As most of you know, I work in YA/childrenβs publishing, and one thing that we prioritize in the authors we sign is telling diverse stories that mirror our readers lives, experiences, fears, and joys. So many people are sharing nonfiction reading lists, which are essential and important for us to read, but Iβd like to bring in some middle grade and YA recommendations: for us, for our children, for those for whom more academic writing can be overwhelming or difficult to parse. Fiction is a teaching tool, and childrenβs books are particularly adept at making these issues of systematic racism, bigotry, and brutality digestible and approachable.Β
Below is a list, organized by age group, including links for anyone interested in purchasing. Iβm building this from a list I posted on Twitter, but please feel free to reblog this with any other books youβd recommend :) Iβll be updating this periodically!Β
Tight, byΒ Torrey Maldonado (deals with peer pressure and coming to terms with what it means to be a black man in an urban setting)
Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson (essential reading from Jacqueline Woodson)
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, by Ibi Zoboi (set in Harlem in the 80β²s, deals very well with black girls in STEM and space exploration)
New Kid, by Jerry Craft (winner of the 2020 Newbury medal!)
From the Desk of Zoe Washington, by Janae Marks (particularly good for starting a conversation around innocence and the criminal justice system, and personally one of my favorite middle grade books last year)
Dragons in a Bag, by Zetta Elliot (a rare middle grade fantasy with a black protagonist in an urban setting)
Ghost, by Jason Reynolds (Jason Reynolds will appear later on this list, too, you canβt go wrong with him!)
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, byΒ Kwame Mbalia (another fantasy, published under Rick Riordanβs imprint, that incorporates black folk heroes and African godsβgenuinely SO GOOD)
Crossover, by Kwame Alexander (written in beautiful and approachable verse, a really great novel for reluctant readers)
Black Brother, Black Brother, byΒ Jewell Parker Rhodes (deals with colorism, microaggressions, and the school-to-prison pipeline in a way thatβs approachable and nuanced)
The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas (ESSENTIAL reading on police brutality and protest for anyone who hasnβt read it)
Dear Martin, by Nic Stone (I listened to this on audiobook, and highly recommend it in that formatβan honest, visceral reckoning with institutional racism through the lens of Dr. Kingβs teachings)
A Phoenix Must First Burn, by various authors (a collection of short stories that celebrate black girl magicβfolktales to afrofuturism and everything in between. It was honestly such a joy to read)
Allegedly, by Tiffany D. Jackson (examines the justice system through the eyes of a black teenage girl, rattling and memorable)
Tyler Johnson Was Here, by Jay Coles (a really great exploration of the way police brutality looks in the social media age, and a great way to start a timely conversation about the way we watch the brutalization of black bodies)Β
Full Disclosure, by Camryn Garret (one of my favorite books last yearβdeals with the intersection of race and sexuality through the eyes of an HIV-positive teenβgoooooood I loved this)Β
A Field Guide to the North American Teenager, by Ben Phillipe (a more lighthearted entry on this list, deals with the intersections of identity and belonging through the eyes of a black French-Canadian teen who moves to Texas. Norris is my all-time favorite narrator of any YA novel ever, heβs so FUNNY and SMART)
Mondayβs Not Coming, by Tiffany D. Jackson (second entry for this author! Sheβs incredible. This one is a great way to start a conversation about the hundreds of black and brown girls that go missing and unreported on every yearβheartbreaking, empowering, a love letter Washington, DC that holds a really special place in my heart)
With The Fire On High, by Elizabeth Acevado (all of Acevadoβs books are incredible, and Afro-Latinx literature is sorely lackingβthis one combines that with nuanced takes on teen parenting and a celebration of food and culture and itβs SO GOOD)
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America, by various authors (another short-story collection that collects narratives from around the black diasporaβincredible collection of authors, and great for reluctant readers)
Opposite of Always, by Justin Reynolds (romcom thatβs basically Groundhog Day meets Romeo and Juliet meets adorable? Both protagonists are black, and itβs a really incredible, innovative romcom that packs an emotional punch. Racial themes arenβt overt, but I felt it was important to include a story that centers on blackness as part of a character rather than their entire identityβrepresentation matters across genres!!!)
Anger is a Gift, by Mark Oshiro (a powerful novel about the criminalization of marginalized communities, grief, righteous anger, queer identity, and the ways they intersect)Β
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X KendiΒ (brand new! a version of Stamped rewritten for teens. Funny, somber, and timelyβgives context as to how we got here, and a field guide on navigating racism in your everyday life.
This Book Is Anti-Racist, byΒ Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by Aurelia DurandΒ (approachable, practical guide on dismantling racism for young readers! Itβs appearing on a lot of lists and is currently sold out here, but well-worth searching out a copy or downloading an E-book or audio version if you can!)
Say Her Name by various poets (a collection of poems, edited by Zetta Elliot, that celebrate the creativity, resilience, and strength of black girls)Β
We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, by various authors (childrenβs authors respond to the question of how to explain the world we live in to our childrenβitβs beautifully illustrated, Iβd definitely recommend a physical copy over an audio/ebook if you can)
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