Stronger Than

Renowned author Nikki Grimes and debut picture book writer Stacy Wells (Choctaw) lend their resonant voices to award-winning artist E. B. Lewis's (Lenni Lenape) rich watercolors in this story of a Black Choctaw boy who finds strength in the example and history of his ancestors.

When Dante struggles with nightmares, his mother believes learning his family's history will help him cope. The roots on both sides of his family tree run deep, with stories of survival through events Dante's mother calls "daymares."

Taking discovering his heritage into his own hands, Dante finds out hard truths--but also a love that shines through generations and, finally, a strength to sleep through the night.

Features author and illustrator notes, historical references, a glossary, and a note from Heartdrum author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith.

E. B. Lewis, award-winning illustrator and fine artist, has illustrated more than seventy-five books for children, including the Caldecott Honor winner Coming on Home Soon. He won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for Talkin' About Bessie and has earned the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award four times. After graduating from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Lewis taught art in public schools for twelve years. He now teaches at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Visit eblewis.com.

Nikki Grimes is a New York Times bestselling author and recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, the ALAN Award for significant contributions to young adult literature, the Children's Literature Legacy Award, and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She is the author of Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade and the recipient of five Coretta Scott King Author Honors. Her recent books include Printz Honor and Sibert Honor Book Ordinary Hazards; Between the Lines, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults title; the much-acclaimed Garvey's Choice; ALA Notables Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance and Southwest Sunrise; Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice; and Garvey in the Dark. Nikki lives in Corona, California.

Stacy Wells is a member of the Choctaw Nation, a children's librarian, and co-author of Stronger Than (written with Nikki Grimes). She is passionate about meeting kids where they are and drawn to tell stories centering community and family, with an emphasis on self-discovery and the power of finding your voice. When not reading or writing (or recommending books), she lives life to the fullest in Texas with her family, which includes a red dog named Blu and two very adorable but very mischievous ferrets. Visit her at stacywellswrites.com.