Let’s take a look at your bookshelves and library loan history. How many books there are by black authors? About black peoples’ experiences? How about your kids’ bookshelves? Chances are, the numbers aren’t as high as they could be. The good news is that while changing a habit may take deliberate effort, it can result in something wonderful.
Many schools are actively teaching our kids about mirror and window books, encouraging (and assigning) them to read both. Mirror books are the ones in which the reader easily sees themself. Window books are the ones through which they see other peoples’ experiences. Both are important, for they create better connections between us all, showing us what we have in common and creating a respectful understanding of our differences.
February is Black History Month, so I think it’s a great time to check our shopping and library habits for the entire family to ensure we are intentionally reading these window and mirror stories all month long (actually, all YEAR long, but let’s start with these 28 days first).
This is why I asked fellow book lovers, librarians, educators, parents, and kids to share with me their favorite books by black authors for every age, fiction and non-fiction, and in every genre. Some are laugh-out-loud funny. Some are heartbreaking. Some are fantastical adventures. Some are swoon-worthy. Some educate. Some entertain. New or old, all are worth a read.
Here are the ones they raved about, my family has read and loved, and others that I’d like to dig into someday soon.
YOUNG KIDS: BOARD BOOKS AND STORYBOOKS
For kids under 8 years old.
THE DAY YOU BEGIN by Jacqueline Woodson (Illus. by Rafel Lopez) | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “[A] poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone.”
I AM ENOUGH by Grace Byers (Illus. by Keturah A. Bobo) | Get a physical copy
From Amazon description: “This is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another”
GRANDMA’S PURSE by Vanessa Brantley-Newton | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Spend the day with a grandma and granddaughter in this charming picture book about the magic found in their favorite accessory”
THANK YOU, OMU! by Oge Mora | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu’s delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?”
MAE AMONG THE STARS by Roda Ahmed | Get a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents’ encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space”
BIGMAMA’S by Donald Crews | Get a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Donald Crews…writes of his own childhood experiences visiting his grandparents in Florida. Four African American children travel with their mother, and when the train arrives in Cottondale, Florida, the summer at Bigmama’s house begins!”
MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS
Targeted for ages 8-12, but often enjoyed by older kids and adults.
THE BOY IN THE BLACK SUIT by Jason Reynolds | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down”
SO DONE by Paula Chase | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “When best friends Tai and Mila are reunited after a summer apart, their friendship threatens to combust from the pressure of secrets, middle school, and the looming dance auditions for a new talented-and-gifted program.”
GARVEY’S CHOICE by Nikki Grimes | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Garvey’s father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading—anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey’s life changes.”
THE JUMBIES by Tracey Baptiste | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “A spine-tingling tale rooted in Caribbean folklore about an ordinary girl who must use her extraordinary bravery–and a bit of magic–to save her island home from jumbies, the scary spirits that haunt the forest.”
GHOST BOYS by Jewell Parker Rhodes | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that’s been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing. Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances.”
HURRICANE CHILD by Kheryn Callender | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and twelve-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately…But when a new student named Kalinda arrives, Caroline’s luck begins to turn around. Kalinda…becomes Caroline’s first and only friend — and the person for whom Caroline has begun to develop a crush…Together, Caroline and Kalinda must set out in a hurricane to find Caroline’s missing mother — before Caroline loses her forever.”
THE SEASON OF STYX MALONE by Kekla Magoon | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Meet Caleb and Bobby Gene, two brothers embarking on a madcap, heartwarming, one-thing-leads-to-another adventure”
THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE by Christopher Paul Curtis | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression has hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie’s beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.”
STELLA BY STARLIGHT by Sharon M. Draper | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon editorial reviews: “When a young girl gains confidence from her failures and strength from what her community dreads most, life delivers magic and hope. A tale of the Jim Crow South that’s not sugar-coated but effective, with a trustworthy narrator who opens her heart and readers’ eyes.”—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
SASQUATCH IN THE PAINT by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon editorial reviews: “A humorous novel that delivers a heartwarming story about growing up, facing down bullies, and learning what true friendship is all about.”—School Library Journal
THE LAURA LINE by Crystal Allen | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “A touching and funny story of one girl’s journey to discover where she came from and the unlimited possibilities of who she can become”
MARCH: BOOK ONE by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin (Illus. by Nate Powell) | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “[Experience] John Lewis’ incredible story first-hand, brought to life in a stunning graphic novel trilogy… MARCH tells the story of how a poor sharecropper’s son helped transform America, from a segregated schoolhouse to the 1963 March on Washington and beyond.”
ZORA AND ME by Victoria Bond | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Whether she’s telling the truth or stretching it, Zora Neale Hurston is a riveting storyteller. Her latest creation is a shape-shifting gator man who lurks in the marshes, waiting to steal human souls. But when boastful Sonny Wrapped loses a wrestling match with an elusive alligator named Ghost — and a man is found murdered by the railroad tracks soon after — young Zora’s tales of a mythical evil creature take on an ominous and far more complicated complexion, jeopardizing the peace and security of an entire town and forcing three children to come to terms with the dual-edged power of pretending.”
STANDING AGAINST THE WIND by Traci L. Jones | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Patrice Williams was happy living in Georgia with her grandmother, then her mother lured her to Chicago and ended up in jail. Living in the projects, Patrice is an easy target for everyone. Not only won’t she stand up for herself, she cares about her grades―unlike her classmates. But that draws the attention of Monty Freeman, another eighth grader who asks Patrice to tutor his little brother. When Monty becomes her guardian angel, Patrice begins to think something stronger than friendship might be growing between them. Still, nothing will stop her from applying for a scholarship at prestigious Dogwood Academy―except her mother.”
DEFINITELY DAPHNE by Tami Charles | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “In front of her followers, Daphne is a hilarious, on-the-rise vlog star. But at school Daphne is the ever-skeptical Annabelle Louis, seventh-grade super geek and perennial new kid. To cope with her mom’s upcoming military assignment in Afghanistan and her start at a brand new middle school, Annabelle’s parents send her to a therapist. Dr. Varma insists Annabelle try stepping out of her comfort zone, hoping it will give her the confidence to make friends, which she’ll definitely need once Mom is gone.”
SOLO by Kwame Alexander | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback. Or to no longer be part of a family known most for lost potential, failure, and tragedy, including the loss of his mother. The one true light is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her parents have forbidden their relationship, assuming Blade will become just like his father. In reality, the only thing Blade and Rutherford have in common is the music that lives inside them.”
TEEN & YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
For ages 13/14 and up.
ON THE COME UP by Angie Thomas | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free.”
THE GIRL WHO FELL FROM THE SKY by Heidi W. Durrow | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “This searing and heartwrenching portrait of a young biracial girl dealing with society’s ideas of race and class is the winner of the Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice.”
I AM ALFONSO JONES by Tony Medina | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Alfonso Jones can’t wait to play the role of Hamlet in his school’s hip-hop rendition of the classic Shakespearean play. He also wants to let his best friend, Danetta, know how he really feels about her. But as he is buying his first suit, an off-duty police officer mistakes a clothes hanger for a gun, and he shoots Alfonso…In the first graphic novel for young readers to focus on police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement, as in Hamlet, the dead shall speak—and the living yield even more surprises.”
PRIDE by Ibi Zoboi | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From my review: “Using the classic [Pride and Prejudice] as a framework to build the Brooklyn-based story of Zuri and Darius on was genius. It feels very “now” and alive. I could not put it down”
BEASTS MADE OF NIGHT by Tochi Onyebuchi | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon editorial reviews: “This compelling Nigerian-influenced fantasy has a wonderfully unique premise and lush, brilliant worldbuilding that will consume you until the last page.”—BuzzFeed
CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Toni Adeyemi | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From my review: “I felt every emotion as the story pulled me into the hearts and minds of the characters, then into my own as I stepped back out to acknowledge parallels between what was on the pages and what is in our reality right now. Power. Fear. Family. Culture. Sacrifice. Hope.”
DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From my review: “As [Justyce McAllister] navigates a contemporary Atlanta where he is still seen more for the color of his skin than the content of his character, he regularly writes to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a journal, hoping that it will help him put Dr. King’s teachings into practice in order to manage everything that’s thrown at him.”
THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From my review: “Natasha’s family is about to get deported to Jamaica – a place that is not her home – and is clinging to one last chance to stay in NYC. Daniel has always been the good son, and is starting to question why he never took a different path. The two meet and take us all on a day full of hope, fear, family, possibility, and fight. What will happen to these teenagers when the day is over?”
SULA by Toni Morrison | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Goodreads description: “This rich and moving novel traces the lives of two black heroines from their close-knit childhood in a small Ohio town, through their sharply divergent paths of womanhood, to their ultimate confrontation and reconciliation.”
LETS TALK ABOUT LOVE by Claire Kann | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From the Amazon description: “Striking a perfect balance between heartfelt emotions and spot-on humor, this debut features a pop-culture enthusiast protagonist with an unforgettable voice sure to resonate with readers.”
MONDAY’S NOT COMING by Tiffany D. Jackson | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?”
PIECING ME TOGETHER by Renée Watson | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon editorial reviews: “A nuanced story about girls navigating the landmines of others’ good intentions, Piecing Me Together will make readers wrestle with every assumption they have about race, economic class, and so-called at-risk kids. An honest look at how girls stitch together their talents to find their voice and power.”—Meg Medina, award-winning author of BURN BABY BURN
A BLADE SO BLACK by L. L. McKinney | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA… But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally. Debut author L.L. McKinney delivers an action-packed twist on an old classic, full of romance and otherworldly intrigue.”
BLACK ENOUGH: STORIES OF BEING YOUNG & BLACK IN AMERICA edited by Ibi Zoboi | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon Editorial Reviews: “A compilation of short stories that offers unique perspectives on what it means to be young and black in America today. Each entry is deftly woven and full of such complex humanity that teens will identify with and see some of their own struggles in these characters.”—School Library Journal
ADULT FICTION & NON-FICTION BOOKS
Grown-up reads.
MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “A short, darkly funny, hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends”
THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From my review: “Realistic [romance] about taking the step from fun ‘why not?’ dating to getting over your own head stuff to take it to the next level.”
THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From the back cover: “[An] enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom.”
WE ARE NEVER MEETING IN REAL LIFE by Samantha Irby | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
My review: “I don’t think you need to have a similar history to understand how perfect these short stories are in explaining how a woman becomes who she is and the many faces of love along the way. She is frank about the raw rub of mental illness and physical ailments without begging pity, and tells tales that make you want to read everything else she ever scribbles. And did I mention how funny she is? Holy crap on a cracker, she is FUNNY.”
THE AWKWARD THOUGHTS OF W. KAMAU BELL: TALES OF A 6’ 4”, AFRICAN AMERICAN, HETEROSEXUAL, CISGENDER, LEFT-LEANING, ASTHMATIC, BLACK AND PROUD BLERD, MAMA’S BOY, DAD, AND STAND-UP COMEDIAN by W. Kamau Bell | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon editorial reviews: “At turns sarcastic, poetic and enraged, Bell’s language is potent. His own realization of how racism intersects with other forms of discrimination, like sexism, broadens his platform and embraces a wide audience. Awkward Thoughts is definitely entertaining, but it also invites readers to look through different eyes. And those who aren’t inspired to take action will at least have considered a new view. As Bell says, ‘that’s progress.’”—Shelf Awareness
A PIECE OF CAKE by Cupcake Brown | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Cupcake’s story is an inspiring, at times hilarious, often distrubing, and deeply moving account of a singular woman who took on the worst of contemporary urban life and survived it with wit and a ferocious will. ”
SPEAK NO EVIL by Uzodinma Iweala | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “In the long-anticipated novel from the author of the critically acclaimed Beasts of No Nation, a revelation shared between two privileged teenagers from very different backgrounds sets off a chain of events with devastating consequences.”
AN UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS by Rivers Solomon | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon editorial reviews: “This book thoughtfully explores race, gender, and much more, while delivering a story that you won’t be able to put down.”—Bustle
THE FIFTH SEASON (THE BROKEN EARTH BOOK 1) by N. K. Jemisin | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this ‘intricate and extraordinary’ Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution” (The New York Times).
THIS WILL BE MY UNDOING: LIVING AT THE INTERSECTION OF BLACK, FEMALE, AND FEMINIST IN (WHITE) AMERICA by Morgan Jerkins | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Jerkins becomes both narrator and subject to expose the social, cultural, and historical story of black female oppression that influences the black community as well as the white, male-dominated world at large.”
AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From editorial reviews: “From one of the world’s great contemporary writers comes the story of two Nigerians making their way in the U.S. and the UK, raising universal questions of race and belonging, the overseas experience for the African diaspora, and the search for identity and a home.”—Barack Obama
WASHINGTON BLACK by Esi Edugyan | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From the Amazon description: “A dazzling adventure story about a boy who rises from the ashes of slavery to become a free man of the world.”
THINGS FALL APART (Book 1 of African Trilogy) by China Achebe | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man’s futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political andreligious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order.”
THE BURDEN: AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE ENDURING IMPACT OF SLAVERY edited by Rochelle Riley | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From editorial reviews: “The Burden is one of the most comprehensive, enlightening, and thought-provoking books I have ever read on African-American history. The insights into how slavery affects every aspect of America today from politics to economics to culture is powerfully presented by this remarkable essay collection.”—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, New York Times best-selling author
THE MOTHERS: A NOVEL by Brit Bennett | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “In entrancing, lyrical prose, The Mothers asks whether a “what if” can be more powerful than an experience itself. If, as time passes, we must always live in servitude to the decisions of our younger selves, to the communities that have parented us, and to the decisions we make that shape our lives forever.”
SING, UNBURIED, SING: A NOVEL by Jesmyn Ward | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “an intimate portrait of three generations of a family and an epic tale of hope and struggle”
THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS: THE EPIC STORY OF AMERICA’S GREAT MIGRATION by Isabel Wilkerson | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.”
BORN A CRIME: TALES FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDHOOD by Trevor Noah | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.”
FRESHWATER by Akwaeke Emezi | Get it in ebook or a physical copy
From Amazon description: “Freshwater explores the metaphysics of identity and mental health, plunging the reader into the mystery of being and self.”
MORE READING:
- 8 Ways to Support the Authors You Love (and only 1 of them costs money)
- The Best Books I Read in 2018 (middle grade, teen, YA, and adult fiction)
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Kim Bongiorno is an author, full time freelance writer, and the blogger behind Let Me Start By Saying. Her latest publication is the essay “This One is for the Ghost Girls” in YOU DO YOU, an anthology about the female experience written by authors ages 12-65 for readers of all genders, ages 12 and up. Learn more by connecting with her: Facebook · Twitter · Instagram · Goodreads · Amazon.com · BookBub · Newsletter
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