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Kekla Magoon Headshot

Kekla Magoon

Author/Illustrator

“My moves are smooth. Always have been. I’m smart enough to see what’s coming, and clever enough to turn it my way. All my skills make me perfect for this. The street dance. The hustle.”― Kekla Magoon, X


Kekla is the author of many novels and nonfiction books for young readers. She grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and wrote her first novel when she was in high school. She should have known then that she was destined to be an author, but it actually took her a while longer to figure it out. Kekla always loved books, though. Her mom read lots of books to her, and took her to the library every week so she could read and read and read. Kekla made a habit of checking out as many paperbacks as she could carry!

Kekla is biracial. Her mom grew up in the U.S., but her ancestors came from Holland, Scotland, and maybe elsewhere in Europe. Her dad grew up in Cameroon, a country in western Africa. When Kekla was very young, she lived with her parents in Cameroon for several years. 

Books by this author

How It Went Down

How It Went Down

Kekla Magoon
Age Level:
YA
Genre:
Fiction
Published:
2014
Light It Up

Light It Up

Kekla Magoon
Age Level:
YA
Genre:
Fiction
Published:
2019
Revolution of Our Time book cover

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People

Kekla Magoon
Age Level:
YA
Genre:
Nonfiction
Published:
2021
Shadows of Sherwood

Shadows of Sherwood

Kekla Magoon
Age Level:
Middle Grade
Genre:
Fairy Tales, Folktales and Myths, Fantasy
Published:
2015
The Season of Styx Malone

The Season of Styx Malone

Kekla Magoon
Age Level:
Middle Grade
Genre:
Fiction
Published:
2019
X: A Novel

X: A Novel

Ilyasah Shabazz, Kekla Magoon
Age Level:
YA
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Published:
2015