Author Dhonielle Clayton is giving away thousands of copies of two of her children’s novels in an initiative coordinated with publisher Macmillan and nonprofit organization We Need Diverse Books.
Clayton, the chief operating officer of We Need Diverse Books, will donate 4,000 books to schools across the U.S., giving one school in each state a classroom set of her 2022 fantasy novel The Marvellers and its follow-up, The Memory Thieves, which is scheduled for publication next month.
Clayton’s Conjureverse novels take place in the Arcanum Training Institute, a school for children with magical powers. A critic for Kirkus gave The Memory Thieves a starred review, calling it “an enthralling fantasy adventure full of bravery, love, and humor.”
In a news release, Clayton said, “One day I hope to be able to visit students in as many schools around the world as possible to introduce them to the Conjureverse, but in the meantime, I’m hoping that by sending copies of these books, I can invite more young people into this world and remind them that each one of them is marvelous and deserving of magic.”
Caroline Richmond, the executive director of We Need Diverse Books, said that the giveaway “will help diversify shelves in schools and libraries nationwide.”
School employees interested in entering the giveaway can do so by filling out this form.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
