
The Rundown
- Book Deals
- Cover Reveals
- Bestseller Lists
- Awards/Honors
- Buzz – Starred Reviews
- General Updates
- Podcasts
- March 2022 Joy
Book Deals
- Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge sold a YA nonfiction book, NEARER MY FREEDOM, coming spring 2023 from Lerner/Zest Books.
- Brian Wasson sold, at auction, his debut YA romcom, SEVEN MINUTES IN CANDYLAND, coming fall 2023 from Quill Tree.
- Che Grayson and Illustrator, Taylor Keith sold their YA debut horror graphic novel, THE HOLLOW, coming spring 2025 from Abrams/Amulet
Publisher Breakdown 2022 So Far
- Available to Paid Newsletter Subscribers and Patreon Patron supporters at the ARC level or above only.
Cover Reveals
- The authors of WHITEOUT unveiled the cover and release date, November 8, 2022.

- Natasha Bowen unveiled the cover for SOUL OF THE DEEP (September 27, 2022).

- Kalynn Bayron unveiled the cover for MY DEAR HENRY: A JEKYLL & HYDE REMIX (February 28, 2023).
- Photography: Elina Garipova/Trevillion Images/Carli Teteris
- Cover Design: Samira Iravani

Bestseller Lists
NYT: LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn landed at #4 on the Paperback List.
Awards/Honors
- The 2022 Rainbow Booklist Top Ten Titles for Young Adults honored THIS POISON HEART by Kalynn Bayron, LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn, and ACE OF SPADES by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and THE PASSING PLAYBOOK by Isaac Fitzsimons. THE PASSING PLAYBOOK is also a 2022 Lambda Literary Awards Finalist.
- THE BLACK GIRLS LEFT STANDING by Juliana Goodman is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
- Jordan Ifueko is a finalist for the Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction for her novel, REDEMPTOR.
- George M. Johnson is being awarded the Outstanding Writer Achievement Award by The Speak Out I Am Awards.
- PUNCHING THE AIR by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam is shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Award. The awards will be hosted by Dean Atta.
Buzz – Starred Reviews
*Booklist: RIGHT WHERE I LEFT YOU by Julian Winters
*BookPage: AFRICAN TOWN by Charles Water & Irene Latham (Audiobook)
*Kirkus: CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL by Joya Goffney, NOTHING BURNS AS BRIGHT AS YOU by Ashley Woodfolk
*Publishers Weekly: NOTHING BURNS AS BRIGHT AS YOU by Ashley Woodfolk
*School Library Journal: BITTER by Akwaeke Emezi
General Updates
- EBONY Magazine featured Ayana Gray as the Woman of the Day.
- BLOOD SCION by Deborah Falaye appeared on Bustle’s 10 Must-Read New Book Out This Week. BLOOD SCION was also featured with OKOYE TO THE PEOPLE by Ibi Zoboi in Bustle’s The Most Anticipated Books Of March 2022. BLOOD SCION is also the Indigo Teen Staff Pick of the Month.
- Candice Iloh has launched a GoFundMe for her BREAK THIS HOUSE book tour.
- NewsOne featured ALL BOYS AREN’T BLYE by George M. Johnson in 5 Books By Black Authors That Are A Must Read For National Reading Month.
- Good HouseKeeping featured YOU TRULY ASSUMED by Laila Sabreen in 10 Best and Most-Anticipated Young Adult Books of 2022 (So Far).
- BookRiot featured SETON GIRLS by Charlene Thomas in The Best New Dark Academia YA Books Hitting Shelves in 2022.
- Buzzfeed features some familiar names in Here Are All The Books We Read And Loved That Come Out This Month as well as 40 More Highly Anticipated Young Adult Novels Releasing In 2022.
- Epic Reads has a number of listicles worth checking out, including 28 Badass Heroines in YA Books That We Need in Our Lives, 23 YA Fantasy Books with Female Protagonists, and 27 YA Feminist Retellings You Need to Read if You Want a Twist on the Classics.
Podcasts
- Everything is Canon
- Deborah Falaye – March 10, 2022
- The Happy Writer Podcast
- Joy L. Smith – March 14, 2022
March 2022 Joy



Happy reading!
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