CHILDREN · FICTION
Janet McDonald
Janet McDonald (August 10, 1953 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer of young adult novels as well as the author of Project Girl, a memoir about her early life in Brooklyn's Farragut Houses and struggle to achieve an Ivy League education. Her best known children's book is Spellbound, which tells the story of a teenaged mother who wins a spelling competition and a college scholarship. The book was named as one of the American Library Association's eighty-four Best Books for Young Adults in 2002. In 2003, her novel Chill Wind won her the John Steptoe Award for New Talent. In addition to books, McDonald also wrote articles for publications such as Slate, including one in which she paid psychic Sylvia Browne $700 for a telephone reading.
Aisha stood in the middle of her room holding the letter, spacing out.
— from Chill wind
Most acclaimed
Harlem Hustle
Eric "Hustle" Samson, a smart and street-wise seventeen-year-old dropout from Harlem, aspires to rap stardom, a dream he naively believes is about to come true.
Off-color
Fifteen-year-old Cameron living with her single-mother in Brooklyn finds her search for identify further challenged when she discovers that she is the product of a biracial relationship.
Spellbound
THE POWER OF HIS EMBRACE Slender Norah Ramsay was terrified of the fiance she'd just spurned. Now that her father had died, Norah wasn't about to honor promises she herself hadn't made! Still the innocent heiress knew Jervais Le Strand would want her for her lands, so she fled to the countryside. The runaway bride thought she was safe-until the furious groom tracked her down and bound her to him forever. But even though her enemy's muscular arms cradled her and his sensual mouth loved her in a thousand shocking ways, she could never submit to such a husband's complete domination...and she seized her first chance to escape! THE TEMPTATION OF HER BODY By all that was holy! Jervaise Le Strand swore at the poor little rich girl's struggle to elude him. The knight had vanquished many much stronger than she and he soon had her saying "I do." But the fearless conqueror never counted on being swept away by his spirited young wife. Her eager response to his lovemaking made him desire her all the more. So when the heartless wench abandoned him, Jervaise pursued her with all his cunning, determined to bring back to his bower the beautiful, black-haired witch who haunted his days and held him SPELLBOUND