Jewell Parker Rhodes on Will’s Race for Home

In this post, we feature multi-award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes, whose many acclaimed titles include the bestselling novel Ghost Boys, which was named an ALA Notable Children’s Book, among many other honors. You can hear her speak about her new novel, Will’s Race for Home, which has been named a Junior Library Guild selection, 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!

Will’s Race for Home

Written by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Hachette Book Group
Release date: January 14, 2025

It’s 1889, barely 25 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and a young Black family is tired of working on land they don’t get to own. So, when Will and his father hear about an upcoming land rush, they set out on a journey from Texas to Oklahoma, racing thousands of others to the place where land is free—if they can get to it fast enough. But the journey isn’t easy: the terrain is rough, the bandits are brutal, and every interaction carries a heavy undercurrent of danger. And then there’s the stranger they encounter and befriend: a mysterious soldier named Caesar, whose Union emblem brings more attention—and more trouble—than any of them need. All three are propelled by the promise of something long denied to them: freedom, land ownership, and a place to call home—but is a strong will enough to get them there?

From Will’s Race for Home, written by Jewell Parker Rhodes.

“My father is a far-thinking man.”
Click here to view a longer preview of Will’s Race for Home, written by Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Explore Will’s Race for Home

Listen to Jewell Parker Rhodes talking with TeachingBooks about creating Will’s Race for Home. 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.

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 Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Imagination Activity with Jewell Parker Rhodes

When creating a character, external appearances are important: Height, gender, hair and eye color, etc. But, it is a character’s internal motivations that are most important. So, think: What does your character want, need, fear, and desire? These strong emotions are key to creating compelling, three-dimensional characters.

In one of my favorite books, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, the main character, Brian, wants to survive a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness. He needs to learn survival skills like starting a fire, finding food, and escaping from danger. He fears failing, especially when he gets ill from eating poisonous food and is attacked by a bear. And he desires to have his divorced parents see him as a more self-sufficient, changed, capable young adult. Brian’s emotions affect every aspect of his behavior—how he acts, reacts, thinks, and speaks.

Think about your favorite story and character. What is the character’s needs, wants, fears, and desires? Think about how these emotions affect their behavior throughout the story.

Next, think about your own invented character. What are their needs, wants, fears, and desires? This will help you shape your protagonist.

Finish This Sentence . . . with Jewell Parker Rhodes

As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Jewell Parker Rhodes’s response.

“A surprising thing that helps me work…”

A surprising thing that helps me work is music. Music gets me in the mood to create a character and their world. Writing Ghost Boys, I listened to Kendrick Lamar’s music for three years (the same Pulitzer-prize winning album, over and over!). For Will’s Race for Home, I listened to Frederick Chopin’s piano compositions (over and over! Smile.) Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” and David Bowie’s “Major Tom,” set on repeat, sustained another novel. I don’t know why a certain narrow selection of music supports one novel over another. It just does!

“Where I work…”

Where I work has to include dogs. For over ten years, my two toy Australian Shepards, Ripley and Gurgi, were my constant companions and writing buddies. When they died in 2024, I got a puppy, a Corgi named Sugar. She’s my new partner, but I keep Ripley’s and Gurgi’s photos on my desk and the memory of them in my heart.

Jewell Park Rhodes' current dog, a corgi.

More Connections to Jewell Parker Rhodes and Will’s Race for Home

Explore all of the titles featured in the TeachingBooks Virtual Book Tour: one link with author interviews, lesson plans, activities, and more!

All text and images are courtesy of Jewell Parker Rhodes and Hachette Book Group and may not be used without expressed written consent.