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Tracey Baptiste
I have always loved stories.
Mostly fairy tales and old family lore.
In fairy tales, things are often not what they seem.
In family lore, people are often surprising.
Both kinds of stories speak to my curiosity and sense of wonder.
So naturally, as an author, I write about family and fantasy and history…
and sometimes, science.
My characters are brave, kind, smart, and determined.
My stories are often a lot more than they seem.
Book 1 of the Jumbies series.
Corinne La Mer isn’t afraid of anything--certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten children. Then one night Corinne goes into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her. They couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?
The Jumbies
Book 3 of the Jumbies series.
The scariest and most heart-pounding installment of the highly praised and popular Jumbies series!
Huracan summons the wind and rain and wields lightning like a sword. He doesn’t miss and he never falters. He will destroy everything in his path if he desires.
The Jumbie God’s Revenge
by Tracey Baptiste
Books
Visits
School
School Library Journal
“Gr 5-8–A thrilling superhero origin story. Win “Coal” Keegan, 13, has just been placed in a new foster home and he takes a walk through the neighborhood to scout locations for his chalk art. A neighbor fires a gun at him and he is chased by the police. Coal is terrified; his fear triggers a family gift and Coal’s skin becomes invisible. In his search for the cause behind his newfound power, Coal catches the attention of Mirror Tech Industries and must find his answers before they find him. The McKay kids, his new foster siblings, are quick to rally around Coal as he learns more about his new ability. Friendships new and old bring the perfect amount of levity and humor to a highly suspenseful story. Although this is a superhero tale, Baptiste beautifully weaves in a variety of significant topics like racial justice, science, and mindfulness. The villains’ search for Coal resolves itself very quickly at the end, but hopefully the origin story here paves the way for future adventures. Coal and the McKays are cued Black and most other characters are racially ambiguous. VERDICT This is sure to be a hit with fans of the X-Men franchise, but Baptiste’s inclusion of real-world topics is the story’s true superpower.” —School Library Journal, starred review
— Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Hemingway’s Girl
“Lancelot Schaubert’s words have an immediacy, a potency, an intimacy that grab the reader by the collar and say, ‘Listen, this is important!’ Probing the bones and gristle of humanity, Lancelot’s subjects challenge, but also offer insights into redemption if only we will stop and pay attention.” — Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Hemingway’s Girl
Publishers Weekly
"In this heartwarming anthology, edited by Oh (Haru, Zombie Dog Hero) and set in N.Y.C. apartment building the Entrada, a dozen authors—including Tracey Baptiste, Adam Gidwitz, Meg Medina, and Jasmine Warga—chronicle the exploits and misadventures of the building’s young residents, who come from myriad backgrounds. Though each offering stands alone, characters frequently interact and overlap, forming friendships and helping one another. In “Apt. 5B,” Lila—her family having newly arrived from Trinidad—delights in exploring her new home. The following story, “Apt. 1B,” features the building owner’s son Lenny, who befriends resident Angel over a shared love of action figures. Ro, an occupant in “Apt. 6A,” would rather learn Chinese lion dancing than “girly” traditional movements, and “Apt. 6C” resident Yaniel wants to win a Popsicle stick bridge building contest. Memorably realized and intersectionally diverse characters each lead upbeat stories in this rollicking collection, which maintains an air of positivity, empathy, cooperation, and inclusion throughout. While selections feel more like bite-size appetizers than full meals, they come together much like a community potluck and will leave readers wanting more. Ages 8–12. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Oct.)" ― Publishers Weekly, starred review
Kirkus
“After 13-year-old Coal Keegan’s foster father experiences a mental health crisis, Coal is sent to live with new foster family the McKays. Though the adults try to make Coal feel welcome, he doesn’t trust them yet, and is still smarting from the last time he thought he’d found a forever home. His new situation sours further when, during Coal’s trek to make a chalk memorial of Allana Hastings, a Black woman killed by law enforcement, he’s threatened at gunpoint and chased by police—and the only reason he escapes is by inexplicably turning invisible. After confiding in his best friend, the boys decide to investigate Coal’s newfound powers. Could their existence be linked to his absent family? And what role does the mysterious company Mirror Tech Industries play in all this? Baptiste (Jumbies) utilizes close third-person narration to sensitively explore Coal’s fears and frustrations surrounding his experiences in the foster care system as well as issues of racism, police brutality, and mental health. The inclusion of sympathetic and well-drawn supporting characters heightens the stakes of this tightly plotted sci-fi thriller. Most characters cue as Black or brown. Ages 10–up.” — Kirkus
Booklist
"This launch title for Disney's new, Black joy–oriented imprint, Freedom Fire, hits the ground running: Misty has recently immigrated from Trinidad to Brooklyn, and as the local carnival season ramps up, she and cousins Aidan and Brooke quickly learn that they have inherited the ancestral power and responsibility of being mokos, a trio of magical guardians. Meanwhile, a local politician schemes to cancel the annual Caribbean Day Parade, and the three budding mokos become aware of a sinister presence that poses a much more dangerous threat to their community. Baptiste's (The Jumbies series) return to middle-grade fantasy leans deeper into the West African mythology carried on through the Caribbean diaspora. While a typical fantasy plot anchors the proceedings, the true magic of this book is found in its depictions of culture and community and the vibrant, joyful descriptions surrounding carnival. Whether it's calypso music or the various supernatural elements illuminating this world, readers will find something to be enchanted by. An exuberant homage to the culture, community, and spirit of the Caribbean." — Booklist
“The origin story of our new favorite superhero.” — Jason Reynolds (New York Times bestselling author of Long Way Down)
“Downright irresistible .” — Kwame Alexander (Newbery Medal-winning author of The Crossover)
“Captivating. Innovative. Original. Perfection.” — Renée Watson (#1 New York Times bestselling author of Black Girl You Are Atlas and Piecing Me Together)
“Boy 2.0 is as ingenious as it is impossible to put down.” — Anne Ursu (National Book Award longlisted Author of Not Quite a Ghost)
Booklist
“Baptiste (Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos, 2024) combines common issues of identity and finding a home with an sf spin, ultimately presenting an absorbing plot. Her characters are thoughtfully multidimensional, from Coal to his supportive foster family to Door, the good-natured and irrepressibly funny best friend. Baptiste neatly contrasts Coal’s sense of social invisibility to his actual invisibility, all of which leads him to finding his place in the world.” — Booklist
Kirkus
We Need Diverse Books co-founder Oh follows up Flying Lessons & Other Stories (2017) with a collection of 12 interwoven, slice-of-life tales from acclaimed middle-grade authors.
In an unnamed American city stands a (potentially haunted) yellow apartment building called the Entrada, where aromas of food and loud sounds set the tone for a summer of communal living. Desirée, apparently of West Indian descent, helps Ro perform a lion dance for her Chinese school. Yaniel learns about his abuela’s history in Cuba while contemplating his feelings for Filipina American Pacy, a Star Trek aficionado with a crush on him. Many kids are first- or second-generation immigrants, and their cultures intermingle in authentic ways. Angel’s family is late on the rent, and his parents’ memories of their home city, Sephardic-founded Monterrey, Mexico, leads them to feel confident reaching out to their white Jewish landlords for help. Vietnamese American Hao discovers the ghost he’s been seeing around the building has a connection to Mr. Joe, the Italian American barber. Though each story was written by a different author—among them Tracey Baptiste, Adam Gidwitz, and Erin Entrada Kelly—they nevertheless coalesce into a rich depiction of a loving community. With candor and sensitivity, the authors take on both lighthearted issues such as burgeoning romance as well as more serious ones, including bigotry and the harsh realities of the American dream.
A superbly rendered love letter to identity and heritage. (foreword by Meg Medina) (Anthology. 8-12) —Kirkus, starred review
Publishers Weekly
"Lively alternating third-person perspectives center immigrant and Caribbean experiences with humor and heart, culminating in an engaging mystery that emphasizes the high spirits of the festival season and its importance to the tweens’ Afro-Caribbean heritage." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
Kirkus
“Sometimes a legend is history that wasn’t written down.” It’s late summer, and rising sixth grader Misty has just moved to Brooklyn from Trinidad, which, on a positive note, means two Carnival celebrations (her favorite!) this year. But it’s undeniably a difficult and lonely transition; her mother struggles to find work, and her dad is back home. Misty and her Brooklyn cousins, Brooke and Aidan, despite being the next generation of their large, fairly tight-knit Trini American family, aren’t particularly close—at least, not until supernatural elements force their hands. The frustration of having parents, aunties, and uncles keep secrets from them is palpable as the young trio learn of the magical Afro-Caribbean heritage they’ve suddenly inherited as new mokos from a long line of legendary figures dating back to pre-colonial West Africa. Misty now has the gift of foresight and hindsight, Aidan can heal others with his touch, and Brooke can conjure protective shields. These hard-to-control powers will come in handy: They’ve manifested alongside a great supernatural threat that puts lives (and Carnival itself) at great risk. In this culturally rich and engaging series opener, the young mokos immerse themselves in the oral traditions of their culture and try to determine who can be trusted and who can’t. All the while, they discover that their strengths—like the rich food, music, and folk stories detailed throughout—only grow when they’re shared. The power of storytelling on full, colorful, exciting display. (author’s note, glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12) — Kirkus
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Illustrations from Mermaid and Pirate by Leisl Adams, Illustrations from Looking for a Jumbie by Amber Ren, Illustrations from The Jumbies by Vivienne To
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