“Amber McBride’s stories will captivate the heart, mind, and spirit. If you are a careful reader, you will find that all of her works are connected, with small Easter eggs hidden in the pages of each title, giving glimpses of what you’ll discover when you read them all…Told through carefully constructed poetry and prose, McBride’s works, though written for young readers, explore themes that are relevant to readers of every age.” —Julia E. Torres (Reader/Teacher)
Explore themes of identity and empowerment, community, spirituality, romantic love, and more through the middle grade and young adult stories by an award-winning author. While many conversations around these topics can be heavy, Amber’s work creates an accessible place for young readers to feel, explore, and take away messages of hope and perseverance. Click below to download the comprehensive Educator’s Guide to access the full list of resources for every one of Amber’s books.
Praise for Amber McBride
★ ★ ★ 20 starred reviews for Amber McBride!★ ★ ★
ME (MOTH) – Young Adult | Ages 12-17
Finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature
2022 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent Winner
A 2022 Willam C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist
A BookPage Best Book of 2021
A Best Book of 2021, Shelf Awareness
An NPR Best Book of the Year, 2021
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021
A Time Magazine Best Children’s Book of 2021
People magazine’s Best Children’s Books of 2021
★ “McBride artfully weaves Black Southern Hoodoo traditions with those of the Navajo/Diné people, creating a beautiful and cross-cultural reverence for the earth, its inhabitants, and our ancestors. … Written in verse, this novel is hauntingly romantic, refusing to be rushed or put down without deep contemplation of what it means to accept the tragedies of our lives and to reckon with the ways we metamorphosize as a result of them.” —Booklist, starred review
WE ARE ALL SO GOOD AT SMILING – Young Adult | Ages 14-17
A Texas Library Association TAYSHAS Selection
A Common Sense Media Best Media of Selection
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Best Fiction for Young Adults selection (YALSA)
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
★ “This phenomenal novel-in-verse transports readers into an impassioned tale of heartache and hope that belongs on every bookshelf serving teens.” —School Library Journal, starred review
GONE WOLF – Middle Grade | Ages 10-14
*WINNER, Los Angeles Times Book Prize*
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2023
A 2024 Best Fiction for Young Adults selection (YALSA)
A 2024 Bank Street Best Book of the Year
★ “McBride’s multidimensional genius shines through, artfully exposing the reality that Black Americans have lived lifetimes of dystopias. She scrupulously guides the complicated storyline and hard histories with context, definitions, and word choices. Raw, incisive, and authentic.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
ONYX & BEYOND – Middle Grade | Ages 8-12
A Notable Verse Novel, National Council of Teachers of English
A Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature Best Book of the Year
★ “It’s 1970, and following the death of his grandmother, Onyx, a 12-year-old Black boy, is left living alone with his mother, who has early onset dementia. Fearing losing Mama too, he keeps her condition a secret from everyone and instead vows to make sure that he keeps up the show of everything being OK at home. … As readers follow Onyx in his endeavors to help his mother, they’re also given a glimpse into being a young Black boy who, for all his troubles in life, has just as many joyful moments with his family and friends. A story of perseverance and love.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
THE LEAVING ROOM – Young Adult | Ages12-18
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST!
“A must-read.”
“Achingly tender.”
“Intimate and astonishing.”
★ “Achingly tender…through quiet, in-between-feeling moments rendered in an eerie, philosophical tone, McBride considers the liminal spaces between life and death, as well as the weight of grief and loss on children, particularly Black youth. Richly imagined settings pulled from Leavers’ memories (“Haint-blue ceilings/ & rocking chairs to sit/ & watch giant willows weep”) evoke Black Southern gothic imagery, adding texture to this wholesome speculative novel.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review
