Our teen book spotlight this week is focused on books that are written by Black and African American authors!! As we celebrate and participate in Black History Month, which is the whole month of February, we are going to explore a variety of titles that are written by some amazing and talented authors. While many this week are realistic titles, with some of them being my personal favorites, there is a wide and ever growing selection in the library collection just waiting for you to check out and read. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #yablackauthors as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new teen book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk--In New York City, follows the breakup of teenaged best friends Cleo and Layla, told in alternating timelines.
Who Put This Song On? By Morgan Parker--After seventeen-year-old Morgan tries to kill herself, she gets help for her depression. She lives in a mostly white, conservative suburb and attends a Christian high school, and as a result, she suffers from the isolation that causes a person of color. During the timeframe of the 2008 presidential election, she begins to find her own identity and educate others about being black in America.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely--When 16-year-old Rashad Butler, an African-American student at the local high school, is beaten by a white police officer at the local corner store, his classmate Quinn Collins witnesses the event. Quinn, a member of the varsity basketball team who has been raised by the officer since his own father died in Afghanistan, will be forced to face the mounting racial tension among his teammates, many who are Rashad's friends, his classmates, and the entire community. Told in the alternating voices of Rashad and Quinn, this story portrays the truth that racism in American is sadly still alive. It will take the bravery of both boys to step forward and speak against injustice.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers--While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken.
Light It Up by Kekla Magoon--Told from multiple viewpoints, relates how Shae Tatum, an unarmed, thirteen-year-old black girl, is shot by a white police officer, throwing their community into upheaval and making it a target of demonstrators.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone--African American teen Justyce McAllister is bound for the Ivy League; top of his class, set for the future. None of that matters to his private school classmates who think he has been given unfair advantages just because he is black. Conversely, none of it matters to his former friends with whom he grew up in his rough neighborhood, who think he has assimilated to “white culture,” especially since he is dating a biracial girl and also feels attracted to his white debate partner. Everything comes to a head when Justyce and his friend Manny are cruising together with their music too loud and they draw the fury of an off-duty white cop.