Books with author Joniece Abbott-Pratt

In a searing historical novel, Tonya Bolden illuminates post-Reconstruction America in an intimate portrait of a determined young woman who dares to seize the opportunity of a lifetime.As a young black woman in 1880s Savannah, Essie's dreams are very much at odds with her reality. Ashamed of her beginnings, but unwilling to accept the path currently available to her, Essie is trapped between the life she has and the life she wants.Until she meets a lady named Dorcas Vashon, the richest and most cultured black woman she's ever encountered. When Dorcas makes Essie an offer she can't refuse, she becomes Victoria. Transformed by a fine wardrobe, a classic education and the rules of etiquette, Victoria is soon welcomed in the upper echelons of black society in Washington, DC. But when the life she desires is finally within her grasp, Victoria must decide how much of herself she is truly willing to surrender.

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn&;s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC&;Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape&;until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies. A secret society of so called &;Legendborn&; students that hunt the creatures down. And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a &;Merlin&; and who attempts&;and fails&;to wipe Bree&;s memory of everything she saw. The mage&;s failure unlocks Bree&;s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there&;s more to her mother&;s death than what&;s on the police report, she&;ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates. She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society&;s secrets&;and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur&;s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she&;ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down&;or join the fight.

The epic debut YA fantasy from an incredible new talent—perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa TahirNothing is more important than loyalty. But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as the Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of Eleven. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But the Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we’re willing to go for the ones we love.

Discover Rosa Parks' story - and the power of standing for equality. Here's the whole, true story of Rosa Parks' life - and the spark of change she helped light for the civil rights movement. Unlike other Rosa Parks books for kids, So Other People Would Be Also Free reveals how Rosa's lifetime of experiences inspired her famous choice - when she stayed seated on a segregated bus to take a stand for racial equality. Take a walk through her childhood and hear about her struggles as a black woman in midcentury America. Going beyond other Rosa Parks books for kids, this complete story shows how her strong values and bravery as a lifelong activist makes her a role model for fighting injustice. This illuminating choice in Rosa Parks books for kids includes: A lasting impact - Find out how the world changed during Rosa Parks' life and the ways her legacy is still alive. Talk about it - Questions in each chapter invite you to share ideas for creating your own change in the world. Real-life stories - History comes alive with accounts of people and events in civil rights that you won't find in other Rosa Parks books for kids. Get inspired by Rosa's incredible accomplishments in So Other People Would Be Also Free - a standout among Rosa Parks books for kids.

A magical all-new story based on Disney and Pixar’s film Onward!Sadalia Brushthorn is an ordinary teenage elf. She goes to school, hangs out with her friends, and dreams of becoming a journalist. But the problem is, nothing exciting ever seems to happen in her town of New Mushroomton. Sadalia wonders if she’ll ever get the chance to write a true investigative story. Then one day something mysterious, monumental, and shockingly magical erupts at her high school, sending everything into chaos. And the whole event centers on two elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot. Sadalia thinks this is her chance to finally write a real story. But there are so many questions: What caused this event? How are Ian and Barley involved? And why were they searching for a magical object known as the Phoenix Gem? It’s up to Sadalia to set out on her own in-questigation, to follow the Lightfoot brothers’ epic quest and discover the truth about the events that transformed her town and her entire world.

A heartfelt middle grade adventure about one girl's search for sunken treasure, friendship, and her place in the world. Thirteen-year-old Blue Broen is on the hunt for a legendary ship of gold, lost centuries ago when her ancestors sailed to New York. Blue knows her overprotective parents won't approve of her mission to find their family's long-lost fortune, so she keeps it a secret from everyone except her constant companion, Otis, an 80-pound diabetic alert dog. But it's hard to keep things quiet with rival treasure hunters on the loose, and with Blue's reputation as the local poster child for a type 1 diabetes fundraiser. Blue's quest gets even harder when she's forced to befriend Jules, the brainy but bratty daughter of a vacationing movie star who arrives on the scene and won't leave Blue alone. While Blue initially resents getting stuck with this spoiled seventh grade stranger, Jules soon proves Blue's not the only one who knows about secrets -- and adventure. Will Blue unravel a three hundred year-old family mystery, learn to stand up for herself, and find the missing treasure? Or is she destined to be nothing more than diabetes girl forever?

Are you ready for some of the most exciting, death-defying escape stories ever told? Perfect for fans of the I Survived series, the second installment in a brand-new, edge-of-your-seat series based on real events!Winter 1838—Kentucky. Determined to save her toddler son from being sold as a slave, the woman who became known as Eliza Harris trekked through the forest, in the dark of night with wild animals on her heels. Her goal: cross the Ohio River, the boundary between the North and the South, between slavery and freedom.Although the journey would be perilous, Eliza looked out at the treacherous frozen waters and quickly decided she couldn’t let fear stop her, especially when a new life—a free life—waited just on the other side.