Books by Daniel Nayeri
Drawn Onward
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 alone
He was not so brave…
His heart needed to know
The answer.
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.
Copies
-
$19.99
Mirror Town
A Mirror Received In Payment For Yard Work Transports Abel From His Lonely Life To A Town Where Everything Seems Perfect.
Copies
-
$12.99
How to Tell a Story: 1 Book + 20 Story Blocks = A Million Adventures
Introducing an incredible storytelling package—a full-color, 144-page book paired with a collection of 20 six-sided, beautifully illustrated storytelling cubes that make it easy for any imaginative child (and that is every child) to start creating wonderful stories. Roll the blocks, and you can make anything happen, to anyone, anyplace in this or any other world.
The book is a guide to the principles of creative storytelling. It covers the essential elements like conflict—that thing that no one likes in real life, but without which no story could ever start—characters, motivation, dialogue, theme, and, of course, the climax. As you turn the pages, you’ll be prompted to roll the story blocks. And that’s when the magic starts to happen.
The blocks are coded by color, each loosely associated with a part of speech. A simple exercise about motivation, for example, asks the reader to roll the blocks and find one red block (person or animal) “who wanted nothing more in this world than to” one green block (action). Depending on the outcome, the reader might end up telling a tale of a cowboy who just wanted to dance or a mummy who wanted to race cars.
How to Tell a Story combines the surprising whimsy of Mad Libs with the compelling fun of storytelling cubes. Its exercises and games will have readers mastering the basics of storytelling while exercising their creative muscles. And who knows where that journey will end?
Copies
No copies available.
Another Pan (Second of Another)
In this pulse-quickening sequel to Another Faust, an ancient Egyptian spell is turning the tony Marlowe School into a sinister underworld. Will all hell break loose?
Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling and her insecure freshman brother, John, are hitting the books at the Marlowe School. But one tome consumes their attention: The Book of Gates, a coveted Egyptian artifact that their professor father believes has magical powers. Soon Wendy and John discover that the legend is real—when they recite from its pages and descend into a snaking realm beneath the Manhattan school. As the hallways darken, and dead moths cake the floor, a charismatic new R.A. named Peter reveals that their actions have unleashed a terrible consequence: the underworld and all its evil is now seeping into Marlowe. Daniel Nayeri and Dina Nayeri return to reimagine Peter Pan as a twisty, atmospheric, and fast-paced fantasy about the perils of immortality.
Copies
No copies available.
Another Faust
A devilish debut by a brother-sister team invites us into the world of the elite Marlowe School, where some gifted students are having a hell of a year.
One night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish — only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city’s most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor’s extraordinary "gifts." But as the students claw their way up — reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty — they start to suffer the sideeffects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. At once chilling and wickedly satirical, this contemporary reimagining of the Faustian bargain is a compelling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.
Copies
No copies available.
Another Faust
A devilish debut by a brother-sister team invites us into the world of the elite Marlowe School, where some gifted students are having a hell of a year.
One night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish — only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city’s most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor’s extraordinary "gifts." But as the students claw their way up — reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty — they start to suffer the sideeffects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. At once chilling and wickedly satirical, this contemporary reimagining of the Faustian bargain is a compelling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.
Copies
No copies available.
Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow: Four Novellas by Daniel Nayeri
Written entirely on an iPhone, this quartet of YA novellas by Another Pan and Another Faust author Daniel Nayeri showcases four different genres.
This bold collection of novellas by Another series author Daniel Nayeri features four riveting tales. These modern riffs on classic genres will introduce young adult readers to a broad range of writing styles that explore universally compelling themes such as identity and belonging, betrayal and friendship, love and mortality.
Straw House: A Western sizzling with suspense, set in a land where a rancher grows soulless humans and a farmer grows living toys.
Wood House: This science-fiction tale plunges the reader into a future where reality and technology blend imperceptibly, and a teenage girl must race to save the world from a nano-revolution that a corporation calls “ReCreation Day.”
Brick House: This detective story set in modern NYC features a squad of “wish police” and a team of unlikely detectives.
Blow: A comedic love story told by none other than Death himself, portrayed here as a handsome and charismatic hero who may steal your heart in more ways than one. With humor, suspense, and relatable prose, this hip and cutting-edge collection dazzles.
Copies
-
$11.99
The Most Dangerous Book: An Illustrated Introduction to Archery
It’s the ultimate introduction to the world of archery, in a book that turns into an actual bow that shoots paper arrows.
Warning! This book is a weapon of mass instruction and a working bow! All you have to do is unlock and open the upper and lower bow limbs, punch out and fold the arrows, and shoot!
But the book is also a rich and lively illustrated history of archery, covering the physics of a bow and arrow; the types of bows used since 4500 BC; arrows from around the world, like the deadly stone arrowheads used by Native Americans, or the Japanese whistling Kabura-ya that helped Samurai signal each other. Here are the great archery battles—Thermopylae in 480 BC, where the Spartan “300” faced a Persian who shot so many arrows they darkened the sky; or the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, the last battle to feature archers—horsemen from the Eurasian steppes—who helped the Russians defeat Napoleon.
Comes with paper arrows. Targets, too!
Copies
No copies available.
Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story)
WINNER, MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD
WINNER, CHRISTOPHER AWARD
WINNER, MIDDLE EAST BOOK AWARD
WALTER AWARD HONOR
National Bestseller
NPR Best of the Year
New York Times Best of the Year
Amazon Best of the Year
Booklist Editors’ Choice
BookPage Best of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best of the Year
Wall Street Journal Best of the Year
Today.com Best of the Year
NECBA 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.
Copies
-
$12.99
Everything Sad Is Untrue: (a true story)
Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award
Christopher Award Winner
Middle East Book Award Winner
National Indie Bestseller
NPR Best Book of the Year
New York Times Best of the Year
Amazon Best of the Year
Booklist Editors' Choice
BookPage Best of the Year
NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection
Publishers Weekly Best of the Year
Wall Street Journal Best of the Year
Today.com Best of the Year
Walter Awards Honor Book
"A modern masterpiece."—The New York Times Book Review
"Supple, sparkling and original."—The 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
SEVEN STARRED REVIEWS
* "A modern epic."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "A rare treasure of a book."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "A story that soars."—The Bulletin, starred review
* "At once beautiful and painful."—School Library Journal, starred review
* "Raises the literary bar in children's lit."—Booklist, starred review
* "Poignant and powerful."—Foreword Reviews, starred review
* "One of the most extraordinary books of the year."—BookPage, starred review
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 in a hostile classroom, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE (a true story) is a tale of heartbreak and resilience and urges readers to speak their truth and be heard.
Copies
No copies available.
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams
NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER
BEST OF THE YEAR:
NPR - Booklist - School Library Journal - Chicago Public Library - Evanston Public Library - Kirkus - Wall Street Journal
The Silk Road comes to life in this picaresque epic adventure with twists and turns and a wonderful surprise ending from Printz Medalist Daniel Nayeri
This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called “Seller of Dreams”. The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey’s life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir— furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life—as a way to pay off his debt! If he can save Samir six times, he’ll be a free man...but will they all survive that long?
Fans of Salman Rushdie's Haroun and The Sea of Stories and The Little Prince will fall in love with the bond between Monkey and Samir—in this swashbuckling all-ages page-turner from national bestseller Daniel Nayeri and featuring full-color illustrations from Daniel Miyares.
P R A I S E
“Adventurous, funny and nimble. Daniel Nayeri understands this relationship between storytelling and magic, and finds every opportunity to celebrate it. ”
—TheNew York Times
“Daniel Nayeri and artist Daniel Miyares conjure a richly colored 11th-century realm of merchants and swindlers, camels and donkeys, caravanserai and spice bazaars, and the gaudiest array of mercenaries ever assembled in a book for young readers.”
—The Wall Street Journal
4 STARRED REVIEWS
★“An epic adventure with an enduring message about love and family.”
— School Library Journal (starred)
★ “Filled with the multicultural hustle and bustle of the Silk Road, enlivened by the unpredictable nature of unreliable storytellers, and adorned with whimsical, colorful illustrations, this is a strange, wondrous, and creative tale. Can family be found along the Silk Road, or will everyone ultimately betray you? An enticing taste of a rich historical world."
—Kirkus (starred)
★ “Readers will find more than expected, including tender philosophies, complex characterizations, heaps of humor, a masterful twist, and most importantly, just a great story, beautifully told.”
—Booklist (starred)
★ “Blends playful humor, solid pacing, and fully realized characters into a witty, assassin-studded traveler’s yarn that also serves as a memorable, lively portrait of the 11th-century Silk Road.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred)
“Nayeri’s immersive writing style brings a you-are-there energy to the depiction of the harsh but gorgeous environment of the Silk Road, and an informative author’s note further details the geography of the trail, its economic and social value, and the many people who traversed it. The book ends with a simple but profound reminder that love comes in many forms, it is almost always messy and unpredictable, and it is almost always worth every effort toward it.”
—BCCB
“Daniel Nayeri has a gift. The child that reads this will not forget it, and how many books that come out for this age range can say the same? Is there anything else out there like it? I will simply say this: If you hand this book to someone, they will definitely have an opinion of it. You may, in fact, end up loving it in the end, or cursing it to the heavens. A tome with a soul tied inextricably to that of its titular character. Better read it.”
—Betsy Bird, SLJ's Fuse 8 Blog
Copies
-
$21.99
A Little Bit Super: With Small Powers Come Big Problems
by Gary D. Schmidt, Nikki Grimes, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Ibi Zoboi, Leah Henderson, Kyle Lukoff, Daniel Nayeri, Pablo Cartaya, Meg Medina, Remy Lai, Brian Young
None
Copies
-
$9.99
The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story
With Iran Being Squeezed Between The Forces Of Great Britain And The Soviet Union, A Boy Valiantly Tries To Protect His Sister From Nazi Spies, Soldiers, And Hunger-- Provided By Publisher.
Copies
-
$18.99
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams Newbery Honor Award Winner
NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER
BEST OF THE YEAR:
NPR - Booklist - School Library Journal - Chicago Public Library - Evanston Public Library - Kirkus - Wall Street Journal
The Silk Road comes to life in this picaresque epic adventure with twists and turns and a wonderful surprise ending from Printz Medalist Daniel Nayeri
This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called "Seller of Dreams". The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey''s life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir-- furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life--as a way to pay off his debt! If he can save Samir six times, he''ll be a free man...but will they all survive that long?
Fans of Salman Rushdie''s Haroun and The Sea of Stories and The Little Prince will fall in love with the bond between Monkey and Samir--in this swashbuckling all-ages page-turner from national bestseller Daniel Nayeri and featuring full-color illustrations from Daniel Miyares.
P R A I S E
"Adventurous, funny and nimble. Daniel Nayeri understands this relationship between storytelling and magic, and finds every opportunity to celebrate it. "
--The New York Times
"Daniel Nayeri and artist Daniel Miyares conjure a richly colored 11th-century realm of merchants and swindlers, camels and donkeys, caravanserai and spice bazaars, and the gaudiest array of mercenaries ever assembled in a book for young readers."
--The Wall Street Journal
4 STARRED REVIEWS
★"An epic adventure with an enduring message about love and family."
-- School Library Journal (starred)
★ "Filled with the multicultural hustle and bustle of the Silk Road, enlivened by the unpredictable nature of unreliable storytellers, and adorned with whimsical, colorful illustrations, this is a strange, wondrous, and creative tale. Can family be found along the Silk Road, or will everyone ultimately betray you? An enticing taste of a rich historical world.""
--Kirkus (starred)
★ "Readers will find more than expected, including tender philosophies, complex characterizations, heaps of humor, a masterful twist, and most importantly, just a great story, beautifully told."
--Booklist (starred)
★ "Blends playful humor, solid pacing, and fully realized characters into a witty, assassin-studded traveler''s yarn that also serves as a memorable, lively portrait of the 11th-century Silk Road."
--Publishers Weekly (starred)
"Nayeri''s immersive writing style brings a you-are-there energy to the depiction of the harsh but gorgeous environment of the Silk Road, and an informative author''s note further details the geography of the trail, its economic and social value, and the many people who traversed it. The book ends with a simple but profound reminder that love comes in many forms, it is almost always messy and unpredictable, and it is almost always worth every effort toward it."
--Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books
"Daniel Nayeri has a gift. The child that reads this will not forget it, and how many books that come out for this age range can say the same? Is there anything else out there like it? I will simply say this: If you hand this book to someone, they will definitely have an opinion of it. You may, in fact, end up loving it in the end, or cursing it to the heavens. A tome with a soul tied inextricably to that of its titular character. Better read it."
--Betsy Bird, SLJ''s Fuse 8 Blog
Copies
No copies available.
The Sweetest of Lemons
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.
Copies
-
$19.99