Status
Available
Publication
Dutton Books for Young Readers (2022), 128 pages
Library's review
By the time she was 10 years old, Octavia Butler knew that she wanted to be a writer.
Weaving together quotes from Butler, prose passages of historical and biographical information, and her own original poetry, Zoboi explores the visionary speculative fiction author’s early life. This ambitious
An inspiring look at the formative years and work of a literary giant that’s sure to capture young readers’ attention. (author’s note, bibliography, endnotes, photo credits) (Biography. 12-adult)
-Kirkus Review
Weaving together quotes from Butler, prose passages of historical and biographical information, and her own original poetry, Zoboi explores the visionary speculative fiction author’s early life. This ambitious
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experimental biography is at once a tribute from an adoring fan and an introduction to Butler’s juvenilia and her childhood growing up as a shy Black child in postwar 1950s America. Each chapter covers a different aspect of, or key moment in, Butler’s girlhood and adolescence, showing the challenges she overcame and the sustaining force of her imagination. Included are black-and-white childhood photos and a facsimile of a handwritten story about wild horses that Butler worked on as a child and illustrated herself. Young readers familiar with the Butler oeuvre will note the allusions to her famous and groundbreaking works. Zoboi’s powerful poems vary in style and form; particularly interesting are several concrete poems, including the titular “Star Child,” “Moon Child,” and “Moon Child II,” with the words arranged on the page to reveal an image of a star, quarter moon, and full moon respectively. Readers will come away with an understanding of Butler’s early influences and an interest in her writing.An inspiring look at the formative years and work of a literary giant that’s sure to capture young readers’ attention. (author’s note, bibliography, endnotes, photo credits) (Biography. 12-adult)
-Kirkus Review
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Awards
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (Nonfiction — 2022)
Coretta Scott King Award (Honor — 2023)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — Middle School — 2024)
BCALA Children & Young Adult Literary Awards (Winner — Nonfiction — 2023)
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (Nominee — 2023)
Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Children's Literature (Honor — Younger Readers — 2023)
NPR: Books We Love (2022)
CCBC Choices (2023)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Kids (Nonfiction — 2022)
Notable Children's Book (2023)
Nerdy Book Award (2022)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2023)
Teacher Favorites Award (2023)
Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids (Poetry — 2022)
OYAN Book Rave (2023)
Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List (Grades 6-8 — 2023)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids (Informational Books for Older Readers — 2022)
MISelf in Books (Middle School — 2023)
Librarian Favorites Award (2023)
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0399187383 / 9780399187384