Jumbies

Tracey Baptiste lived in Trinidad until she was fifteen; she grew up on jumbie stories and fairy tales. She is a New York Times bestselling author of Minecraft: The Crash, and a former teacher who works as a writer and editor. Visit her online at traceybaptiste.com and on Twitter: @TraceyBaptiste.

“Tracey Baptiste scares up new audiences to learn about jumbies . . . She builds a fairy tale about a brave girl and her adventures among Caribbean creatures.” —Washington Post“A scary but cheerful tale that draws on Caribbean folk traditions. A great update on the 'town under supernatural attack' story, with a marvelous setting.” —Baltimore Sun“Endlessly addictive and hypnotic” —Essence Magazine“Far more than just your average spooky supernatural story, Baptiste uses the underpinnings of a classic folktale to take a closer look at colonization, rebellion, and what it truly takes to share the burden of tolerating the 'other.' Plus there are monsters. Gotta love the monsters.” —Elizabeth Bird, Fuse 8​“The themes of fairness, justice, and retribution meld into a better than average evil witch story . . . This is a well written tale full of action with enough scary elements to satisfy fans of Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm or Laura Amy Schlitz’s Splendors and Glooms.” —School Library Journal“It’s refreshing to see a fantasy with its roots outside Europe . . . this is a book worth reading simply for its originality.” —Kirkus Reviews“A spine-tingling tale rooted in Caribbean folklore that will have readers holding their breath as they fly through its pages. Be forewarned! This tale isn’t some cozy, tropical vacation and it’s not for the weak at heart, oh, no! If you like spooky tales, this is the book for you.  Corinne’s story is truly a welcome and refreshing edition to the world of fairytales.” —Valerie R. Lawson“This girl’s got guts. Even as she wanders the mystery-shrouded forest full of creepy-crawlies from Haitian folklore and faces up to the frightening newcomer to her village, Corrine La Mer brings badassery and wisdom beyond her years. Launching brave kids into the world of the horror novel, and leading them through it with lyrical prose, author Tracey Baptiste knows just how to seize kids’ attention.” —Foreword Reviews