Young Adult Books for Black History MonthLike this list

20 items

• The Black Kids

  Hammonds Reed, Christina

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  "With the Rodney King riots closing in on high school senior Ashley and her family, the privileged bubble she has enjoyed, protecting her from the difficult realities most black people face, begins to crumble."

• Love Is a Revolution

  Watson, Renée

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  "When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani's birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He's perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dear Martin

  Stone, Nic

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  "Writing letters to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., seventeen-year-old college-bound Justyce McAllister struggles to face the reality of race relations today and how they are shaping him."

• Legendborn

  Deonn, Tracy

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  "To discover the truth behind her mother's mysterious death, a teen girl infiltrates a magical secret society claiming to be the descendants of King Arthur and his knights."

• Early Departures

  Reynolds, Justin A.

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  "What if you could bring your best friend back to life--but only for a short time? Jamal's best friend, Q, doesn't know that he died, and that he's about to die again. He doesn't know that Jamal tried to save him. And that the reason they haven't…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Within These Wicked Walls

  a Novel

  Blackwood, Lauren,

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  "As a debtera, nineteen-year-old Andromeda performs exorcisms to cleanse households of the Evil Eye, but when she agrees to work for handsome, young heir Magnus Rorschach, her job becomes truly terrifying."

• Punching the Air

  Zoboi, Ibi Aanu

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  "A powerful YA novel in verse about a boy who is wrongfully incarcerated. The story that I thought was my life didn't start on the day I was born. Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he's seen as…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• One of the Good Ones

  Moulite, Maika

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  "A shockingly powerful exploration of the lasting impact of prejudice and the indomitable spirit of sisterhood that will have readers questioning what it truly means to be an ally, from sister-writer duo Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, authors of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Children of Blood and Bone

  Adeyemi, Tomi

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  "Seventeen-year-old Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi, but they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown prince, who believes the return of magic will mean…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• On the Come Up

  Thomas, Angie

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  "Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least get some streams on her mixtape. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died right before he hit big, Bri's got massive shoes to fill. But when her mom…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Grown

  a Novel

  Jackson, Tiffany D.

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  "When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields? Before…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

  Brown, Roseanne A.

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  "For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts his younger sister, Nadia, as payment to enter the city,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Happily Ever Afters

  Bryant, Elise,

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  "Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Opposite of Always

  Reynolds, Justin A.

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  "When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he's falling hard. Soon she's meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• You Should See Me in a Crown

  Johnson, Leah (Young adult author)

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  "Liz Lighty has always done her best to avoid the spotlight in her small, wealthy, and prom-obsessed midwestern high school, after all, her family is black and rather poor, especially since her mother died; instead she has concentrated on her grades…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Gilded Ones

  Forna, Namina

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  "Inspired by the culture of West Africa, a feminist fantasy debut traces the experiences of an intuitive girl who is invited to leave her discriminatory village to join the emperor's army of near-immortal women warriors. Inspired by the culture of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Rise to the Sun

  Johnson, Leah (Young adult author)

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  "Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout from her last breakup has left her an outcast at school and at home, she's determined to turn over a new leaf. A crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• When You Look Like Us

  Harris, Pamela N.

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  "When you look like us; brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades; everyone else thinks you're trouble. No one even blinks twice over a missing black girl from public housing because she must've brought whatever happened to her upon herself. I,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Smash It!

  Simone, Francina

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  "Challenging herself to overcome long-held insecurities at the beginning of her junior year, Liv lands an unexpected role in her high school's hip-hopera production of Othello that helps launch her journey of self-empowerment."

• This Is My America

  Johnson, Kim, 1979-

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  "While writing letters to Innocence X, a justice-seeking project, asking them to help her father, an innocent black man on death row, teenaged Tracy takes on another case when her brother is accused of killing his white girlfriend."