Happy book birthday to fellow Marylander, Ronald L. Smith for yesterday’s release of his debut mid-grade novel, HOODOO with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt!
Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher was born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic: hoodoo, as most people call it. But even though his name is Hoodoo, he can’t seem to cast a simple spell.
When a mysterious man called the Stranger comes to town, Hoodoo starts dreaming of the dead rising from their graves. Even worse, he soon learns the Stranger is looking for a boy. Not just any boy. A boy named Hoodoo. The entire town is at risk from the Stranger’s black magic, and only Hoodoo can defeat him. He’ll just need to learn how to conjure first.
Set amid the swamps, red soil, and sweltering heat of small town Alabama in the 1930s, Hoodoo is infused with a big dose of creepiness leavened with gentle humor.
“What a splendid novel. Reader, be prepared to have your foundations shaken: this is a world that is deeper, more wondrous, more spiritually charged than you may have ever imagined.” —Gary D. Schmidt, two-time Newbery Honor medalist and author of The Wednesday Wars
“Oh, wow! Hoodoo may just be the perfect book for a rainy day. Find a dog that will sit with you . . . and read on to your heart’s content. What a fun discovery!” —Nikki Giovanni, poet and award-winning author of Rosa
“I loved this book. Told by a narrator you won’t soon forget, it is filled with myth and legend, danger and bravery. Hoodoo is pure folk magic, if you didn’t know.” —Keith Donohue, New York Times best-selling author of The Stolen Child
“The authenticity of Hoodoo’s voice and this distinctive mashup of genres make Smith one to watch. Seekers of the scary and “something different” need look no further.” —Kirkus
For those attending the Baltimore Book Festival, Ronald will be presenting on Friday, September 25th from 1:30 to 2:30 at the Enoch Pratt Free Library Children’s Stage! Go here for more information. Again, congratulations, Ronald, and best of luck with your incredible debut!
