In this post, we feature multi-award-winning author Kekla Magoon, whose previous, acclaimed titles include Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People, which was named a National Book Award for Young People Finalist, a Printz Honor Book, and many additional honors. You can hear her speak about her new novel, The Secret Library, and try her “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
The Secret Library
- Written by Kekla Magoon
- Published by Candlewick Press
- Release date: May 7, 2024
Since Grandpa died, Dally’s days are dull and restricted. Even though Dally isn’t even 12 years old, her exacting single mother is already preparing her to take over the family business. Then Dally discovers a mysterious envelope that her Grandpa had earmarked for her. The map she finds inside leads straight to an ancient vault, a library of secrets where each book is a portal to a precise moment in time. As Dally “checks out” adventure after adventure—including an exhilarating outing with pirates—she begins to dive deep into her family’s hidden history. But the library has secrets of its own, intentions that would shape her life as surely as her mother’s meticulous plans. What will Dally choose? Equal parts mystery and adventure—with a biracial child puzzling out her identity alongside the legacy of the past—this middle-grade fantasy will pull readers in with crackling prose, playful plot twists, and timeless themes.
From The Secret Library, written by Kekla Magoon.
“In the light, it was obvious that the X on the map was not just another letter, but the X that marks the spot, like on any good treasure map.”
Click here to view a longer preview of The Secret Library, written by Kekla Magoon.
Explore The Secret Library
Listen to Kekla Magoon talking with TeachingBooks about creating The Secret Library. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to Kekla Magoon pronounce her name.
- Sample the ebook of The Secret Library on OverDrive.com.
- Sample the audiobook of The Secret Library on OverDrive.com.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for The Secret Library.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Kekla Magoon.
Imagination Activity with Kekla Magoon
Everyone keeps secrets. Sometimes they are small secrets. Sometimes they are big secrets. Sometimes, secrets are harmless. Sometimes, we can hurt other people (or ourselves) by keeping secrets, or by telling them. Secrets can be complex! Here are three ideas for how to write about secrets:
- Write about a secret of your own. Have you ever had a secret? What was it? Did you keep the secret, or share it? Whom did you share it with? Did anybody find out your secret before you wanted them to know it? How did it feel to keep the secret? How did it feel to have the secret discovered?
- Write about a time you discovered someone else’s secret. What was the secret? Why were they keeping it? How did you find out? How did you feel when you learned the secret? How do you think the secret-keeper felt when you found out?
- Imagine a secret someone might keep from someone else. Who is the secret keeper? Who are they hiding their secret from? If the secret is revealed, how might it happen? What would happen next?
Each of those prompts might lead you to a different story!
Finish This Sentence . . . with Kekla Magoon
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Kekla Magoon’s response.
“My protagonist can’t live without..”
My protagonist can’t live without adventure! Dally craves action and exploration. She is hungry to experience as much of the world as she can, but there are obstacles to this exploration, namely her mother, who wants to train Dally to take over the family business someday. Business training is all indoors and involves a lot of math and a lot of spreadsheets, and Dally would much rather be swimming and playing in the gardens. When she discovers the Secret Library and begins time traveling, it gives her a way to explore the world without her mother even knowing she has gone. For Dally, it’s perfect!
“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”
A surprising thing that helps me work is writing out of order. I don’t always know where my story is going to begin or end, but I know something about what happens. So, I write the part I know, and then I write a little more, and a little more. It’s like creating a lot of puzzle pieces, and then putting them together into a narrative that makes sense. The first chapter I wrote for The Secret Library ended up being chapter five in the book.
More Connections to Kekla Magoon and The Secret Library
- Discover books like The Secret Library on TeachingBooks.
- Candlewick’s page about The Secret Library, written by Kekla Magoon.
- Buy The Secret Library, written by Kekla Magoon.
All text and images are courtesy of Kekla Magoon and Candlewick Press and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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