MARCH 2021 - AudioFile
In a Southern drawl, narrator Imani Parks puts listeners right in the heart of rural South Carolina in the 1960s. After the death of their beloved grandmother, 11-year-old twins Jez and Jay begin to train in root work, the African American folk medicine their family has always made for the people on their island. The twins’ understanding of their family’s ability to conjure magic grows as they notice supernatural occurrences going on in the marsh behind their house. The story’s tension also rises with the increasing menace of a racist police officer. With her youthful voice, Parks deftly portrays Jez’s growing confidence and maturity, creating a hero whom kids will relate to and cheer for. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
11/16/2020
1960s South Carolina comes to life in this middle grade debut filled with magic and heart. Eleven-year-old twins Jezebel and Jay Turner have just lost their grandmother when an unexpected visit from a racist police deputy spurs their uncle, Doc, to begin teaching them how to engage with their heritage through root magic, which offers healing and protection. Jez must also contend with a new school year: she’s been placed in the grade above Jay and must weather her classmates’ taunts alone. It’s only the presence of her doll, Dinah, who is more than she seems, and a strange new girl, Susie, that help Jez navigate the growing distance she feels with her brother and the otherworldly occurrences going on in the marsh behind their house. If Royce occasionally meanders, her depictions of the kids’ daily life and inner strength more than makes up for it. Ages 8–12. Agent: Adriann Ranta Zurhellen, Foundry Literary + Media. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
A poignant, necessary entry into the children’s literary canon, Root Magic brings to life the history and culture of Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of Black Americans. Add in a fun, magical adventure and you get everything I want in a book!” — Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation
“A terrific, wondrous glimpse of Gullah Geechee culture, richly detailed and inviting. Blending familial and ancestral lore with folk magic, Royce’s novel set in a racist South, resonates powerfully. An original, compelling must-read.” — Jewell Parker Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Boys
“Royce pulls back a curtain and invites the reader to a world within a world, a place in time full of both danger and magic. You won’t just read it; you’ll live it.” — Saundra Mitchell, author of Shadowed Summer and All the Things We Do in the Dark
“Eden Royce’s debut is a spellbinding southern gothic tale of bravery, family, and historic truths that need to be told. Black Girl Magic has never been more powerful.” — Ronald L. Smith, author of Hoodoo
"This richly detailed narrative offers elements of magical realism against a backdrop of social change, presenting a convincing family story and exploring community differences. A strong coming-of-age story grounded in a vibrant cultural heritage." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"This title adds nuance to textbook lessons about Jim Crow and broadens conceptions of Blackness with rich histories and customs that predate slavery. All the while, themes of friendship and acceptance, family, and the very real pains of outgrowing childhood tether this title to the seams of the heart. Readers will revel in the magic of root work, but, perhaps more important, they'll develop a deep reverence for the practice as they come to understand its groundedness in healing, restoration, and respect for all beings. A must-read, sure to leave readers wishing for more after the final page." — Booklist (starred review)
"Root Magic successfully blends mystical elements with historical ones for a novel that explores Gullah culture as well as the social upheavals of the 1960s. Readers who are easily frightened might want to read with the lights on—but if they do, they’ll discover a thoughtful story about a family taking on all obstacles, seen and unseen, together." — BookPage (starred review)
"For fans of Tracey Baptiste’s The Jumbies, this book, with its rich language and evocative setting, is a great addition to the literature based on the folklore that sustained many people of color in their island communities." — The Horn Book
"1960s South Carolina comes to life in this middle grade debut filled with magic and heart." — Publishers Weekly
"Jez is a relatable apprentice as she learns the traditions of rootwork without abandoning her own principles, and her story hearteningly emphasizes maintaining a connection to ancestors as a way to negotiate and survive the present. " — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
The Horn Book
"For fans of Tracey Baptiste’s The Jumbies, this book, with its rich language and evocative setting, is a great addition to the literature based on the folklore that sustained many people of color in their island communities."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Jez is a relatable apprentice as she learns the traditions of rootwork without abandoning her own principles, and her story hearteningly emphasizes maintaining a connection to ancestors as a way to negotiate and survive the present. "
Ronald L. Smith
Eden Royce’s debut is a spellbinding southern gothic tale of bravery, family, and historic truths that need to be told. Black Girl Magic has never been more powerful.
Justina Ireland
A poignant, necessary entry into the children’s literary canon, Root Magic brings to life the history and culture of Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of Black Americans. Add in a fun, magical adventure and you get everything I want in a book!
Jewell Parker Rhodes
A terrific, wondrous glimpse of Gullah Geechee culture, richly detailed and inviting. Blending familial and ancestral lore with folk magic, Royce’s novel set in a racist South, resonates powerfully. An original, compelling must-read.”
Saundra Mitchell
Royce pulls back a curtain and invites the reader to a world within a world, a place in time full of both danger and magic. You won’t just read it; you’ll live it.
Booklist (starred review)
"This title adds nuance to textbook lessons about Jim Crow and broadens conceptions of Blackness with rich histories and customs that predate slavery. All the while, themes of friendship and acceptance, family, and the very real pains of outgrowing childhood tether this title to the seams of the heart. Readers will revel in the magic of root work, but, perhaps more important, they'll develop a deep reverence for the practice as they come to understand its groundedness in healing, restoration, and respect for all beings. A must-read, sure to leave readers wishing for more after the final page."
BookPage (starred review)
"Root Magic successfully blends mystical elements with historical ones for a novel that explores Gullah culture as well as the social upheavals of the 1960s. Readers who are easily frightened might want to read with the lights on—but if they do, they’ll discover a thoughtful story about a family taking on all obstacles, seen and unseen, together."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Jez is a relatable apprentice as she learns the traditions of rootwork without abandoning her own principles, and her story hearteningly emphasizes maintaining a connection to ancestors as a way to negotiate and survive the present. "
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Jez is a relatable apprentice as she learns the traditions of rootwork without abandoning her own principles, and her story hearteningly emphasizes maintaining a connection to ancestors as a way to negotiate and survive the present. "
School Library Journal
03/05/2021
Gr 3 Up—Eleven-year-old Jezebel "Jez" Turner, who is Black, doesn't fit in. All she wants is a friend. While some people embrace the root magic her family specializes in, others look down on it. Following her grandmother's passing, Jez and her twin brother Jay get the opportunity to learn the root work that has been a part of their family for generations. These lessons and the protection they teach come just in time, as a racist deputy harasses their family and community and all kinds of evil come after them. It's up to Jez to take what she's learned and apply it in a way that allows her to remain true to herself. Though this seems like an overwhelming task, she luckily doesn't have to face it alone. From chapter one, this title immerses the reader in the Gullah Geechee culture of South Carolina, giving readers a look into their funeral rites, spiritual practices, root work, language, and food. Throughout her lessons, Jez proves to be a natural root worker, and though she recognizes the value in her culture's traditions, she also challenges these beliefs in order to decide for herself who her allies and enemies are. In Jez, readers will find a kindred spirit and will relate to her desire to protect her family and the people she cares about, even when it causes her to feel like she has an enormous weight on her shoulders. Readers, like Jez, will learn the importance of sharing that weight with the people who love them. VERDICT A fantastical tale brimming with family traditions, friendship, and #BlackGirlMagic that is sure to be an excellent addition to any library's middle grade collection.—Myiesha Speight, Towson Univ., Baltimore
MARCH 2021 - AudioFile
In a Southern drawl, narrator Imani Parks puts listeners right in the heart of rural South Carolina in the 1960s. After the death of their beloved grandmother, 11-year-old twins Jez and Jay begin to train in root work, the African American folk medicine their family has always made for the people on their island. The twins’ understanding of their family’s ability to conjure magic grows as they notice supernatural occurrences going on in the marsh behind their house. The story’s tension also rises with the increasing menace of a racist police officer. With her youthful voice, Parks deftly portrays Jez’s growing confidence and maturity, creating a hero whom kids will relate to and cheer for. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2020-10-13
An African American tween learns about her family’s connection to conjure magic—and human evil—in 1960s South Carolina.
Jezebel and her twin brother, Jay, know their family will never be the same following their Gran’s death. Their father’s unexplained disappearance a few years back is another loss that has yet to heal. Gran was a talented Gullah rootworker whose abilities were sought by some and reviled by others. The local White deputy harasses families who use rootwork even as they are needed for the healing denied by segregated hospitals. Now, Jezebel and Jay are about to learn these skills from their uncle to keep the legacy alive. For the first time, the twins will not be in the same class since Jezebel will skip fifth grade. She becomes the target of bullies but manages to make one friend, a girl new to the school. As the rootwork lessons proceed, the twins become more aware of change all around them, from whispered voices in the marsh to the strange actions of Jezebel’s doll. It becomes clear that they have inherited connections to the spiritual world and that they face a very human threat. This richly detailed narrative offers elements of magical realism against a backdrop of social change, presenting a convincing family story and exploring community differences. Although Jezebel is a spirited narrator, Jay and other characters are fully realized.
A strong coming-of-age story grounded in a vibrant cultural heritage. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12)
