King and the Dragonflies

King and the Dragonflies is a poignant middle-grade novel about 12-year-old Kingston James, who is convinced his recently deceased brother, Khalid, has transformed into a dragonfly. As King struggles with his grief, he's also dealing with the fallout of Khalid's homophobic instruction to end his friendship with Sandy Sanders, who is rumored to be gay. When Sandy goes missing and King finds him hiding from his abusive father, the two boys embark on a secret adventure in the bayou, rekindling their bond and forcing King to confront his own identity, grief, and the true meaning of friendship. This award-winning book sensitively explores themes of loss, sexuality, child abuse, and the power of empathy, all set against a lyrical Louisiana backdrop.