In recent news, the Guiness Book of World Records just named Advay Jain as the youngest person to publish a book at the tender age of 3 years and 345 days old! This news caught my eye since it takes me longer than that to simply finish a draft for my novels. However, this record-breaking news had me thinking about what makes an author an author and what makes a story a story.
We all have narratives to share and everyone has the ability to write. With busy schedules and shrinking attention spans, readers may turn to short stories instead of full length novels. So this month’s post highlights some notable anthologies from recent years that put diverse authors at the forefront. Reluctant readers and busy bibliophiles alike can find themselves within the pages of these anthologies.
Lit Kids Magazine 2024 Anthology
LitKids Magazine 2024 Anthology Edited by Rebecca Weber. Lit Kids Magazine 2024 Anthology is filled with stories, poetry, art, and photography made by children who noticed something, wondered about it, and shaped it into their own creation. Inside, you’ll find small things and big things, funny things and serious things, imaginative things and thoughtful things. Each piece is proof that creating is an adventure, full of risks, surprises, and discoveries. Together, these pieces tell an important story: creativity is alive, powerful, and worth nurturing, especially in childhood.
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids Edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith and published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Featuring sixteen Native American authors—including Joseph Bruchac and Traci Sorell— this anthology weaves fantastic stories centered around a single intertribal powwow in Michigan. An incredible celebration of stories and poetry filled with humor, family joy, and contemporary Indigenous resilience.
The Door Is Open Edited by Hena Khan. This anthology includes delightful stories written entirely by South Asian and Desi-American voices. Focusing on the diversity and of South Asian American experiences in a bustling community center in a fictional New Jersey town, your reader will love this exploration of identity, new crushes, and cultural pride.
Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices Edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed. The more we read, the more we know and what better way to experience the joy of Eid al-Fitr than with this incredible anthology. Showcasing fifteen different Muslim authors writing about the universal spirit of this holiday, this collection highlights a massive spectrum of global cultures, covering Shia and Sunni traditions, West African perspectives, and convert experiences.
Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood Edited by Kwame Mbalia. If you’ve never heard of this uplifting collection of sci-fi, fantasy, and realistic stories, you are missing out! Seventeen Black male and non-binary authors (including Jason Reynolds and Jerry Craft) share moving stories that celebrate triumph and happiness to challenge heavy media stereotypes.
On the Block Edited by Ellen Oh (published October 2024). This anthology explores the lives of immigrant families living in a single apartment building. From beautifully honest looks at culture and family structures, this collection features twelve stories from authors like Jasmine Warga, Erin Entrada Kelly, Debbi Michiko Florence, Minh Le, and so many more!
You Are Here: Connecting Flights Edited by Ellen Oh (published March 2023). A star-studded anthology of concurrent, interwoven stories following twelve Asian American kids embarking on a massive international airport terminal during a single incident. What could possibly go wrong? Find out through the work of Linda Sue Park, Grace Lin, Traci Chee, and Christina Soontornvat.
Black Girl Power Edited by Leah Johnson (published 2024). A vibrant, heartwarming collection of 15 middle grade stories and poems that celebrates the joy, strength, and experience of Black girlhood, including stories from Ibi Zoboi, Sharon M. Draper, and Leah Johnson, as well as cover art from Caldecott winner Vashti Harrison.
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dreamt of being a playwright as a teen. While life took her on a
different path, her love of stories never faltered. In fact, she truly
believes that the books she reads will "accompany me on the greatest
adventure of our mutual lives!" It takes a fighter to share one's vision
with the world, and Patchree hopes to blaze the trail for all children
to go after their dreams unapologetically.
Her middle-grade novel,SKYLIGHT, book one in the Mehk Light trilogy, is her debut work offiction and was published in June 2024 with Sorra Books.
Her second book, THE WHITE ELEPHANT OF HIMMAPAN, is an original Thai folklore chapter book published October 2024 with Sorra Books.
Patchree Jones is Thai-American author and currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and one lazy dog.
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