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Maggie Tokuda-Hall

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Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Born1984 (age 39–40)
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
EducationPiedmont High School
Scripps College (BA)
University of San Francisco (MFA)
GenreChildren's and young adult books
Relatives
Website
prettyokmaggie.com

Maggie Tokuda-Hall (born 1984) is an American author of children's and young adult novels.

While introducing Tokuda-Hall as an emcee for their annual Locus Awards, Locus said her "works have captivated readers and critics alike with her vibrant sense of story, history, and characterization."[1]

Personal life and education

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Tokuda-Hall was born in 1984[2] to American television journalist Wendy Tokuda[3] and television producer Richard Hall,[4] who is the son of game show host Monty Hall[5] and television producer Marilyn Hall.[6] Actress Joanna Gleason is her paternal aunt. She was raised in her father's Jewish faith.[4] Washington State Representative Kip Tokuda was her maternal uncle.[7]

She graduated from Piedmont High School,[3] then received a Bachelor of Arts in studio art from Scripps College[8] and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of San Francisco.[1] As of May 2023, she lived in Oakland, California with her husband and son.[1][9]

Tokuda-Hall is bisexual.[3]

Works

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Also an Octopus (2016)

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Also an Octopus, illustrated by Benji Davies and published October 4, 2016, by Candlewick Press, walks young readers through the process of writing a story.[10]

Reviewing the book, Publishers Weekly wrote, "Tokuda-Hall offers a capricious crash course in the elements and boundless possibilities of story," noting "Tokuda-Hall subtly introduces concepts like conflict and emotional stakes as the octopus unsuccessfully attempts to build a spaceship."[11] They further highlighted how "Davies’s [...] freewheeling digital art keeps pace with the encouraging narration, and the concluding image—of a rocket scientist water-skiing atop a rhino while wearing a colander on her head—cements the idea that, when it comes to storytelling, anything is possible."[11]

School Library Journal's Julie Roach wrote, "The bubbly, appealing art has punchy humor and works as an ongoing conversation with the narration, bringing the fumbling but exciting progress of crafting a new story to life."[12]

Booklist also reviewed Also an Octopus.[13]

In 2017, Bank Street College of Education included Also an Octopus on their list of the year's best children's books.[14]

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea (2020)

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The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, published May 5, 2020, by Candlewick Press, follows Flora (a girl), who becomes Florian (a man) aboard the pirate ship Dove. Before boarding Dove, Flora was an orphan but takes on the identity of Florian to earn the crew's respect and protection. Unbeknownst to Flora (and the passengers), the passengers will be sold into slavery. During the voyage, she is mentored by a passenger, Evelyn, who is on her way into an arranged marriage. Together, the two plan to escape the ship and free a mermaid with the support of a witch and the sea itself.[15]

In a starred review, Shelf Awareness's Lynn Becker highlighted how Tokuda-Hall "crafted a brooding, magical adventure with a healthy dose of intrigue," stating, "Her prose is delightful, by turns delicate and brutal, as her plot demands. At the heart of this tale about learning when to stand out and when to blend in, lies the importance, imparted by first mate Rake, of 'know[ing] your truth, not your story.'"[16]

Publishers Weekly highlighted how "Tokuda-Hall aptly explores themes of gender identity and misogyny while illustrating colonialism’s horrors" and further discussed how the book provides "a global viewpoint that ripples through the story without disrupting the narrative."[17]

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea also received reviews from Booklist[18] and School Library Journal.[19] Booklist also reviewed the audiobook.[20]

Squad (2021)

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Squad, illustrated by Lisa Sterle and published October 5, 2021, by Greenwillow Books, is a graphic novel that tells the story of three popular high school girls who befriend fellow student Becca. As the story unfolds, the reader learns that the girls are werewolves. Every full moon, "choose one sexually aggressive male as their victim—attacking at the moment when a party hookup turns nonconsensual"; they need Becca "to help them fully devour their prey."[21]

Background

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Tokuda-Hall came up with the idea for Squad while on a road trip with her husband.[3] As she wrote the book, she kept in mind the #MeToo movement, including named predators and how the movement "ended up being co-opted by white women."[3] To represent this, Tokuda-Hall crafted the character of Arianna, who is white and the pack's leader, to be "perfectly comfortable doing things like weaponizing her tears, belittling the women of color that she surrounds herself with, [and] using her own power to keep them down to her own detriment."[3]

Reviews

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Booklist wrote, "Female friendship sits front and center in this supernatural vigilante story, even when plans unravel. Readers who want thrilling carnage, sharp dialogue, and sapphic romance mixed into their teen dramas will devour this transformative tale."[22]

Kirkus Reviews called the book "an exciting look at girl power gone wrong."[23]

Shelf Awareness's Alanna Felton called Squad " incisive" and "darkly humorous," noting it "is an unabashedly feminist story, exploring female hunger and desire--for status, belonging and power--while criticizing rape culture" and "clearly convey[ing] the intensity of female friendships and their potential for toxicity."[24] Regarding the artwork, Felton wrote, "Sterle's art is both stylish and sinister, effortlessly shifting between panels of humorous character interactions and gruesome gore."[24]

Tor.com's Alex Brown highlighted how "this is not a story about good girls gone bad. There is no redemption arc or hero’s journey. Squad is populated by morally gray characters who make choices – good, bad, and otherwise – that they’ll have to live with for what’s left of the rest of their lives."[25] Brown also noted that "Lisa Sterle is the perfect artist to bring Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s story to life. Her style is realistic but with a slightly cartoon-y bent. The panels tend to have solid background colors instead of dense details, which allows Sterle to punch up the emotion based on which colors she chooses."[25]

School Library Journal also reviewed the book.[26]

Love in the Library (2022)

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Main article: Love in the Library

Love in the Library, illustrated by Yas Imamura and published February 8, 2022, by Candlewick Press, is a children's picture book. The book takes places in Minidoka, a War Relocation Center for Japanese Americans during World War II, and follows Tama, who enjoys working in the camp's library. There, she meets George, a patron who arrives at the library every morning with arms full of borrowed books. As time passes and they develop a strong friendship, Tama wonders whether George comes to the library for the books or for her. The book is based on the true story of how Tokuda-Hall's grandparents met, which she discusses in an afterword with a photo of her grandparents.[27]

Love in the Library was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist,[28] Publishers Weekly,[29] and School Library Journal.[30] In 2022, School Library Journal,[31] Booklist,[32] and Publishers Weekly included the book on their lists of the year's best picture books. Booklist also included it on their "Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth" list,[33] and it was a 2023 Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children's Book.[34]

In April 2023, Scholastic's Education division proposed obtaining the rights to publish the picture book for inclusion in a collection called Amplifying AANHPI (Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders).[35] The collection is part of the Rising Voices Library, which curates books along with teaching materials for educators, aiming to offer students engaging texts that highlight the narratives of historically marginalized groups.[35] To be included in the library, Scholastic requested Tokuda-Hall remove the phrase "virulent racism" from a sentence in the Author's Note discussing the traumatic impact of anti-Japanese American policies and to delete a paragraph addressing the broader historical repercussions of racism in America.[35][36] Tokuda-Hall declined the opportunity to be included in the Rising Voices Library, refusing to alter her book and its message.[35] Scholastic later apologized[35][36] and requested a meeting with Tokuda-Hall to discuss including her book in the library.[37] Although Tokuda-Hall initially denied requests for a meeting,[37] she met with Scholastic CEO Peter Warwick in May 2023 to discuss the matter; however, they did not meet Tokuda-Hall's requests, as she states in her blog, "The Answer Is Still No".[38]

Beyond the response from Scholastic, Tokuda-Hall has stated she received many hate messages regarding the book, as well as emails against the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.[35]

Awards and honors

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Tokuda-Hall's books have regularly landed on lists of the year's best books:

Awards for Tokuda-Hall's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2020 The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea Otherwise Award Honor [49]
2021 Kids' Book Choice Award for Best Book Creator Digital Presence Finalist [50]
Squad Golden Poppy Award for Young Adult Winner [51][52]
Goodreads Choice Award for Best Graphic Novels & Comics Nominee [53]
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea Locus Award for Best First Novel Finalist [54]
2022 Squad Ignyte Award for Best Comics Team Finalist [55]
Locus Award for Best Illustrated and Art Book Top 10 [56][57]

Publications

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Standalone books

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The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea series

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  • The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea (Candlewick Press, 2020)
  • The Siren, the Song, and the Spy (Candlewick Press, exp. 2023)

Anthology contributions

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Locus Awards MC Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Guest Speaker Connie Willis". Locus Online. May 23, 2023. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  2. ^ Segal, Stephen H. (December 13, 2021). "Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Power & Justice". Locus Online. Archived from the original on June 26, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Yu, Brandon (October 5, 2021). "Maggie Tokuda-Hall takes on rape culture in new graphic novel 'Squad'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Landau, Rebecca (May 20, 2021). "Otherness meets expansive imagination in local author's books for young readers". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Malamut, Amanda (October 1, 2017). "Monty Hall passed away at 96, and his granddaughter is sharing the best story about his life". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Hipes, Patrick (June 6, 2017). "Marilyn Hall Dies: Emmy-Winning TV Producer & Wife Of Monty Hall Was 90". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  7. ^ "Former Washington State Lawmaker Kip Tokuda Dies at 66". Rafu Shimpo. July 18, 2013. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  8. ^ "About". Pretty Ok Maggie. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  9. ^ "About". Pretty Ok Maggie. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Tokuda-Hall, Maggie (October 4, 2016). Also an Octopus. Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-0-7636-9152-3. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Also an Octopus by Maggie Tokuda-Hall". Publishers Weekly. August 8, 2016. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  12. ^ Roach, Julie (January 1, 2016). "Also an Octopus". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  13. ^ "Also an Octopus". Booklist. September 15, 2016. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Best Children's Books of the Year, Five to Nine, 2017 Edition" (PDF). Bank Street College of Education. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Tokuda-Hall, Maggie (May 5, 2020). The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-1-5362-1453-6.
  16. ^ Becker, Lynn (May 12, 2020). "The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  17. ^ "The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall". Publishers Weekly. April 8, 2020. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  18. ^ "The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea". Booklist. April 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  19. ^ Knapp, Maggie (April 1, 2020). "The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  20. ^ "The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea". Booklist. June 1, 2020. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  21. ^ "Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall". Publishers weekly. August 18, 2021. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  22. ^ Hyzy, Biz (October 15, 2012). "Squad". Booklist. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  23. ^ "Squad". Kirkus Reviews. July 26, 2021. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Felton, Alanna (October 19, 2021). "Squad". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Brown, Alex (October 13, 2021). "Book Review: Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle". Tor.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  26. ^ Riemer, Carla (October 1, 2021). "Squad". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  27. ^ Tokuda-Hall, Maggie (January 11, 2022). Love in the Library. Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-1-5362-2574-7. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  28. ^ McGary, Van (December 1, 2021). "Love in the Library". Booklist. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  29. ^ "Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall". Publishers Weekly. November 24, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  30. ^ O’Connor, Shannon (December 1, 2021). "Love in the Library". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  31. ^ a b Dragan, Jonah; Fakih, Kimberly; Lauer, Louis; Mulligan, Rachel; Zuffa, Rachel (November 21, 2022). "Best Picture Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  32. ^ a b "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2022". Booklist. December 1, 2022. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  33. ^ a b Smith, Julia (May 15, 2022). "Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth: 2022". Booklist. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  34. ^ a b "Notable Children's Books: 2023". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  35. ^ a b c d e f Beeck, Nathalie op de (April 13, 2023). "Amplification or Suppression? Author Maggie Tokuda-Hall Calls Out Edits Proposed by Scholastic". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  36. ^ a b "Tokuda-Hall and Scholastic Controversy". Locus Online. April 17, 2023. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  37. ^ a b Beeck, Nathalie op de (May 2, 2023). "Turning a Censorship Controversy into a Learning Opportunity". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  38. ^ "Blog". Pretty Ok Maggie. May 8, 2023. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  39. ^ "Books We Love". NPR. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  40. ^ "Best of 2020". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  41. ^ "2020 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. February 1, 2021. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  42. ^ Goldstein, Susannah; Hershberger, Katy; Knapp, Maggie; Leffel, Ashley; Riemer, Carla (November 23, 2020). "Best Young Adult Books 2020". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  43. ^ Brown, Alex (December 9, 2020). "Best Young Adult Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror of 2020". Tor.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  44. ^ "2021 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. February 1, 2022. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  45. ^ Faust, Susan (December 23, 2021). "2021's best books for young adults". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  46. ^ "Tor.com Best Books of 2021". Locus Online. December 10, 2021. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  47. ^ Casey (December 13, 2021). "75 of the Best Queer Books of 2021". Autostraddle. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  48. ^ "Best Books 2022: Publishers Weekly". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  49. ^ "Ekpeki Wins 2020 Otherwise Award". Locus Online. September 7, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  50. ^ Aquino, Gilcy (September 23, 2021). "2021 Kids' Book Choice Awards Finalists Announced". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  51. ^ "Golden Poppy Awards 2021 - Winners". California Independent Booksellers Alliance. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  52. ^ "CALIBA's First Annual Meeting; Golden Poppy Winners". Shelf Awareness. October 6, 2020. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  53. ^ "Squad". Goodreads. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  54. ^ "2021 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 26, 2021. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  55. ^ "2022 Ignyte Awards Winners". Locus Online. September 19, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  56. ^ "2022 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 25, 2022. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  57. ^ "2022 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists". Locus Online. May 10, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  58. ^ "Body Language: Writers on Identity, Physicality, and Making Space for Ourselves by". Publishers Weekly. March 4, 2022. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
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