ENCHANTED STORIES: King and the Dragonflies

King and the Dragonflies
By Kacen Callender
New York: Scholastic Press, 2020. Fiction.

After the unexpected death of his older brother Khalid, 12-year-old King is trying to cope with his grief as best as he can - keeping in mind his father's adage that boys don't cry, even when that's all he wants to do. Though King believes that Khalid still visits him in the form of a dragonfly, King's relationship with his brother is still complicated by his fear that Khalid wouldn't have have loved him if he knew his big secret - King thinks he might be gay. Then his former best friend Sandy, the gay, white son of the town's sheriff, disappears and King is left wondering what he is supposed to do.

This a powerful coming-of-age story about a Black boy trying to find a balance between his own feelings and pressure from family, friends, and his community. King's loving family that moves past their grief to ensure King feels their love and knows his place in their family is secure. This book deals honestly and sensitively with serious issues like homophobia, racial prejudice, and grief. The text is almost luminous - enhanced by the magical realism elements - and King's dream sequences are especially evocative. This beautiful book is best for older middle grade readers, and would be a great book to discuss racial prejudices with young readers.

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