A lot of her strengths (her determination) and weaknesses (self-confidence) are things that I’ve seen in so many of us who have come from those circumstances - the willpower to want better for yourself even while society often times says that you aren’t worthy of better.īTW: The supernatural world, as well as the summer camp Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, blends magic with technology in really interesting ways. Many of us were kids that didn’t have a lot in terms of money and so I tried to craft Amari around that reality. It was while exploring that question that I got the idea for Amari: What if a kid like I was (Black and from modest means) got to go to Hogwarts or Camp Half-Blood? And maybe each kid gets their own unique supernatural ability to better fit into this hidden supernatural world? And Amari popped into my head fully formed, with her brown skin and big curly afro.īTW: How did you develop the character of Amari Peters from there?īBA: Amari is based on me and the kids I grew up with. Alston: I’m a big fan of the movie Men in Black and one day I just wondered, what if it wasn’t just aliens that lived among us, but all of the things we believe to be myths and legends? From leprechauns to werewolves, and even the Abominable Snowman! What kind of agency would handle that and what would it look like? How would it work? And that’s the basis for how I got started building the world in the story. Here, Bookselling This Week and Alston discuss worldbuilding, craft, and more.īookselling This Week: Where did the idea for this story come from?ī.B. This might easily become the next big #BlackGirlMagic series of the year!” With a whole lot of heart - and some guts to boot - in this book, you might well find yourself cheering (with wild abandon) alongside the ever-so-plucky antagonist, Amari, whose spirit shines brighter than any magic wand would. “This absorbing new middle reader takes you on the kind of exhilarating adventure as only you would find when stepping through the wardrobe to Narnia. “What a breath of fresh air!” said Colleen Ross of Books Inc.
But if she doesn’t, she might never find out what happened to Quinton. To earn her spot as a Junior Agent at the Bureau, Amari must compete against some of the nation’s wealthiest children, and she doesn’t know if she can do it. And that she has magical powers of her own. And that Quinton’s left her a nomination for a summer tryout at the secretive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. She soon discovers the existence of a supernatural world filled with magicians, mermaids, and dwarves. Thirteen-year-old Amari Peters is grappling with her older brother Quinton’s mysterious disappearance when she finds something unbelievable - a ticking briefcase in her brother’s old closet, meant for her eyes only.
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