Kwame Mbalia

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia's epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods.Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm in Alabama, where he's being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it--is that a doll?--and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature's hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia makes his Star Wars debut with this exciting YA novel Following the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance rescues a ship full of young passengers who had been kidnapped by the First Order. As Finn and Jannah set out to find the First Order officer responsible before he can endanger any more children, the two former stormtroopers must wrestle with their own complicated pasts as soldiers of the oppressive regime. Take a deep dive into the pasts of popular characters Finn and Jannah in this richly-drawn, action-packed story that fans have been asking for.

The laugh-out-loud YA romance by two award-winning and bestselling authors, Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia, that's perfect for fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before or When Dimple Met Rishi When Pacy Mercado and Cecil Holloway spot each other during the first week of freshman year, it's love at first sight. Well, more like love at first fleeting, injury-riddled glance, since the moment is ruined thanks to clumsiness and a criminal case of IBS. Despite their total lack of game, Pacy and Cecil are drawn to each other. Seven seconds of eye contact turns into days of yearning and stress as they make the mistake of following misguided advice from their friends, dysfunctional families, and strangers on the internet. But the universe conspires to bring Pacy and Cecil together when they both end up on the WADS committee to plan the freshman dance (that's Wakeville's Awesome D cor Society, if you must know). As they spend more time together, they realize that the other person might be just what they need . . . that is, if they can figure out how to be themselves and embrace the mishaps, mistakes, and hilariously awkward interactions that make up their imperfectly perfect love story.

New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia and New York Times best-selling illustrator Nikkolas Smith explore the world of Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World. This picture book is perfect for fans of Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Captain America.Set in the world of Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World, A Hero Looks Like You is a heartwarming picture book about a young boy named DJ who steps up to help Captain America, his favourite Super Hero, and discovers along the way that heroes don't always look big or strong or wear a suit. Sometimes, they might even look like him. From New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia and New York Times best-selling illustrator Nikkolas Smith, this inspiring story shows readers anyone can choose to be a hero.

New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia and New York Times best-selling illustrator Nikkolas Smith explore the world of Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World. This new picture book is perfect for fans of Sam Wilson, Captain America. Set in the world of Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World, A Hero Looks Like You is a heartwarming picture book about a young boy named DJ who steps up to help Captain America, his favorite Super Hero, and discovers along the way that heroes don't always look big or strong or wear a suit. Sometimes, they might even look like him. From New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia and New York Times best-selling illustrator Nikkolas Smith, this inspiring story shows readers anyone can choose to be a hero.

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - FIVE STARRED REVIEWS Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors--including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia. ★ Pick up Black Boy Joy for a heavy dose of happiness. --Booklist, starred review Black boy joy is... Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.Finding your voice--and your rhymes--during tough times.Flying on your skateboard like nobody's watching. And more From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood. Contributors include B. B. Alston, Dean Atta, P. Dj l Clark, Jay Coles, Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Don P. Hooper, George M. Johnson, Varian Johnson, Kwame Mbalia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Tochi Onyebuchi, Julian Randall, Jason Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, DaVaun Sanders, and Julian Winters

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents the finale of Kwame Mbalia's trilogy, in which Tristan Strong faces off with his archenemy, King Cotton, once and for all, now in paperback.Imagine if you combined Anansi the Spider, John Henry, and Marvel into, like, one book.--New York Times best-selling author and Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander After reuniting with Ayanna, who is now in his world, Tristan travels up the Mississippi in pursuit of his archenemy, King Cotton. Along the way they encounter new haints who are dead set on preventing their progress north to Tristan's hometown of Chicago. It's going to take many Alkean friends, including the gods themselves, the black flames of the afokena gloves, and all of Tristan's inner strength to deliver justice once and for all. Shocking twists, glorious triumphs, and a cast of unforgettable characters make this series conclusion as satisfying as it is entertaining.Complete your middle grade fantasy collection with these best-selling fan favorites: Rick Riordan Presents: Race to the Sun by Rebecca RoanhorseRick Riordan Presents: City of the Plague God by Sarwat ChaddaRick Riordan Presents: Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha LeeRick Riordan Presents: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos HernandezThe Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

The best-selling and awarding-winning novel about a Black boy who helps folk heroes and gods through storytelling is now a dynamic graphic novel The talented team of Robert Venditti and Olivia Stephens brings to glorious full color the novel that best-selling author Jason Reynolds called A brilliant action adventure rooted in African American lore. Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm in Alabama, where he's being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it--is that a doll?--and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature's hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left Black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves? Find out by diving into this stunning graphic novel adaptation of the original book.Complete your graphic novel collection with these fan favorites: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, adapted by Robert VendittiThe Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan, adapted by Orpheus CollarThe Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, adapted by Robert VendittiArtemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, adapted by Michael Moreci, illustrated by Stephen GilpinAru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi, adapted by Joe Caramagna, illustrated by Anu Chouhan

The best-selling and awarding-winning novel about a Black boy who helps folk heroes and gods through storytelling is now a dynamic graphic novel The talented team of Robert Venditti and Olivia Stephens brings to glorious full color the novel that best-selling author Jason Reynolds called A brilliant action adventure rooted in African American lore. Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm in Alabama, where he's being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it--is that a doll?--and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature's hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left Black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves? Find out by diving into this stunning graphic novel adaptation of the original book.Complete your graphic novel collection with these fan favorites: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, adapted by Robert VendittiThe Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan, adapted by Orpheus CollarThe Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, adapted by Robert VendittiArtemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, adapted by Michael Moreci, illustrated by Stephen GilpinAru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi, adapted by Joe Caramanga, illustrated by Anu Chouhan

From Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel David Makonnen comes an action-packed Afrofuturist adventure about a mythical Ethiopian empire. Sci-fi and fantasy combine in this epic journey to the stars. Yared has traveled light years to find his place in the universe. Though the battle of Addis Prime is over, the spacefaring Axum Empire is still fractured, and returning to the planet where their galaxy-spanning civilization began -Earth. But they find the planet in disarray. Old Earth's atmosphere is a mess of junked shuttles and satellites. This is especially true of Debris Town, an orbital flotilla where poor spacefarers - left to rot by the Intergalactic Union that rose up in Axum's place - have taken to piracy to survive. Yared is set to speak at the opening of the Royal Trials, a competition of the best exo pilots in the Sol System. But on the day of his speech, the pirates launch an attack! The siege sets off a chain of events that will lead Yared into the depths of Old Earth - and the jaws of a cruel betrayal. There's more to the pirates - and Debris Town - than anyone saw coming... Black Panther meets Star Wars - bold, action-packed, high-stakes storytelling, told by #OwnVoices creators. For fans of Percy Jackson. This sci-fi adventure is loosely based on the real-life story of the author HRH Prince Joel Makonnen, a member of the Ethiopian royal family, and is full of Ethiopian myth and folklore. REVIEWS OF LAST GATE OF THE EMPEROR #1 Inspired by the history and lore of Ethiopia, this cinematic space adventure introduces 12-year-old Yared Heywat as he fights to protect those he loves after learning stunning secrets about his world and himself ... In this fast-paced, Afrofuturist homage to Ethiopia, Mbalia and Ethiopian prince Makonnen craft an enthralling tale of resilience, family, and bravery that will entertain young sci-fi lovers. - Publisher's Weekly Action-packed technothriller ... Readers will delight in Yared's puckish demeanor and perspective, his loyal bionic lioness, Besa, and the events that ensue as all of Yared's childhood stories come to life in a terrifying way, from dangerous monsters to mysterious floating realms. In this vivid, volatile Afrofuturist sf world, as Yared journeys to learn about himself and his spiraling environment, he must figure out who to trust and how he is connected to all of the chaos. - Booklist An epic sci-fi adventure - The Nerd Daily