by Eden Royce

A poignant, necessary entry into the childrens literary canon, Root Magicbrings to life the history and culture of Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of Black Americans. Add in a fun, magical adventure and you get everything I want in a book! Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation

Walter Dean Myers Honor Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature! A Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winner!

Debut author Eden Royce arrives with a wondrous story of love, bravery, friendship, and family, filled to the brim with magic great and small.

Its 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy wont stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven and their uncle, Doc, tells them hes going to train them in rootwork.

Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of their family for generationsespecially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her familys true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirsand not a moment too soon. Because when evil both natural and supernatural comes to show itself in town, its going to take every bit of the magic she has inside her to see her through.