Dhonielle Clayton facts for kids

Dhonielle Clayton (born in 1983) is an American author who writes exciting books for young people. She is also a leader at an organization called We Need Diverse Books. This group works to make sure that books show many different kinds of people and stories.

Dhonielle Clayton has written several popular book series, including The Belles series. She also worked with other famous authors like Tiffany D. Jackson and Angie Thomas on the book Blackout.

Dhonielle Clayton's Early Life and School

Dhonielle Clayton was born in Washington, D.C. She went to high school in Wheaton, Maryland. After high school, she studied at Wake Forest University. She also earned advanced degrees from Hollins University and The New School, where she focused on creative writing.

Dhonielle Clayton's Work and Career

Besides writing her own books, Dhonielle Clayton does a lot to help other authors and make the book world better. She owns two companies, Cake Creative and Electric Postcard Entertainment, that help create and package books.

She is also the Chief Operating Officer of We Need Diverse Books. This organization is very important because it helps bring more stories about different groups of people into children's and young adult books. Dhonielle also helps authors make sure their stories are real and respectful, especially when writing about Black characters. She believes it's important for books to show people of color in many different ways.

In 2019, Dhonielle Clayton started a podcast called Deadline City with another author, Zoraida Córdova. On their podcast, they talk about how books are published and share their own experiences.

Dhonielle Clayton's Books

Tiny Pretty Things Series

Dhonielle Clayton co-wrote the Tiny Pretty Things series with Sona Charaipotra. The first book came out in 2015. These books are about three teenage dance students who attend a ballet company in New York City. Reviewers said the first book was a "page-turner with heart," meaning it was exciting and emotional.

In 2020, the Tiny Pretty Things books were made into a TV series that you can watch on Netflix.

The Belles Series

The Belles is a fantasy series for young adults. It has three books: The Belles (2018), The Everlasting Rose (2019), and The Beauty Trials (2023). Dhonielle Clayton was inspired to write this series by her own interest in beauty and magazines when she was a teenager.

The story is about a 16-year-old girl and her sisters. Their job is to bring beauty back to a world that has become gray and colorless.

Blackout Book

Blackout is a special book that Dhonielle Clayton wrote with five other amazing authors: Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. It was published in June 2021. The authors have said that the idea for Blackout came from Dhonielle.

Blackout is planned to become a movie and a TV show. The Obamas are producing it for Netflix.

Awards and Honors for Dhonielle Clayton

Dhonielle Clayton has received many awards and honors for her writing and her work in the book world.

In 2021, she won the Ember Award at the Ignyte Awards. This award celebrates people who make important but often unsung contributions to fantasy and science fiction.

Several of Dhonielle's books have been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. This means they are highly recommended for libraries. These include The Belles (2018), The Everlasting Rose (2019), and Blackout (2021).

The Belles was a New York Times bestseller, meaning it sold a lot of copies. The Chicago Public Library and Kirkus Reviews both named it one of the best young adult books of 2018. The Chicago Public Library also thought it had one of the best teen book covers that year.

The Marvellers also became a New York Times bestseller. Kirkus Reviews recognized it as one of the best young adult books of 2022.

Blackout was named one of the best young adult novels of 2021 by Publishers Weekly.

Dhonielle Clayton's Published Books

Novels

Standalone Books

• Blackout, co-authored with Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon (2021)
• The Rumor Game with Sona Charaipotra (2022)
• Whiteout, co-authored with Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon (2022)

The Belles Trilogy

1. The Belles (2018)
2. The Everlasting Rose (2019)
3. The Beauty Trials (2023)

Conjureverse Series

1. The Marvellers (2022)
2. The Memory Thieves (2023)

The Mirror Series

Each book in The Mirror series is written by a different author. Dhonielle Clayton wrote the second book in the series.

• Shattered Midnight (2022)

Tiny Pretty Things Series

1. Tiny Pretty Things with Sona Charaipotra (2015)
2. Shiny Broken Pieces with Sona Charaipotra (2016)

Short Stories

• "When the Moonlight Isn't Enough" in The Radical Element, edited by Jessica Spotswood (2018)
• "The Need for Kisses" in Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves, edited by Glory Edim (2018)
• "The Way We Love Here" in Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet (2018)
• "You Know Nothing About Love" in Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens, edited by Marieke Nijkamp (2018)
• "Hearts Turned to Ash" in A Phoenix First Must Burn, edited by Patrice Caldwell (2020)
• "The House of Black Sapphires" in Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite, edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker (2020)

Anthologies Edited

• A Universe of Wishes: We Need Diverse Books Anthology (2020)