Children of Blood and Bone, written by Tomi Adeyemi
Adeyemi, T. (2018). Children of Blood and Bone. Henry Holt and Company.
Category: Fantasy novel
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Zelie Adebola fights for the rights and preservation of her people and the magic they possess.
Theme: Stand up against those who seek to oppress.
Generalizations: loyalty, family, authority, revolution, freedom, identity, secrets, Good vs Evil, morality, Black Culture, police brutality
Potential uses in the classroom: Children of Blood and Bone can be used to discuss author’s purpose—How does the book reflect present day police brutality against people of color? What does it mean to be Black? Why and how do authors draw on fact to create fiction? Because this book is told from the point of view of several characters, this book can also be used to explore perspective. Why did the author choose to write a book from multiple perspectives versus only the main character’s?
Melissa’s note: I read this novel as part of a graduate level children’s and young adult literature course in the summer of 2020. I had been eyeing the book for several months–who can resist that gorgeous cover?–and finally purchased it after seeing Adeyami on the Today Show (click to view). Sadly, the book then sat in my to-read pile, which is what tends to happen when you’re a mom and student with limited free time to read for pleasure. The class provided the perfect opportunity to finally tackle it. Also, I have been purposefully adding more books by BIPOC authors to my personal and (future) classroom library, and this one seemed especially relevant given today’s political climate.
Read and listen to an interview with author Tomi Adeyemi here.
