Daniel Nayeri – författare

In these hilarious stories by some of the top authors of middle grade fiction today, each young character is coping with a minor superpower—while also discovering their power to change themselves and their community, find their voice, and celebrate what makes them unique.Everyone knows that superheroes are supposed to have awesome powers like strength or invisibility or flight. But what happens when you’re a mostly regular kid . . . who’s just a little bit super?In these hilarious and thought-provoking stories from today’s top middle grade authors, a group of kids are each coping with a recently discovered minor superpower. One can shape-shift—but only part of her body, and only on Mondays. Another can always tell when an avocado is perfectly ripe. One can even hear the thoughts of animals in the pet store—which can be about as heart-tugging as you might imagine. It’s hard enough to be in middle school even without some weird ability, but these kids not only find their way to owning their unique powers and potential, they use them to change things for the better . . . and getting there with them is half the fun!These playful tales prompt readers to consider what their own superpower might be, and how they can use it."Award-winning contributors keep delightfully inclusive and accomplished company in this emotionally grounded, compassionate collection. . . . These are not your run-of-the-mill, cape-and-tights-clad superheroes. These are kids with relatable struggles learning to embrace that quirky bit of themselves that makes them unique." —ALA Booklist (starred review)Written by Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Leah Henderson, Jarrett Krosoczka, Remy Lai, Kyle Lukoff, Meg Medina, Daniel Nayeri, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Gary D. Schmidt, Brian Young, and Ibi Zoboi; coedited by Leah Henderson and Gary D. Schmidt.

In this enthralling and emotional palindrome picture book by Daniel Nayeri and Matt Rockefeller, a young boy grieving the loss of his mother embarks on a lushly fantastical adventure that illuminates what remains when our loved ones are gone.All aloneHe was not so brave…His heart needed to knowThe answer.In this lyrical, heartfelt story, a young boy who’s lost all hope braves the dark forest to ask, “Mom, were you glad you were Mom?” Gorgeously illustrated, Drawn Onward gently guides readers through the depths of grief and provides comfort and hope to those who seek answers when it feels like all is lost.PRAISE FOR DRAWN ONWARD:An Indie Next PickA Junior Library Guild SelectionAn NPR Best Books of the Year pickA Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2024

In this emotionally impactful pantoum picture book from Daniel Nayeri and Matt Rockefeller, a young boy’s father helps him navigate his larger-than-life feelings by engaging his five senses.A fury of feelings.A boy lost in hurt.A father always there for him.When a young boy is asked to clean his room, fear, sadness, shame, confusion, and anger overwhelm him, transforming his house into an unfamiliar maze where monsters lurk. To find his way, he’ll need to engage his five senses. Thankfully, his father is there to guide him.Beautifully illustrated and masterfully written as a cyclical poetic form called a pantoum, Drawn Inward explores the complexities of anxiety and how—through the love and support of those around us—we can find the strength to move forward with hope, clarity, and peace.

Enter the Bizarre Bazaar, a phantasmagorical new graphic novel series sure to enchant or entrap its curious customers! In this first twisted tale, a boy stumbles-literally-into Mirror Town, a world where he gets everything he's ever wanted...or so he thinks.No one ever pays attention to twelve-year-old Abel Azari: not his parents, not the cool kids at school, and certainly not his crush, Ginny Mendoza. To them, he's always been practically invisible.That all changes the day he discovers a peculiar mirror in his neighbor's garage. But this isn't any old mirror, as Abel finds out soon enough when he accidentally falls through it.What waits for him on the other side is a world just like his, except something is...off. Suddenly, his busy parents are spending every minute with him, his classmates treat him like a king, and now the girl he's been crushing on wants to hang out? It's the life Abel's always dreamed of; how could he possibly go back to the way things were before?But not everything-or everyone-is as it seems. Mirror Town hides evil secrets, and Abel will have to unravel them fast before he ends up trapped there forever.

Enter the Bizarre Bazaar, a phantasmagorical graphic novel series sure to enchant or entrap its curious customers! In this spine-tingling mystery, there's evil lurking in the shadows just outside the Buford family farm!Lucy and Frida Buford have never stepped foot outside their family farm in the Carolina Inner Banks. It's the dead of July, and in the midst of yet another boring summer making jam for the family business, the girls are clamoring to be taken to the elusive town they've never been allowed to visit. Their father has always said that the outside world is a dangerous place, but danger is closer to home than they even know.There's something in the nearby woods uprooting trees, scaring fish from the water, and scratching at Lucy's window in the middle of the night. Lucy can't shake the feeling that there's a monster out and about-one with two pointy fangs who only comes out at night.It's up to these two sisters to discover what this monster wants. But the further they stray from home, the weirder things become. What's really going on beyond the Buford family farm?Uncover the bizarre (and more!) in this sinister graphic novel series sure to bring chills and thrills!

Sasha and Puck must reverse Papa's potion and get their home back!

Sasha and Puck must reverse Papa's potion and get their home back!

A groundbreaking hero's journey from National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner, Daniel Nayeri! A young boy, a mouse, and a dog set out to find their purpose in this fairy tale adventure told in an innovative visual format that offers a one-of-a-kind reading experience.This is the tale of a boy named Nothing the Younger, who lives in a city on the mountaintop of a far-off and long-lost country. Everyone calls him Ing, and while he has no parents, he does have two friends: a dog, Pöppy, and a mouse, mOmO. When King Cyrus calls for a hero to find and defeat the Giantess ravaging the countryside, the king's son, the Wander Prince, answers the call and Ing decides to follow. Along the journey, Ing (and his friends) must traverse the Land of the Dead, survive an encounter with the terrifying wimmelworm, and discover the truth of his mother and father . . . so that he may find what he's been seeking all along—his best purpose. The text on each page snakes, climbs, jumps, and explodes into shapes and forms that unravel the story. This Is a Door is full of fun surprises and poignant musings that flip the classic hero's journey on its head—all in an artistic and inventive package that is a wonder to behold.

At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much.But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying, from the moment his family fled Iran in the middle of the night with the secret police moments behind them, back to the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy.and further back to the fields near the river Aras, where rain-soaked flowers bled red like the yolk of sunset burst over everything, and further back still to the Jasmine-scented city of Isfahan.We bounce between a school bus of kids armed with paper clip missiles and spitballs to the heroines and heroes of Khosrou's family's past, who ate pastries that made people weep and cry "Akh, Tamar!" and touched carpets woven with precious gems.Like Scheherazade in a hostile classroom, Daniel weaves a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. And it is (a true story).It is Daniel's.

WINNER, MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARDWINNER, CHRISTOPHER AWARDWINNER, MIDDLE EAST BOOK AWARDWALTER AWARD HONORNational BestsellerNPR Best of the YearNew York Times Best of the YearAmazon Best of the YearBooklist Editors' ChoiceBookPage Best of the YearPublishers Weekly Best of the YearWall Street Journal Best of the YearToday.com Best of the YearNECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection"A modern masterpiece."-New York Times"Supple, sparkling and original."-Wall Street Journal"Mesmerizing."-TODAY.com"This book could change the world."-BookPage"Like nothing else you've read or ever will read."-Linda Sue Park"It hooks you right from the opening line."-NPR★ "A modern epic."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review★ "A rare treasure of a book."-Publishers Weekly (starred)★ "A story that soars."-The Bulletin (starred)★ "At once beautiful and painful."-School Library Journal (starred)★ "Raises the literary bar in children's lit."-Booklist (starred)★ "Poignant and powerful."-Foreword Reviews (starred)★ "One of the most extraordinary books of the year."-BookPage (starred)A sprawling, evocative, and groundbreaking autobiographical novel told in the unforgettable and hilarious voice of a young Iranian refugee. It is a powerfully layered novel that poses the questions: Who owns the truth? Who speaks it? Who believes it?"A patchwork story is the shame of the refugee," Nayeri writes early in the novel. In an Oklahoman middle school, Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of a skeptical audience of classmates, telling the tales of his family's history, stretching back years, decades, and centuries. At the core is Daniel's story of how they became refugees-starting with his mother's vocal embrace of Christianity in a country that made such a thing a capital offense,and continuing through their midnight flight from the secret police, bribing their way onto a plane-to-anywhere. Anywhere becomes the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy, and then finally asylum in the U.S.Implementing a distinct literary style and challenging western narrative structures, Nayeri deftly weaves through stories of the long and beautiful history of his family in Iran, adding a richness of ancient tales and Persian folklore. Like Scheherazade of One Thousand and One Nights, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth.A tale of heartbreak and resilience and urges readers to speak their truth and be heard.- Daniel is a major force and one of the youngest publishers in the industry.- He's an #OwnVoices author, public speaker, and storyteller.- A pulled-from-the headlines immigrant story.- Thematically relevant as immigration stories take center stage in politics, news, and media in 2020.- Daniel challenges how we tell stories by using traditional Persian folk tales- A fantastic literary whirlwind that questions western narrative structures.

Printz Medalist and Newbery Honor winner Daniel Nayeri crafts this beautiful paean to storytelling and the bonds of family. Based on powerful memories of Nayeri visiting his grandfather, this story-within-a-story brings a young boy in a hot car ride across the desert. The destination is an oasis, where gardens perfume the air, and tales are lovingly told. Here is the gate to a magical world full of princesses, valiant brothers, dangerous giants, and one perfect, enchanted lemon. Will any of the brothers be able to foil the giant, retrieve the lemon, and free the princess? In the warm embrace of Nayeri’s storytelling, readers will lean into the enchantment until the story’s end. Rahele Jhompeur Bell creates the two gorgeous visual strands of the tale–one inspired by the frames and jewel-like colors of Persian miniatures, the other a tender, richly textured rendering of a contemporary family. Together, the author and artist cast a delicious spell that, like the singular lemon at the heart of the story, is so sweet it can cure sadness itself.

Winner of the National Book Award • Named Amazon's #1 Children's Book of 2025  In the shadow of World War II, two orphaned siblings embark on a perilous journey across the mountains of Iran—where survival depends on finding a common language in a world torn apart.  1941. The German armies are storming across Europe. Iran is a neutral country occupied by British forces on one side, Soviet forces on another. Soldiers fill the teahouses of Isfahan. Nazi spies roam the alleyways.  Babak and his little sister have just lost their father. Now orphans, fearing they will be separated, the two devise a plan. Babak will take up his father's old job as a teacher to the nomads. With a chalkboard strapped to Babak's back, and a satchel full of textbooks, the siblings set off to find the nomad tribes as they make their yearly trek across the mountains.  On the treacherous journey they meet a Jewish boy, hiding from a Nazi spy. And suddenly, they are all in a race for survival.  Against the backdrop of World War II comes an epic adventure in the faraway places. Through the cacophony of soldiers, tanks, and planes, can young hearts of different creeds and nations learn to find a common language?  Master storyteller Daniel Nayeri delivers an unforgettable tale of courage, hope, and the transformative power of education. Meticulously researched and breathtakingly told, The Teacher of Nomad Land illuminates a hidden corner of WWII history.  Perfect for readers who loved The Book Thief, Refugee, and Inside Out and Back Again, this is a story that will keep you riveted until the final, tear-filled page.  "No one captures the flavor and spirit of traditional storytelling more than Daniel Nayeri." —Chris Abouzeid, Belmont Books.