King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (author)

Winner of the 2020 National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature.In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, King lost his older brother. To move on, he must find himself.King is convinced his brother isn’t dead, that he has instead turned into a dragonfly, and he searches for Khalid down by the bayou. Khalid visits him in turn, in King’s dreams. King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family. It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy. But King had ended their friendship. Before his death, his brother had said, “You don’t want anyone to think you’re gay too, do you?” But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, King finds his former best friend and the two begin an adventure as they hide Sandy down by the bayou, among the dragonflies. As King’s friendship with Sandy is reignited, he’s forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother’s death.

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