Tae Keller

Tae Keller is the Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of When You Trap A Tiger, Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, and The Science of Breakable Things. Her poignant middle grade novels are rich, layered reads full of relatable characters, timely themes, and captivating storylines that are utterly unforgettable.

★ “The result is a complex, carefully woven exploration of fate, autonomy, power, privilege, identity, and friendship. As beautiful and intricate as the rings of an ancient tree.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “[Keller] elegantly and movingly captures that fleeting and transformative period of the tween years….This is a beautiful testament to interdependence and resilience.”
—The Horn Book, starred review

“Threading a grounded story following three tweens on the precipice of change with adroit musings about climate disaster, misogyny, and the cyclical patterns of history, Keller delivers a moving, clear-eyed exhortation on the necessity of community.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Captivatingly thoughtful, utterly unforgettable, and singularly brilliant.”
—Jasmine Warga, #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor–winning author

“Another unforgettable novel from one of my favorite authors. I loved Nomi, Arthur, and Vi. I have a prophecy that readers will love them, too.”
—Erin Entrada Kelly, two-time Newbery Medalist and National Book Award finalist

“In our uncertain world, Tae Keller’s tender and powerful novel explores the impact of stories, friendship, and ultimately, hope.”
—Lisa Yee, Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist

★ “A mesmerizing look at bullying and its aftereffects.”
—Kirkus, starred review

★ “By setting the victim, the missing Jennifer, into the narrative background, Keller directs the flood light onto Mallory and company and aims responsibility (and possible redemption) right where it belongs.”
—The Bulletin, starred review

★ “With an appeal to a wide variety of readers, this genre fusion is highly recommended for all library shelves.”
—School Library Journal, starred review

★ “The emotionally absorbing story is full of thought-provoking explorations on self-confidence, forgiveness, and friendship while illuminating parallels between alien and human struggles.”
—Booklist, starred review

★ “Keller uses a vulnerable first-person narrative that alternates between past and present to sensitively detail the emotional roller coaster of navigating changing social rules, the anxieties of being oneself, and the process of coming to terms with one’s flaws.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book for Fiction and Poetry
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

★”Roars to life with just a touch of magic.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★“A heartfelt reminder of the wonder and beauty in our everyday lives.”
—Booklist, starred review

★“Deeply moving… vulnerable and mythic storytelling in the vein of Erin Entrada Kelly and Kacen Callender.”
—School Library Journal, starred review

★“Keller’s (The Science of Breakable Things) #OwnVoices journey through Korean mythology begins with a fantastical quest and slowly transforms into a tale about letting go and the immortality that story can allow.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

★“It’s a complex, satisfying story, one that foregrounds family and healing alongside a love for Korean folklore.”
—The Bulletin, starred review

An NPR Great Read of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Reader Best Book of the Month
A Brightly Best Children’s and YA Books of March 2018

★“A compassionate glimpse of mental illness accessible to a broad audience.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★”Beautifully crafted metaphors, a theme of mending old friendships and creating new ones, and an empowering teacher to a variety of readers. . . . A winning story full of heart and action.”
—Booklist, starred review

“Natalie’s Korean heritage is sensitively explored, as is the central issue of depression.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Natalie learns that, as with the egg, people, too, are fragile and need support and padding to break their falls. An emotional story that explores parental depression with realism and empathy.”
—School Library Journal