Coretta Scott King Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 53 (2022) Winner
Amber McBride
アンバー・マクブライド
Anbā Makuburaido
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Hoodoo
- Residence History
- Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Poet, Professor
- Active Years
- 2022-
- Affiliations
- University of Virginia Department of English (Assistant Professor)
- Influenced By
- Jacqueline Woodson, Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison University | — | English | BA | — | United States |
| Emerson College | — | Poetry | MFA | — | United States |
James Madison University
English
Degree:
BA
Country:
United States
Emerson College
Poetry
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | John Steptoe New Talent Award (Coretta Scott King Award) | Me (Moth) | — | American Library Association / Coretta Scott King Book Awards | winner |
| 2021 | National Book Award for Young People's Literature | Me (Moth) | — | National Book Foundation | finalist |
| 2024 | Heavy Medal Mock Newbery (Finalist) | Gone Wolf | — | School Library Journal (Heavy Medal) | finalist |
John Steptoe New Talent Award (Coretta Scott King Award)
2022
Work:
Me (Moth)
Organization:
American Library Association / Coretta Scott King Book Awards
Result:
winner
National Book Award for Young People's Literature
2021
Work:
Me (Moth)
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
finalist
Heavy Medal Mock Newbery (Finalist)
2024
Work:
Gone Wolf
Organization:
School Library Journal (Heavy Medal)
Result:
finalist
Awards & Nominations
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 44 (2023) Winner
Works
Major Works
Me (Moth)
2021 Poetry / Verse novel; Young adultA debut novel-in-verse about a Juilliard-bound dancer whose life is altered by a car accident; guided by her rootworking grandfather and Hoodoo practices, she travels across the United States and to the Navajo Nation to process grief and find healing.
loss and healingancestral memoryHoodoo and folk spiritualityidentityjourney
We Are All So Good at Smiling
2022 Poetry / Verse novel; Young adultA verse novel centered on clinical depression and healing from trauma, inspired in part by the author's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and intended to open dialogue about mental health.
depression and mental healthrecovery and hopefolkloric elements
Gone Wolf
2023 Middle grade; dual-timelineA middle-grade dual-timeline novel following two Black girls—one escaping a dystopian U.S. in 2111 and one living in Charlottesville during the COVID-19 pandemic—exploring generational trauma through imagination and resilience.
generational traumaimagination vs. realityhope and survival
Bibliography
- Me (Moth)
- We Are All So Good at Smiling
- Gone Wolf
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical, poetic verse-novel styleblending oral storytelling traditions and folk spirituality
- Recurring Motifs
- journeysancestry and memorymagic/ritual (Hoodoo)transformation and healing
Health
-
Depressive disorder (clinical depression)COVID-19パンデミック期間Influenced her subject matter and motivated writing that addresses depression and recovery.
Legacy
Recognized for verse novels for young readers; a National Book Award finalist and recipient of the John Steptoe New Talent Award. Her fusion of poetic form and folk spirituality has brought a distinct voice to YA literature.
Academic Societies
- University of Virginia Department of English
Quotes
-
"Not even Baba Yaga or Anansi the spider is immune to depression."
Source: Author interview / promotional commentary (2023)
Trivia
- First book remembered reading was 'Mama, Would You Love Me' by Barbara M. Jose.
- Wrote her first book in fifth grade.
- Practices Hoodoo and incorporates folk spirituality into her work.