Morgan Parker resisted a fairy-tale ending when writing her coming-of-age novel. She was joined by moderator Hannah Gómez and authors Dean Atta, Yusef Salaam and Ibi Zoboi in a virtual roundtable discussion on exploring the Black experience in their young-adult fiction. But the going is rarely easy, a reality all four authors sought to convey in their work. “There is value when you get knocked down,” Salaam said of his book “Punching the Air,” which he co-wrote with Zoboi. Salaam echoed her sentiment, hoping their book helps kids find “value in the valley wherever you are, and make something out of it.”

Source: Los Angeles Times April 18, 2021 01:07 UTC