"The spirits of this world --they don't stay with you for long" - Auntie Idris Words cannot express how much I loved King and the Dragonflies. This one made my heart swell and tears flow. What a beautiful story about grief, self-acceptance and belonging. Kacen Callender gave us another beautiful tale, this time, middle grade, about the human spirit and resilence after trauma. There was so much to love about this one. The character driven plot was this book's strength. Each character offered unique perspective, added depth and layers to the main plot and made me more invested in the story. Kacen did a fantastic job of showing the complexities of identity forming during the middle grade years, especially when they are in conflict with societal and familial cultures established already. The writing was poetic. The scenes by the bayou and the dragonflies were my favorites because of the visual imagery. Kacen Callender is now an auto-buy author for me. His work is so important and his voice is necessary. Here is a recap of this books' shining moments: 🦋 honest depiction of middle grade friendships 🐛 honors spiritual beliefs about death and death 🐜 shows how Jim Crow Era violence still exists, is passed on to white males and still haunts black males 🐞 shows how toxic masculinity can lead to violence and force boys to hide who they are 🐝 shows how grief transforms over time 🐌 depicts strong family ties in the black community 🕷 shows that you have to fight equally for all marginalized groups, not just the ones you identify with 🦆 shows that freedom comes from being your authentic self 🦗 shows how much insight youth have and how adults need to be open to listen more 🦎 shows that fear can keep you captive 🦟 shows that life is not promised and you should tell people how you feel 🦜 reminds us that loved ones who passed on will always remain with us in different ways I am so happy that this was the book selection for #WeLoveMGLit. This bookdragon rates it 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. #readcarribbean #pridebook #lgbtqiabooks #welovemglit #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks #diversereads #blacklivesmatter #supportblackauthors #kacencallender #bookdragon #kingandthedragonflies (at The Vessel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFYA5vFAzv9/?igshid=1e454erhr9l2a
