provides a steady through line for the story, but it's the deeper questioning and reflection that set this book apart.... Visceral, pensive, and memorable. -Booklist, starred review