I've Waited to Blog About EVERY BODY LOOKING by @BecomHer (Candice Iloh) & Today Seems Like the Perfect Time. Phew! This Writer.

Those who know me realize I have three passions have intertwined within life: a love of words/poetry, a zest for original stories, and an appreciation for narratives where young people find their voices and soar beautifully into their worlds.

EVERY BODY LOOKING is a jackpot of all three and hit every one of my passions, captivating me from page one until I finished. I absolutely cherished the ending, Candice Iloh's metaphors, the beauty of the poetry, the intelligence of the narrator, and the grace in which language is used across the page.

One can find more about Candice Iloh on her website and pre-order EVERY BODY LOOKING from Penguin Random House. I recommend taking some time today to do both.

 I've cheated the world at times, especially when given an advanced copy of a text like Iloh's. This summer, I already began using pages from EVERY BODY LOOKING as mentor texts when working with teachers and students. The exercises were huge hits, and I can't wait to use her work in future Writing Our Lives conferences across the nation with middle and high school writers.

Iloh's story is tough, but it is also composed with gentleness, fluidity, precision, and care. Ada, her narrator, overcomes (and erhaps that isn't the right word). Ada, rather, finds herself triumphant when looking at herself in the mirror to realize she has become/became exactly who she was always meant to be....a wonderful, strong declaration for any individual to realize.

For me, however, the narrative arc through elementary, middle, high school, and college scenarios was the most intriguing. Learning with Ada throughout all these years was exceptionally written. As Jacqueline Woodson penned on the front cover, EVERY BODY LOOKING is "Beautifully crafted and ultimately healing." I 100% agree. It won't be long before everybody starts looking towards Candice Iloh's way, either.

I am thrilled that Sharonica Nelson of the Red Mountain Writing Project will be celebrating Candice Iloh's brilliance tonight at 7 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. CST / 4 p.m. PDT on Facebook, in the next National Writing Project episode of THE WRITE TIME. If you can't listen in, the interview will be available on YouTube, and on the National Writing Project website. You can also listen to Candice Iloh's interview by downloading NWP Radio onto your phone (or subscribe via your podcasts).

I absolutely love everything about Candice Iloh's writing, vision, and purpose. I believe this is only the beginning for this educator/author/artivist!

I thoroughly enjoyed Candice Iloh's first book, and can't wait to read more of her work in the future. NCTE and NWP - make sure this writer is central to the radar.