Black Canary

Dinah Lance - AKA superhero Black Canary - has a slew of appearances in comic books, TV shows and movies, but "Black Canary: Breaking Silence" will be her first novel.

Introduced in 1947 by DC Comics, Black Canary has been a role model for breaking gender barriers and changing Gotham City's laws against women's rights. This novel will also be the first time Black Canary is the main character of an adaptation, with all past appearances as a secondary character to another DC hero.

Author Alexandra Monir has taken on the task of sharing the story of Black Canary as she discovers her superpower: her voice. Using the "canary cry," Black Canary is able to create ultrasonic vibrations when she screams to cause damage to anything in its path, and is a master in several styles of hand-to-hand combat.

Taking place in the near-future under the dictatorship of the Court of Owls, Gotham City has become a society where women are forbidden to further their education or work, even going so far as refusing them the right to create music.

The origin of Black Canary has changed in adaptations over the year - from gaining them after a wizard curses her to being born with the inhuman power - so Monir will be able to begin Dinah's journey in a multitude of ways.

What we do know is that the story will follow Dinah as a 17-year-old student with a goal of taking down the rules that are in place against women. Also featured is her blossoming romance with fellow student Oliver Queen, who DC fans will recognize better by his alter ego, Green Arrow.

As she struggles with her identity in her high school years, Dinah hopes to find her voice and let her song of freedom be loud enough to effect change.

This is the fifth book Random House Books is publishing in the DC Icons series and is scheduled for a Dec. 29 release.


This writing brought to you by Courtney Dobrzykowski

Anti-Racism Books For Teens

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Harlem sophomore Xiomara Batista isn't saintly like her virtuous twin brother. And her tough exterior - she's always ready to fend off unwelcome advances and unkind words - hides questions and insecurities. As her confirmation nears (after two failed attempts), Xiomara begins to voice her uncertainties about the Catholic faith and patriarchal piety pressed on her by her mother and the church.

Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the Michael L. Printz Award

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds

When sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend.

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend - but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

A New York Times Bestseller and a William C. Morris Award Finalist

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer.

#1 New York Times Bestseller, Printz Honor Book, and Coretta Scott King Honor Book

Black Enough Edited by Ibi Aanu Zoboi

An essential collection of captivating stories about what it's like to be young and Black in America.

"A breath of fresh air...nuanced and necessary." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham

Some bodies won't stay buried. Some stories need to be told. When seventeen-year-old Rowan Chase finds a skeleton on her family's property, she has no idea that investigating the brutal century-old murder will lead to a summer of painful discoveries about the past...and the present.

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of the Year Pick and a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson

Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends on a mission -- they're sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they decide to start a Women's Rights club. They post their work online and soon they go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by trolls. When things escalate in real life, the principal shuts the club down. Not willing to be silenced, Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices to heard.

2018 Newbery Honor Book and 2018 Coretta Scott King Author Award

How I Resist by Maureen Johnson

A collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews about activism and hope.

"[Maureen Johnson] has done an exceptional job calling on different voices to share their wisdom and thoughts on making a difference." -- School Library Journal

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.

An American Library Association Notable Book and Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction

Stamped by Jason Reynolds

A history of racist and anti-racist ideas in America, from their roots in Europe until today.

#1 New York Times Bestseller and a USA Today Bestseller

JK Rowling and The Ickabog

On May 26th, J.K. Rowling announced on Twitter that she would be releasing an unpublished manuscript online, chapter by chapter, every weekday through July 10th.  The Ickabog is a standalone fairy tale and has nothing to do with the Harry Potter universe, according to the bestselling author.

"The Ickabog is a story about truth and the abuse of power. To forestall one obvious question: the idea came to me well over a decade ago, so it isn't intended to be read as a response to anything that's happening in the world right now. The themes are timeless and could apply to any era or any country."

Not only that, The Ickabog will be traditionally published in November 2020, and Rowling is conducting an international competition for children to illustrate it.

"Having decided to publish, I thought how wonderful it would be if children in lockdown, or otherwise needing distraction during the strange and difficult time we're passing through, illustrated the story for me. There will be suggestions about the illustrations we might need for each chapter on The Ickabog website, but nobody should feel constrained by these ideas. I want to see imaginations run wild! Creativity, inventiveness and effort are the most important things: we aren't necessarily looking for the most technical skill!"

Royalties from the sold copies will go to organizations helping those impacted by COVID-19.

Read the Story

Getting to Know...Mady

Introducing another valuable member of our YA volunteer team, Mady Blakely! An 11-year-old 6th grader, Mady has accumulated 19 hours to date.

My Favorite Book Genre: Fiction

Someone I Look Up To: My mom

My Favorite TV Show: The Worst Witch

A Topic That I Can Talk About For An Hour: Iceland

An Invention That I Would Uninvent: Music

Person I Would Want With Me On A Deserted Island: Emma

My Happy Place: Home

My Spirit Animal: Bunny

Something Interesting About Myself: I Am Scared of Dogs

Future Plans: I want to be a cartographer.

Favorite Quote: "It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." - Theodore Roosevelt

Book Writing for Teens

Calling all writers! CreativINDIE is hosting a FREE virtual summer camp for teens. The creator, Derek Murphy, is a successful Young Adult author with a doctorate in literature.

Important details...

Class begins June 1st and runs approximately 3 months.

You'll learn:

• How to write compelling fiction readers love
• How to outline a book and hit the right turning points
• How to increase stakes, drama and conflict
• How to design characters readers can't help but love
• How to keep pacing tight so readers are glued to every page
• How to revise and edit your manuscript to make it perfect
• How to breathe life into your writing.

You'll be expected to keep up with the video assignments, and invest an hour or two a day working on your project. The schedule will follow a "plot, write, edit" format.

Your goal will be a clean manuscript of roughly 50,000 words.

Contest...

CreativINDIE is looking to support an amazing story through their imprint Urban Epics. The winner will get a $500 cash bonus, all publishing costs waived, and developmental edit from a bestselling author. More details to come on that front.

Click Here to Learn More!

YA(Y) For Takeout

Taking a look at some of the most recent additions gracing the shelves of our YA department.

Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette Ferrars. Ella Sommers. Which is the truth and which is the lie? Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated. As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong -- between Ella and Juliette -- blur. And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control.

The explosive finale to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Shatter Me series.

Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell

It starts before you can even remember. You learn the rules for being a girl. Marin has always been good at navigating these unspoken guidelines. A star student and editor of the school papter, she dreams of getting into Brown University. Marin's future seems bright -- and her young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. Beckett, is always quick to admire her writing and talk books with her. But when "Bex" takes things too far and comes on to Marin, she's shocked and horrified. Had she somehow led him on? Was it her fault?

"The book shines a light on the pressures of being a girl and the double standards that readers will immediately recognize and appreciate or learn from." -- Kirkus Reviews

Cursed by Jen Calonita

The evil Rumpelstiltskin is planning to cast a curse that will erase Enchantasia as the world knows it, and a fairy prophecy declares that Gilly Cobbler will play a key role. Never one to shy away from adventure, Gilly and her friends embark on an epic, swashbuckling journey to stop Stiltskin from getting the ingredients he needs before it's too late.

The sixth installment in the beloved Fairy Tale Reform School series where the teachers are (former) villains.

Crave by Tracy Wolff

Grace's world changed when she joined the academy. At the academy she is a mere mortal among gods...or monsters. She can't decide which faction she should join, or if she should join any of them. The one thing that unites them is their hatred of her. Then there's Jaxon Vega, a vampire with deadly secrets who hasn't felt anything for a hundred years. Jaxon has walled himself off for a reason. Does someone want to wake the sleeping monster in him? Is Grace the bait?

Top #1 Pick for Best YA of 2020 -- Glitter Magazine.

Votes of Confidence: A Young Person's Guide to American Elections by Jeff Fleischer

Every four years, coverage of the presidential elections turns into a horse-race story about who is leading, and who said what. Fleischer explains the past, present, and future of American elections; how the election process actually works and why it matters; and how young people can become involved - not just this year, but for years to come.

"Recommended for middle to high school students, educators, and others interested in becoming civically informed and engaged." -- School Library Journal


Click Here For More New Releases!

Harry Potter at Home

As part of its "Harry Potter at Home" series, Wizarding World is giving Harry Potter lovers a new way to experience the first book in the series.

Celebrities from the franchise and beyond have come on board to read aloud one chapter each of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

The first chapter was read by Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe.

Videos are being posted to wizardingworld.com every week.

Anyone interested in just the audio can find the Harry Potter at Home Reading Podcast on Spotify.

More Harry Potter actors on the roster to read future chapters include: Stephen Fry (Mr. Dursley), Claudia Kim (Nagini, Fantastic Beasts), Noma Dumezweni (Hermione, Cursed Child), Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts). Non-Potter celebrities on board with the project include David Beckham and Dakota Fanning.

Wizarding World promises that "more surprises and special appearances" are to come.

Besides just watching the actors read their chapters aloud, special artwork created by fans is being showcased. Looking ahead for the next 16 chapters, the Wizarding World team is asking for fans to continue submitting original artwork to its social media pages using the #HarryPotterAtHome tag and mentioning @wizardingworld.

Guidelines for submitting your artwork can be found here.

Anyone new to the Wizarding World website can also join to be sorted into their Hogwarts house, learn what your Patronus is, and more!


This writing brought to you by Courtney Dobrzykowski