King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

He's constantly searching for that special one. King spends his afternoons down by the bayou, where the dragonflies flit about in great numbers. There are several sob-worthy passages, though ultimately this is a deeply hopeful and inspiring tale that will leave readers smiling, even if it's through happy tears. King and the Dragonflies has it all and more After 12-year old, Kingston, loses his brother, Khalid, unexpectedly, he is convinced Khalid has transformed into a dragonfly. Ī review on Common Sense Media called the book 'lush and lyrical, a joy to read solely for the beauty of the sentences. Reception Įm Nordling at Tor.com said that 'or such a short novel, it packs a lot of punch, and never once feels rushed or didactic-it lets emotions be messy and lets characters be human,' and called the book 'Riveting, emotionally real thing-as lived-in as a childhood bedroom, and incredibly kind and generous at its core.' Įlizabeth Bird, who reviewed the novel for the School Library Journal, said it was 'the perfect balancing act.' It won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2020. However, Sandy disappears, but King finds him, and agrees to help him escape life with his abusive father. While mourning his loss, King has also broken things off with his best friend, Sandy Sanders, after Khalid (before he died) heard a rumor that Sandy was gay and didn't want King to be pegged as the same. Kingston 'King' James' brother, Khalid, has recently died, but King is convinced he has returned to him as a dragonfly.

King and the Dragonflies has received a National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2020), a Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award (2021), and a Lambda Literary Award (2021). King and the Dragonflies is a young adult fiction book published in February 2020 by Scholastic Press and written by Saint Thomian author Kacen Callender. Kacen Callender’s debut novel, Hurricane Child, was the winner of the 2019 Stonewall Book Award and the 2019 Lambda Literary Award, as well as a Kirkus Best Book of 2018. It is Callendar's second novel that explores the intersection between race, gender roles and sexuality. King and the Dragonflies is a young adult fiction book published in February 2020 by Scholastic Press and written by Saint Thomian author Kacen Callender.

National Book Award for Young People's Literature

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender