Best Selling Books by Kwame Mbalia

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia''s epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods. Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he''s going to spend on his grandparents'' farm in Alabama, where he''s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie''s notebook. Tristan chases after it--is that a doll?--and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature''s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • FIVE STARRED REVIEWS Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors—including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia. ★ "Pick up Black Boy Joy for a heavy dose of happiness." —Booklist, starred review Black boy joy is… Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit. Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race. Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times. Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching. And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood. Contributors include: B. B. Alston, Dean Atta, P. Djèlí Clark, Jay Coles, Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Don P. Hooper, George M. Johnson, Varian Johnson, Kwame Mbalia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Tochi Onyebuchi, Julian Randall, Jason Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, DaVaun Sanders, and Julian Winters

New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia and New York Times best-selling illustrator Nikkolas Smith explore the world of Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World. This new picture book is perfect for fans of Sam Wilson, Captain America. Set in the world of Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World, A Hero Looks Like You is a heartwarming picture book about a young boy named DJ who steps up to help Captain America, his favorite Super Hero, and discovers along the way that heroes don’t always look big or strong or wear a suit. Sometimes, they might even look like him. From New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia and New York Times best-selling illustrator Nikkolas Smith, this inspiring story shows readers anyone can choose to be a hero.

The award-winning author of the best-selling Tristan Strong trilogy has created a secret world where kids can wield magic by summoning the power of their ancestors What do you get when you combine Kwame Mbalia''s incredible imagination and world-building talent with trains, history, and ghosts? Nothing less than middle grade magic. On his twelfth birthday, Jackson "Jax" Freeman arrives at Chicago''s Union Station alone, carrying nothing but the baggage of a scandal back in Raleigh. He''s been sent away from home to live with relatives he barely knows. But even worse are the strangers who accost him at the train station, including a food vendor who throws dust in his face and a conductor who tries to steal his skin. At his new school, Jax is assigned to a special class for "summoners," even though he has no idea what those are . . . until he accidentally unleashes an angry spirit on school grounds. Soon Jax is embroiled in all kinds of trouble, from the disappearance of a new friend to full-out war between summoning families. When Jax learns that he isn''t the first Freeman to be blamed for a tragedy he didn''t create, he resolves to clear his own name and that of his great-grandfather, who was a porter back in the 1920''s. By following clues, Jax and his schoolmates unlock the secrets of a powerful Praise House, evade vengeful ghosts, and discover that Jax may just be the most talented summoner of all. A unique magic-school fantasy from the best-selling and award-winning author of the Tristan Strong trilogy has just pulled into the station.

Bestselling author Rick Riordan presents the second book in the New York Times best-selling and award-winning Tristan Strong trilogy by Kwame Mbalia. Tristan Strong, just back from a victorious but exhausting adventure in Alke, the land of African American folk heroes and African gods, is suffering from PTSD. But there''s no rest for the weary when his grandmother is abducted by a mysterious villain out for revenge. Tristan must return to Alke--and reunite with his loud-mouthed sidekick, Gum Baby--in order to rescue Nana and stop the culprit from creating further devastation. Anansi, now a ""web developer"" in Tristan''s phone, is close at hand to offer advice, and several new folk heroes will aid Tristan in his quest, but he will only succeed if he can figure out a way to sew broken souls back together.

The best-selling and awarding-winning novel about a Black boy who helps folk heroes and gods through storytelling is now a dynamic graphic novel! "This graphic adaptation of the children''s novel that began the ''Tristan Strong'' trilogy will have plenty of appeal for readers who are interested in African and African American characters and folklore. The illustrations pop with energy and color."-- School Library Journal The talented team of Robert Venditti and Olivia Stephens brings to glorious full color the novel that best-selling author Jason Reynolds called "A brilliant action adventure rooted in African American lore." Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he''s going to spend on his grandparents'' farm in Alabama, where he''s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie''s notebook. Tristan chases after it--is that a doll?--and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature''s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left Black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves? Find out by diving into this stunning graphic novel adaptation of the original book. Complete your graphic novel collection

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong tumbles into the MidPass and, with allies John Henry and Brer Rabbit, must entice the god Anansi to come out of hiding and seal the hole Tristan accidentally ripped in the sky.

From Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel David Makonnen comes an Afrofuturist adventure about a mythical Ethiopian empire. Sci-fi and fantasy combine in this epic journey to the stars. Yared Heywat lives an isolated life in Addis Prime -- a hardscrabble city with rundown tech, lots of rules, and not much to do. His worrywart Uncle Moti and bionic lioness Besa are his only family... and his only friends. Often in trouble for his thrill-seeking antics and wisecracking sense of humor, those same qualities make Yared a star player of the underground augmented reality game, The Hunt for Kaleb''s Obelisk. But when a change in the game rules prompts Yared to log in with his real name, it triggers an attack that rocks the city. In the chaos, Uncle Moti disappears. Suddenly, all the stories Yared''s uncle told him as a young boy are coming to life, of kingdoms in the sky and city-razing monsters. And somehow Yared is at the center of them. Together with Besa and the Ibis -- a game rival turned reluctant ally -- Yared must search for his uncle... and answers to his place in a forgotten, galaxy-spanning war.

From Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel David Makonnen comes an Afrofuturist adventure about a mythical Ethiopian empire. Sci-fi and fantasy combine in this epic journey to the stars. Yared has traveled a long way to find his place in the universe. Light years, even. Though the battle of Addis Prime is over, the spacefaring Axum Empire is still fractured. The kingdom once gave their technology away free of charge, to better humankind. Now, having been missing for over a decade, they’re returning to the planet where their galaxy-spanning civilization began—Earth. But they find the planet in disarray. Old Earth’s atmosphere is a mess of junked shuttles and satellites. This is especially true of Debris Town, an orbital flotilla where poor spacefarers—left to rot by the Intergalactic Union that rose up in Axum’s place—have taken to piracy to survive. Yared is set to speak at the opening of the Royal Trials, a competition of the best exo pilots in the Sol System. But on the day of his speech, the pirates launch an attack! The siege sets off a chain of events that will lead Yared into the depths of Old Earth—and the jaws of a cruel betrayal. There’s more to the pirates—and Debris Town—than anyone saw coming.

Rick Riordan Presents, a new imprint headed by the author of Percy Jackson and four other New York Times #1 best-selling series, is dedicated to publishing highly entertaining middle grade fiction based on world cultures and mythologies. Authors from underrepresented backgrounds tell their own stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their heritage, transporting readers to realms they may not have visited before. In this sampler readers will discover these six exciting novels from Rick Riordan Presents: ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME by Roshani Chokshi (Hindu stories), THE STORM RUNNER by J. C. Cervantes (Maya mythology), DRAGON PEARL by Yoon Ha Lee (Korean mythology), SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE by Carlos Hernandez (Cuban culture), TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY by Kwame Mbalia (African-American and West African folktales), and RACE TO THE SUN by Rebecca Roanhorse (Navajo stories).

Faeries Never Lie, the next young adult collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, is filled with fourteen short stories to revel in, that center faeries of varying genders and cultures! There’s something to be said for starting your first day in faerie boarding school, for chasing a faerie through Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty, for searching for the missing part of your throuple who may have run away with a faerie prince, for descending into madness after spending countless nights plagued by the same faerie dream—and much more. Fly into this revelry filled with tricksters, lovers, monsters, and the like, in this exciting collection for those who love faeries and those who are experiencing them for the first time! Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Faeries Never Lie features short stories from beloved authors Nafiza Azad, Holly Black, Dhonielle Clayton, Christine Day, Chloe Gong, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Ryan La Sala, L.L. McKinney, Anna-Marie McLemore, Kaitlyn Sage Patterson, Rory Power.

A high-stakes, breakneck-paced Afro-futuristic adventure.

The laugh-out-loud YA romance by two award-winning and bestselling authors, Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia, that’s perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before or When Dimple Met Rishi When Pacy Mercado and Cecil Holloway spot each other during the first week of freshman year, it’s love at first sight. Well, more like love at first fleeting, injury-riddled glance, since the moment is ruined thanks to clumsiness and a criminal case of IBS. Despite their total lack of game, Pacy and Cecil are drawn to each other. Seven seconds of eye contact turns into days of yearning and stress as they make the mistake of following misguided advice from their friends, dysfunctional families, and strangers on the internet. But the universe conspires to bring Pacy and Cecil together when they both end up on the WADS committee to plan the freshman dance (that’s Wakeville’s Awesome Décor Society, if you must know). As they spend more time together, they realize that the other person might be just what they need . . . that is, if they can figure out how to be themselves and embrace the mishaps, mistakes, and hilariously awkward interactions that make up their imperfectly perfect love story.

Wer es mit den Göttern aufnehmen will, braucht einen guten rechten Haken Normal war mein Leben noch nie, aber seit ich mit einer Puppe um das Tagebuch meines besten Freunds gekämpft habe, ist "normal" für mich ein Fremdwort. Okay, dass bei dem Kampf aus Versehen ein Riss zwischen den Welten entstanden ist, war vielleicht ein kleines bisschen meine Schuld. Aber dass ich jetzt von Eisenmonstern verfolgt und für das bevorstehende Ende der Welt verantwortlich gemacht werde ... das ist echt nicht cool. Aber hey, wenn sich jemand da durchboxen kann, dann ich! Persönlich empfohlen von "Percy Jackson"-Autor Rick Riordan! Entdecke alle mythologischen Abenteuer aus der Reihe "Rick Riordan Presents": "Tristan gegen die Götter" von Kwame Mbalia Band 1: Mythenweber Band 2: Weltensturm Band 3 erscheint im Frühjahr 2026 "Zane gegen die Götter" von J. C. Cervantes Band 1: Sturmläufer Band 2: Feuerhüter Band 3: Schattenspringer "Ren gegen die Götter" von J. C. Cervantes Band 1: Nachtkönigin Band 2: Jaguarmagie "Sikander gegen die Götter" von Sarwat Chadda Band 1: Das Schwert des Schicksals Band 2: Der Zorn der Drachengöttin "Aru gegen die Götter" von Roshani Chokshi Band 1: Die Wächter des Himmelspalasts Band 2: Im Reich des Meeresfürsten Band 3: Das Geheimnis des Wunschbaums Band 4: Die Magie der goldenen Stadt Band 5: Der Trank der Unsterblichkeit

New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia makes his Star Wars debut with this exciting YA novel! Following the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance rescues a ship full of young passengers who had been kidnapped by the First Order. As Finn and Jannah set out to find the First Order officer responsible before he can endanger any more children, the two former stormtroopers must wrestle with their own complicated pasts as soldiers of the oppressive regime. Take a deep dive into the pasts of popular characters Finn and Jannah in this richly-drawn, action-packed story that fans have been asking for.

Wer es mit den Göttern aufnehmen will, braucht einen guten rechten Haken Okay, ich geb''s zu: Ich habe die Welt der Mythen vermisst. Aber dass ein Eisenmonster meine Oma entführt, darauf hätte ich dann doch verzichten können. Um sie zu retten, muss ich erneut nach Alke. Keine Sekunde zu früh! Denn dort braut sich ein heftiger Sturm zusammen und die Götter beginnen sich aufzulösen. Na toll. Wetten, dass sie mir dafür die Schuld geben? Aber hey, zumindest habe ich eine vorlaute Puppe an meiner Seite. Und den Gott Anansi, der seit Kurzem in meinem Smartphone lebt ... Persönlich empfohlen von "Percy Jackson"-Autor Rick Riordan! Entdecke alle mythologischen Abenteuer aus der Reihe "Rick Riordan Presents": "Tristan gegen die Götter" von Kwame Mbalia Band 1: Mythenweber Band 2 erscheint im Frühjahr 2025 Band 3 erscheint im Herbst 2025 "Zane gegen die Götter" von J. C. Cervantes Band 1: Sturmläufer Band 2: Feuerhüter Band 3: Schattenspringer "Ren gegen die Götter" von J. C. Cervantes Band 1: Nachtkönigin Band 2: Jaguarmagie "Sikander gegen die Götter" von Sarwat Chadda Band 1: Das Schwert des Schicksals Band 2: Der Zorn der Drachengöttin "Aru gegen die Götter" von Roshani Chokshi Band 1: Die Wächter des Himmelspalasts Band 2: Im Reich des Meeresfürsten Band 3: Das Geheimnis des Wunschbaums Band 4: Die Magie der goldenen Stadt Band 5: Der Trank der Unsterblichkeit

Seventh grader Jax Freeman competes with his classmates in the global Tournament of Spirits, where he faces summoners from other schools, monstrous beasts, and a mysterious foe intent on sabotaging the games.

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong tumbles into the MidPass and, with allies John Henry and Brer Rabbit, must entice the god Anansi to come out of hiding and seal the hole Tristan accidentally ripped in the sky. In graphic novel format.

Celebrate the lasting impact of Return of the Jedi with this exciting reimagining of the timeless Star Wars film featuring new perspectives from forty contributors. On May 25, 1983, Star Wars cemented its legacy as the greatest movie franchise of all time with the release of Return of the Jedi. In honor of its fortieth anniversary, forty storytellers re-create an iconic scene from Return of the Jedi through the eyes of a supporting character, from heroes and villains to droids and creatures. From a Certain Point of View features contributions by bestselling authors and trendsetting artists.