Unstoppable Force, Movable Object: Dhonielle Clayton on Levering Children's Books Into the 21st Century

"I'm not a person that's like, let's throw out the classics. It's, let's move forward. Let's disrupt the canon. Some of these universal themes, some of these ingredients that we love, how do I remix them into a new stew?” - Dhonielle Clayton

What is life without a little magic? Fantasy gives us the space to break free from the confines that reality often brings and the freedom to dream the typically unimaginable. But with all its magic and wonder, the fantasy genre doesn’t always reflect the diversity of its real-life readers' stories. Dhonielle Clayton, a literary mover and shaker, is dedicated to changing that narrative, filling in the gaps to ensure that all kids see a reflection of themselves in these wondrous worlds.

Dhonielle is an acclaimed author known for her works, including "The Belles" series, "The Conjurverse" series, and "Shattered Midnight." She is also the co-author of several novels, such as "Blackout" and "Tiny Pretty Things." Equal parts creative and determined, Dhonielle is the co-founder and incoming CEO of the influential organization We Need Diverse Books. She is a one-woman powerhouse!

In this episode, Dhonielle traces the magic in her books back to its roots in African folklore, details the challenge of stepping out from the long shadow of Harry Potter, and outlines her mission to hire her own collective of diverse writers. 

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Dhonielle expands on her stories about magic and fantasy on the podcast with her reading challenge, Retelling Heroes and Magic. Dhonielle takes inspiration from her goal to disrupt the world of fantasy storytelling with a wonderful suggested reading list.  Download the list at thereadingculturepod.com/dhonielle-clayton

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This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Erin Baker, media specialist at Durham Middle School in Georgia. She tells us her secret sauce for getting the whole school on board with reading initiatives and why it involves some unlikely allies.

Contents

Chapter 1 - Hot Summers in the Deep South

Chapter 2 - The People Could Fly

Chapter 3 - Let’s Talk About Harry Potter

Chapter 4 - Reality in Fantasy

Chapter 5 - Let Them Eat Cake! (Creative)

Chapter 6 - Purpose

Chapter 7 - Reading Challenge

Chapter 8 - Beanstack Featured Librarian

Links

• The Reading Culture
• The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
• Dhonielle Clayton Website 
• Follow Dhonielle on Instagram 
• The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton
• Durham Middle School
• Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
• Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
• Jordan Lloyd Bookey
  
  

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producers: Jackie Lamport, Sydni Michelle Perry, and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey