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Jewell Parker Rhodes
Writing & Creativity
Jewell Parker Rhodes is an American bestselling novelist and educator known for children's and adult books that promote social justice and environmental stewardship.
Biography
Jewell Parker Rhodes (born 1954) is an American bestselling novelist and educator. She has written numerous books for young readers, including New York Times bestsellers Will’s Race for Home, Black Brother, Black Brother, and Ghost Boys; the latter has received more than fifty awards and honors and was adapted as Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel. She is also the author of the Louisiana Girls Trilogy—Ninth Ward (Coretta Scott King Honor Award), Sugar, and Bayou Magic—and other children’s titles such as Soul Step, Treasure Island: Runaway Gold, Paradise on Fire, and Towers Falling.
Rhodes has written six adult novels (Voodoo Dreams, Magic City, Douglass’ Women, Season, Moon, and Hurricane), the memoir Porch Stories: A Grandmother’s Guide to Happiness, and two writing guides. She is the Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, a Narrative Studies Professor and Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair at Arizona State University, a regular speaker, and received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Carnegie-Mellon University. Reissues of Magic City (2021) and Douglass’ Women (February 2026) are noted. The driving force behind her work is to inspire social justice, equity, and environmental stewardship.
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Books by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Ninth Ward
Ninth Ward follows Lanesha, a girl in New Orleans who can see spirits and is cared for by Mama Ya-Ya; when an approaching hurricane forces evacuations, Lanesha prepares to survive with neighbor TaShon, their dog Spot, and the silent ghost of her mother.