Monday, February 11, 2013

My Favorite YA Novels For Black History Month

I'm a little obsessed with reading lists, I know.  It's just what I do, whether it's any of my business or not.  Here is a list of some of my favorite YA titles with African-American characters or themes - they are wonderful books all year long, though, not just in February, and are wonderful for all youth:


One Crazy Summer 
 by Rita Williams Garcia
I'm hopelessly in love with this book.  Black Panther summer camp, ambivalent mothers, poetry - what else is there worth reading?

Like Sisters on The Homefront
by Rita Williams Garcia
Love this book so much.

Junebug
by Alice Mead
Super sweet story.

Tyrell
 by Coe Booth
No one could call Ms. Booth's stories exactly sweet, but they are really good.

Fast Talk On A Slow Track
by Rita Williams Garcia
This one makes me worry very much.

After Tupac and D Foster
By Jacqueline Woodson

Locomotion
by Jacqueline Woodson

The Hoopster
Hip Hop High School and 
Homeboyz 
(a series) by  Alan Lawrence Sitomer

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine and 
My Mother The Cheerleader by Robert Sharenow
These two are about white families struggling with overcoming their own racism during the desegregation of Southern schools.  I am reminded of mothers in my neighborhood sniffing about "busing" when I was a kid.  

Double Dutch 
by Sharon Draper

Al la Carte 
by Tanita Davis
I haven't actually read this one yet, though I plan to, but it is written by a friend of a friend and I adored her book about a transgendered parent, so I expect it is good.

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