Ronald L. Smith

For Hoodoo, Smith won the American Library Association's Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent.

Smith was born in Maine to a military family that moved frequently; he also lived in Japan, Alabama, Michigan, Washington, DC, South Carolina, and Delaware, among other places.

[3] Set in the 1930s Alabama,[4][5] Hoodoo earned Smith the American Library Association's Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent.

[12] Reviewing the book in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Literature, Kate Quealy-Gainer wrote, "Fans will notice allusions to T'Challa's future adventures as the ruling Black Panther, but even the comic-book averse will relate to T'Challa's negotiating of middle-school dynamics and may also appreciate his cleverness, as he faces down his enemies.

"[13] The School Library Journal named the book to a list of eight fantasy "must-reads" featuring a black protagonist; their January 2018 review called it a "must-purchase for all collections.