Zetta Elliott

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About Zetta Elliott
Zetta Elliott is a Black feminist writer of poetry, plays, essays, novels, and stories for children. She was born and raised in Canada, but has lived in the US for over 25 years. She earned her PhD in American Studies from NYU in 2003; she has taught at Ohio University, Louisiana State University, Mount Holyoke College, Hunter College, Bard High School Early College, and Borough of Manhattan Community College. Her poetry has been published in New Daughters of Africa, We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, the Cave Canem anthology The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South, Check the Rhyme: an Anthology of Female Poets and Emcees, and Coloring Book: an Eclectic Anthology of Fiction and Poetry by Multicultural Writers. Her novella, Plastique, was excerpted in T Dot Griots: an Anthology of Toronto's Black Storytellers, and her plays have been staged in New York, Cleveland, and Chicago. Her essays have appeared in School Library Journal, The Huffington Post, and Publishers Weekly. Her picture book, Bird, won the Honor Award in Lee & Low Books' New Voices Contest and the Paterson Prize for Books for Young Readers. Her young adult novel, A Wish After Midnight, has been called "a revelation...vivid, violent and impressive history." Ship of Souls was published in February 2012; it was named a Booklist Top Ten Sci-fi/Fantasy Title for Youth and was a finalist for the Phillis Wheatley Book Award. Her YA novel, The Door at the Crossroads, was a finalist in the Speculative Fiction category of the 2017 Cybils Awards, and her picture book, Melena's Jubilee, won a 2017 Skipping Stones Honor Award. She received the Children's Literature Association's Article Award for her 2014 essay, "The Trouble with Magic: Conjuring the Past in New York City Parks." She is an advocate for greater diversity and equity in publishing, and has self-published numerous illustrated books for younger readers under her own imprint, Rosetta Press; 3 were named Best of the Year by the Bank Street Center for Children's Literature, and Benny Doesn't Like to Be Hugged was a first-grade fiction selection for the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Dragons in a Bag, a middle grade fantasy novel, was published by Random House in 2018; the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) named it a Notable Children's Book. Its sequel, The Dragon Thief, was named a Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 by CBC Books. Say Her Name, a young adult poetry collection, was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in January 2020; A Place Inside of Me was published in July 2020 by FSG and was named a Notable Poetry Book by NCTE. She currently lives in Evanston, IL.
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Author Updates
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Blog postIt’s still snowing here in Evanston. I went out earlier today to deliver a birthday gift to Cozbi. She’s still reeling from winning *four* awards yesterday for her two beautiful books EXQUISITE and ME & MAMA! Award days can be difficult and I usually skip the ceremony and avoid social media for a while. Often the same few people win the same few awards, year after year, but when someone so deserving finally has their work recognized—you can’t help but celebrate with and for them. Cozbi is17 hours ago Read more
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Blog postOn Saturday morning I watched Herself and when it ended, I did an online search for “how to move to Scotland.” The film is set in Ireland, but it motivated me to work on my five-year plan. Over the holidays I scribbled a few statements down, all starting with “What if…?” But yesterday I made actual statements: “By 2026, I will have a home abroad.” I don’t have many goals, just half a dozen right now, but having clear goals makes it easier to complete specific actions that will set me on2 weeks ago Read more
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Blog post2020 is on its way out and I’m trying to clear my plate. I had hoped to publish this picture book back in February but the illustrator wasn’t done and then the pandemic changed everything…then I moved to IL and now I’m waiting on the final proof so I can finally hit “publish.” It’s an imperfect book—I gave up on my original vision a long time ago and now it just needs to land in the hands of kids in Central PA. I found myself thinking about my own childhood and introduction to Black history;4 weeks ago Read more
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Blog postWhen The Star agreed to publish my essay on Black fantasy fiction in 2019, I was thrilled. After quitting my job and struggling for several years to earn a living as a writer, I was finally making it work. With a few small awards under my belt, a couple of modest book deals, and a whole lot of paid school visits, I had managed to match my comfortable professor’s salary. And after a decade of invisibility, I was also gaining recognition as a children’s author in Canada; my middl1 month ago Read more
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Blog postFor a decade, Edi and I have compiled an annual list of MG and YA books by Black authors. I wasn’t looking forward to posting the list this year and have finally decided to step down. Our list always drew from Edi’s year-long list of BIPOC new releases so it makes sense for her to carry on; you can find her 2020 list and analysis over at the Crazy Quilt Edi blog. Has tracking US publishers’ support of Black authors made a difference? I don’t know. Our lists definitely get a lot of hits throug1 month ago Read more
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Blog postThey’re predicting it will snow today. I don’t plan to leave the house but still spent a little time this morning looking at winter boots online. Then I went to my closet and realized I was about to buy a pair of boots that were identical to the pair I already own. I eat when I’m not hungry. I binge watch shows on mute. My right forearm has started to ache from spending too much time in front of the computer and the novel STILL ISN’T DONE. I just got yet another extension and think this will2 months ago Read more
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Blog postI don’t want to talk about the election and definitely didn’t plan to write a poem about it. But then I went for a walk with Cozbi on Friday and she named the condition of the golden maple trees: blight. Turns out these “tar spots” are the result of a fungus that doesn’t kill the tree. The next day I heard hollering in the street and that’s how I found out that Biden had won. I walked to the farmer’s market and ecstatic folks were out in their cars, honking as they drove through Evansto3 months ago Read more
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Blog postIt’s the end of October and as of this morning, I only have 23K words written. It’s not bad, but this week I didn’t hit my thousand word per day goal, and because it was my birthday on Monday, I cut myself some slack. Our architecture boat tour on Sunday was chilly but wonderful, and the next day I spent hours opening cards and gifts and thanking my incredibly generous friends. Tea, chocolate, flowers, dragons—and a stunning piece of original artwork. It snowed all morning, I had cake for bre3 months ago Read more
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Blog postIt has been almost a year since my Aunt D’thea was killed in a car accident and my relatives in Canada have been going through her possessions as they prepare her house for sale. A lot of things were thrown out or given away; my cousin saved a few mementos and offered some items to me—prefacing her offer with an acknowledgement that I am actively “anti-stuff.” It has taken years for us to reach that understanding; I’ve moved three times in as many years and each time I unloaded gifts that wer3 months ago Read more
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Books By Zetta Elliott
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Award-winning author Zetta Elliott has worked with kids and teens for thirty years. In this affordable, accessible guide she offers tips and activities designed to help emerging writers share their stories with the world. An important resource for educators committed to using inclusive literature in the classroom.
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The Magic Mirror
Sep 3, 2014
$3.99
When a boy at school hurts Kamara’s feelings, she goes home and asks her grandmother if the mean words are really true. Gramma tells Kamara to go upstairs and clean the old mirror in the guest room. But when Kamara starts to rub the glass, she discovers that the mirror is magical! Kamara sees brave women from the past who faced many challenges yet never gave up hope. When the historical journey ends in the twenty-first century, the mirror once again shows Kamara her own reflection. She sheds her self-doubt and instead draws strength from the courage of the women she met in the magic mirror.
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American Phoenix: poems
Oct 11, 2020
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AMERICAN PHOENIX, the second collection of poetry by award-winning author Zetta Elliott, extends the themes of resilience and resistance found in SAY HER NAME. Responding to the devastation of both the pandemic and police brutality, Elliott offers forty new poems that reflect upon the cycle of life, the struggle for liberation, and the artist's role in ensuring our survival.
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The Return
May 16, 2018
$3.99
After a devastating injury, seventeen-year-old Hakeem Diallo is leaving basketball and his life in Brooklyn behind to spend the summer with his grandmother in Senegal. Three years have passed since the earthquake of 2011 when Keem witnessed his girlfriend’s apparent suicide in the deep. Weeks later he received a mysterious text that led him to believe Nyla might still be alive, but her silence over the years has led Keem to believe that the girl he once loved is gone.
Keem arrives in Dakar determined to put the past behind him, but then Nyla unexpectedly returns and draws him back into her dangerous world. Once trained by The League, Nyla is now a fugitive with a mission to expose their corruption. As Nyla grows more and more powerful, she inspires both fear and awe in others. Keem cannot deny his love for her and yet he fears that Nyla has become a jinn--a demon. When The League finally hunts Nyla down, Keem’s loyalty is tested. Is he willing to give his life for a girl who is no longer human?
Keem arrives in Dakar determined to put the past behind him, but then Nyla unexpectedly returns and draws him back into her dangerous world. Once trained by The League, Nyla is now a fugitive with a mission to expose their corruption. As Nyla grows more and more powerful, she inspires both fear and awe in others. Keem cannot deny his love for her and yet he fears that Nyla has become a jinn--a demon. When The League finally hunts Nyla down, Keem’s loyalty is tested. Is he willing to give his life for a girl who is no longer human?
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The Ghosts in the Castle (City Kids Book 3)
Jan 8, 2017
$3.99
Zaria has dreamed of England for as long as she can remember—according to the novels she’s read, everything magical happens there! When her grandfather suffers a stroke, Zaria and her mother head to London to help care for him. Zaria reads fantastic tales to her grandfather every afternoon, and she’s thrilled to discover that her cousin Winston shares her love of wands, wizards, and mythical creatures. But Zaria soon finds that life in London is actually quite ordinary—until she goes on a day trip to nearby Windsor Castle. There Zaria meets two extraordinary ghosts who need help finding their way back to the African continent they once called home.
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Billie's Blues
Feb 25, 2016
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Billie’s best friend thinks their neighbor, Ms. Marble, is crazy. Supposedly Ms. Marble has a hundred cats in her apartment and sings to them all day long. But when Billie spends an afternoon with her elderly neighbor, she discovers that Ms. Marble is actually a lot of fun! Ms. Marble introduces Billie to Lady Day, Ma Rainey, and other great blues singers. Together they dress up in antique clothes, and sing and dance to the blues. Then Ms. Marble shares an old secret she has been keeping in her heart. Billie learns that “some hurts stay inside you a mighty long time,” but the optimism of the blues triumphs in the end; Ms. Marble assures her young friend that “the sun’s gonna shine in my back door someday.”
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This lyrical retelling of the traditional Christmas story serves as a plea for greater compassion and unity in our contemporary world. Peace and goodwill are values celebrated during the holidays, but they should also be applied to the daily struggle of those traveling over land and sea in search of hope and sanctuary. This simple nativity narrative urges readers to recognize the value of every child, and to respect our shared responsibility for all the members of our global community.
Esta reelaboración de la historia tradicional de Navidad nos llama a una mayor compasión y unidad en nuestro mundo contemporáneo. La paz y la buena voluntad son valores que se celebran durante estos días de fiesta y que también deben aplicarse a la lucha diaria de aquellos que viajan por mar y tierra en busca de esperanza y refugio. Esta sencilla narrativa navideña insta a los lectores a reconocer el valor de cada niño y a respetar la responsabilidad que compartimos para con todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad global.
Esta reelaboración de la historia tradicional de Navidad nos llama a una mayor compasión y unidad en nuestro mundo contemporáneo. La paz y la buena voluntad son valores que se celebran durante estos días de fiesta y que también deben aplicarse a la lucha diaria de aquellos que viajan por mar y tierra en busca de esperanza y refugio. Esta sencilla narrativa navideña insta a los lectores a reconocer el valor de cada niño y a respetar la responsabilidad que compartimos para con todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad global.
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A Wave Came Through Our Window
Aug 23, 2015
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Two sisters find a way to endure the hot summer nights by savoring the scents and sounds carried into their bedroom on currents of air. The girls lie awake and wait for each new wave to arrive, bringing jazz and Latin music, the smell of fried fish, the screeching of alley cats, and a soothing surprise that finally lulls the children to sleep.
I Love Snow!
Aug 23, 2015
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I love snow!
spinning, swirling, swooshing snow
crunch beneath my boots snow
tickling my tongue snow
I love snow!
This short poem uses rhythm and repetition to describe the fun activities a fresh snowfall permits. Too much snow can sometimes cause problems, and in time it turns to dirty gray slush. But in the end, nothing can diminish a child’s love of snow!
spinning, swirling, swooshing snow
crunch beneath my boots snow
tickling my tongue snow
I love snow!
This short poem uses rhythm and repetition to describe the fun activities a fresh snowfall permits. Too much snow can sometimes cause problems, and in time it turns to dirty gray slush. But in the end, nothing can diminish a child’s love of snow!
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An Angel for Mariqua
Dec 17, 2014
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Christmas is coming, but eight-year-old Mariqua Thatcher isn’t looking forward to the holidays. Mama’s gone and Gramma doesn’t know what to do with her feisty granddaughter. Almost every day Mariqua gets into a fight at school, and no one seems to understand how she feels inside. But things start to change when a mysterious street vendor gives Mariqua a beautifully carved angel as a gift. Each night Mariqua whispers in the angel’s ear and soon her wishes start to come true! Mariqua begins to do better at school, and she even wins an important role in the church pageant. But best of all, Mariqua becomes friends with Valina Peterson, a teenager who lives in Mariqua's building. Valina helps Mariqua learn how to control her anger, and reminds her pretend little sister that “everyone has a story to tell.” Their friendship is tested, however, when Mariqua discovers that Valina has been keeping a secret about her own mother. Can the magic angel make things better?
A touching story about love, compassion, and the gift within every heart.
A touching story about love, compassion, and the gift within every heart.
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Fox & Crow: A Christmas Tale
Dec 15, 2014
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Fox and Crow are old friends who enjoy trying to outsmart one another. One winter evening, mischievous Crow plays a trick that leaves Fox with his head stuck in an empty jar! Instead of helping her friend, Crow flies off to have an adventure in town. Humbled by his embarrassing predicament, Fox must also leave the safety of the forest to search for help. Both creatures know from experience that humans can be wasteful and cruel, but on this special night, Fox and Crow see humans in a new light after they each bring joy to members of a family whose holiday spirit has been dimmed by illness.
Inspired by actual events, Fox & Crow: A Christmas Tale is a contemporary take on Aesop’s beloved fable.
Inspired by actual events, Fox & Crow: A Christmas Tale is a contemporary take on Aesop’s beloved fable.
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The Last Bunny in Brooklyn
Nov 9, 2014
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Chloe isn’t a social bunny, but she enjoys her solitary life in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. As autumn approaches, however, Chloe realizes that all the other bunnies have gone away. The little rabbit enlists the help of her neighbors to solve the mystery. Should she wait for them to return, or should she leave the safety of the garden to find her family? The Last Bunny in Brooklyn is a beautifully illustrated allegory that asks readers to consider the causes and implications of social dislocation.
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