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Jewell Parker Rhodes

ジュエル・パーカー・ローズ

Jueru Pākā Rōzu

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1954-01-01 （Manchester, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Manchester, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. → Tempe, Arizona, U.S. (affiliated with Arizona State University)

Career

Occupations
novelist, educator, professor
Active Years
1993-
Affiliations
Arizona State University — Founding Artistic Director, Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing; Professor; Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair, Carnegie Mellon University (awarded Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters)

Education

Carnegie Mellon University
Drama (Drama Criticism) / Theater / English
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Country: United States
Started as a drama major and switched to writing after discovering African-American literature
Carnegie Mellon University
English / English
Degree: Master of Arts
Country: United States
Carnegie Mellon University
English (Creative Writing) / English
Degree: Doctor of Arts (Creative Writing)
Country: United States
Doctor of Arts in English (Creative Writing)

Awards

American Book Award
2003
Work: Douglass' Women
Organization: American Book Awards
Result: 受賞
Black Caucus of the American Library (Fiction)
2003
Work: Douglass' Women
Organization: Black Caucus of the American Library Association
Result: 受賞
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
2003
Organization: PEN Oakland
Result: 受賞
Parents' Choice Foundation Gold Award
2010
Work: Ninth Ward
Organization: Parents' Choice Foundation
Result: 受賞
Coretta Scott King Honor Award
2011
Work: Ninth Ward
Organization: Coretta Scott King Book Awards
Result: 受賞（Honor）
Jane Addams Children's Book Award (Older Readers)
2014
Work: Sugar
Organization: Jane Addams Peace Association
Result: 受賞
E.B. White Read-Aloud Award
2018
Work: Ghost Boys
Organization: The Association of Booksellers for Children
Result: 受賞
Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature
2019
Work: Ghost Boys
Category: Young Readers
Organization: We Need Diverse Books / Walter Award
Result: 受賞
NAIBA Book of the Year
2018
Work: Ghost Boys
Organization: New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association
Result: 受賞
New England Book Award (Top 10 Kids' Indie Next Pick)
2020
Work: Black Brother, Black Brother
Organization: New England Independent Booksellers
Result: 受賞
NAACP Image Award (Finalist)
2021
Work: Black Brother, Black Brother
Category: Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens
Organization: NAACP
Result: 最終候補
Green Earth Book Award
2022
Work: Paradise on Fire
Organization: The Green Earth Book Award
Result: 受賞
Octavia E. Butler Award for Speculative Fiction and Fantasy
2023
Organization: The Center for Black Literature
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ghost Boys

2018 Middle grade / social-justice fiction 240 pages

A middle-grade novel about a Black boy killed by police violence who encounters other victims from the past, confronting racial injustice and inviting young readers to empathy and action.

racial injusticepolice violencememory and reconciliationcommunity
Adaptations
  • [graphic novel] Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel (2025)
Translations
  • Ghost Boys (translations into multiple languages)

Ninth Ward

2010 Young adult / middle grade 256 pages

Set in New Orleans, it follows family and community bonds as characters face a hurricane and its aftermath.

communitydisaster and recoveryfamily

Black Brother, Black Brother

2020 Middle grade / social-issue fiction

Through experiences of identity and race, a young protagonist learns about self and community relationships.

identityracefriendship

Paradise on Fire

2021 Middle grade / environmental fiction

A story set against climate change and environmental crisis, focusing on community recovery and civic action.

environmental issuescivic engagementcommunity

Towers Falling

2016 Middle grade / contemporary history

Through children's experiences connected to September 11, 2001, the novel explores history and prejudice.

history educationprejudicememory

Magic City

1997 Adult novel / historical fiction

A historical novel addressing the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre; reissued in 2021 for the centennial.

racial violencehistorical memory

Will's Race for Home

2025 Middle grade

Published 2025; follows a young protagonist as he connects with family and explores belonging and growth.

familybelongingcoming of age

Bibliography

  • Voodoo Dreams (1993)
  • Magic City (1997; reissued 2021)
  • Douglass' Women (2002)
  • Season (2005)
  • Moon (2008)
  • Hurricane (2011)
  • Free Within Ourselves (1999)
  • The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Non-Fiction (2001)
  • Porch Stories (2006)
  • Ninth Ward (2010)
  • Sugar (2014)
  • Bayou Magic (2015)
  • Towers Falling (2016)
  • Ghost Boys (2018)
  • Black Brother, Black Brother (2020)
  • Paradise on Fire (2021)
  • Treasure Island: Runaway Gold (2023)
  • Will's Race for Home (2025)
  • Soul Step (picture book, co-written, 2024)

Adaptations

  • Ghost Boys (graphic novel adaptation)

Translations of Works

  • Works translated into French, Romanian, German, Korean, Italian, Persian, Mandarin, Japanese, and others

Style & Themes

Literary Style
contemporary, clear prose accessible to young readersnarratives that weave community and history
Recurring Motifs
community bondshistory and memorysocial justiceenvironmental concerns

Legacy

Jewell Parker Rhodes is acclaimed for both children's and adult fiction, notably for socially engaged works like Ghost Boys that have influenced education and public discourse. Through teaching, speaking, and directing a creative writing center, she has contributed to mentoring the next generation of writers.

Quotes

  • The driving force behind all of my work is to inspire social justice, equity, and environmental stewardship.
    Source: Author profile / interviews (source needed)

Trivia

  • Ghost Boys has received over 50 awards and honors.
  • She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Magic City, about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, was reissued in 2021.
  • A reissue of Douglass' Women is scheduled for Fall 2026 (to be confirmed).
  • She is Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University.