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Sebastian Ritscher
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KINGS OF B'MORE

R. Eric Thomas

A smart, sincere, and hilarious YA debut by beloved cultural critic R. Eric Thomas.
KINGS OF B'MORE is an epic summer quest story about the expansive and transforming love of friendship. It stars Harrison and Linus. They're starting junior year in the fall, and Harrison is freaking out because on the other side of college testing and driving there is ADULT LIFE. His only comfort is knowing that Linus will be there to go through it with him. But then Linus reveals a secret he's been holding in for weeks - he's moving out of state in four days.

Inspired by a cheesy movie pick on family movie night - Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Harrison decides to plan a grand gesture for his favorite person. If they won't be having all of the life-expanding experiences he thought they would, Harrison will squeeze them all into their last day. They end up on a mini road trip to DC so Linus can kiss his crush Dario - and then to the Black Smithsonian when that doesn't work out. They attend their first Pride parade back in Baltimore and end up at a rooftop party to dance away their anxieties. All while setting up a decoy plan to keep their respective parents - who track them daily on a family location app called Check In - off their trail. It's a day of doing all the things - big and small - they've been too scared to do. But, of course, nothing feels scarier than saying goodbye to someone you love.

R. Eric Thomas is the bestselling author of Here For It, or How to Save Your Soul in America, a Read with Jenna book club pick featured on Today and a Lambda Literary Award finalist. He is the co-author of Reclaiming Her Time, a biography of Rep. Maxine Waters. He is also a television writer (AppleTV+'s Dickinson, FX's Better Things), a playwright, and the long-running host of The Moth in Philadelphia and D.C. For four years, he was a Senior Staff Writer for Elle.com where he wrote "Eric Reads the News." This is his YA debut.
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Published 2022-05-31 by Kokila

Comments

Infused with all the joy of the best teen movies, Kings of B'more is sure to be a big hit.

WJZ13 CBS Baltimore interviewed R. Eric Thomas to talk about THE FOLKS AT HOME at Baltimore Center Stage and his upcoming book KINGS OF B'MORE! Read more...

BOOK RIOT included KINGS OF B'MORE on a list of "19 Must-Read Queer Books Out in May!": "Harrison and Linus have one last summer together before college - at least, that was the plan. But then Linus drops the bomb that his family is moving at the end of the week. Inspired by Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Harrison is determined to fit a summer's worth of experiences into a day together, including a Pride parade, a mini road trip, and a rooftop dance party." Read more...

PASTE MAGAZINE ONLINE included KINGS OF B'MORE in a roundup of "The Best New YA Books of May 2022!": "The YA debut from (hilarious) culture critic R. Eric Thomas, Kings of B'More has all the fizzy joy of the best sort of 1980s teen romps, mixed with the sort of important and necessary representation that those sorts of stories desperately lacked at the time... it's a frothy celebration of Black joy and the enduring power of friendship." Read more...

SHONDALAND included KINGS OF B'MORE in a roundup of "10 New and Forthcoming Books!": "... filled with joy. Thomas writes with witty and insightful humor and a lot of reverence for life... This is a heartwarming tribute to friendship and the grief of growing up and is a perfect start-of-summer read." Read more...

POPSUGAR included KINGS OF B'MORE in a roundup of "91 YA Books That'll Take You on an Adventure!": Read more...

KINGS OF B'MORE is one of the winners of the American Library Association's Awards: KINGS OF B'MORE BY R. ERIC THOMAS RECEIVES A 2023 STONEWALL BOOK AWARD HONOR FOR YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE

TIME Magazine included KINGS OF B'MORE in their "12 YA Books We Can't Wait to Read This Year" roundup in print and online Read more...

LGBTQ+ Reads included KINGS OF B'MORE on their list of books that celebrates queer titles by Black authors!: "...Harrison plans a send-off à la Ferris Bueller's Day Off that's worthy of his favorite person. If they won't be having all the life-expanding experiences they thought they would, Harrison will squeeze them all into their last day together. They end up on a mini road trip, their first Pride, and a rooftop dance party, all while keeping their respective parents, who track them on a family location app, off their trail. Harrison and Linus make a pact to do all the things - big and small - they've been too scared to do. But nothing feels scarier than saying goodbye to someone you love." Read more...