This book has been graded for interest at 13+ years.

This is a short story book. This book was published 2019 by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen .

Growing up, Varian Johnson couldn't decide whether he wanted to be an engineer or a writer, so he decided to do both. His first novel A Red Polka Dot In A World Full of Plaid made the Essence Magazine bestseller list in March 2006. Jay Coles is a graduate of Vincennes University and Ball State University. When he's not writing diverse books, he's advocating for them, teaching middle school students, and composing for various music publishers. His debut novel Tyler Johnson Was Here is based on true events in his life and inspired by police brutality in America. He resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, and invites you to visit his website at jaycoleswriter. com. Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton met while attending the New School's acclaimed Writing for Children MFA program. Sona is a journalist who has written for the New York Times, People, Parade, Cosmopolitan, and other major media. Dhonielle is a librarian at a middle school in Harlem, and taught English at a cutthroat ballet academy. Together, the pair cofounded CAKE Literary, a boutique book packaging company with a decidedly diverse bent. Find them online at www. cakeliterary. com. Lamar Giles writes for teens and adults. He is the author of the Edgar Award finalists Fake ID and Endangered as well as the critically acclaimed Overturned, Spin, and The Last Last-Day-of-Summer. He is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books and resides in Virginia. Visit him online at www. lamargiles. com. Other contributing authors include Suzanne Young, Marieke Nijkamp, Robin Talley, Stephanie Kuehn, E. C. Myers, Tim Floreen, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, and Brandy Colbert. Tracey Baptiste lived in Trinidad until she was fifteen; she grew up on jumbie stories and fairy tales. She is a former teacher who works as a writer and editor. Visit her online at traceybaptiste. com and on Twitter: @TraceyBaptiste. Ibi Zoboi was born in Haiti, and holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her writing has been published in The New York Times Book Review, and The Rumpus, among others. She is the author of American Street , a US National Book Award finalist. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and three children. You can find her online at www. ibizoboi. net. Leah Henderson has always loved getting lost in stories. When she is not scribbling down her characters' adventures, she is off on her own, exploring new spaces and places around the world. Many of the hopes, struggles, and traditions witnessed on her travels find a home in her work, hopefully offering added color and new perspectives to her characters' lives. Leah received her MFA in writing from Spalding University and currently calls the Washington, DC, area home.