Author: Tiffany Jewell
Published: 2020 This Book is Anti-Racist is a fantastic book for young adults (and adults!) to read to understand what is means to be antiracist and how to actually do the work. It is split up into different sections focusing on understanding your own identity, making sense of the world, taking action when it comes to racism, and working against racism when you may be in a position of privilege. I loved the personal stories Jewell weaves into the book, along with examples from history and our world today. There are writing prompts at the end of every chapter for readers to really focus in and reflect on their lives and the world around them. This book is a fantastic book that everyone should read! If you are wanting to educate yourself on Black Lives Matter or understand that being "not racist" is not the same as being antiracist, this is a great introduction.
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Author: Torrey Maldonado
Published: 2020 Stephen's dad is Black and his mom is White. Lately he has been hanging out with some of his friends who happen to be White, and he starts to realize that sometimes people look at him differently than they do his white friends. His friends can do certain things and get away with them, but he can't. For example, he and his friend Dan start to pretend to box each other outside, and a couple adults come out and ask Dan if he's okay and yell at Stephen to go back to his neighborhood. They just assume that Stephen is dangerous and doesn't belong there because he is Black. When Stephen's friend Wes tells him about the Black Lives Matter movement, Stephen's eyes open up even more to the racial discrimination Black people face in our society. He doesn't think she world should be split up into different lanes. He doesn't think it's right that some people can do certain things and others can't just because of their skin color. But what can he do? What Lane? is a great book that explains the Black Lives Matter movement in a very accessible way for White readers who may not understand the movement and the racial injustice in our world. It also is is a great book for readers to connect with who have experienced things like Stephen has. Author: Kate DiCamillo
Published: 2018 Louisiana lives with her granny; she doesn't remember her parents who were trapeze artists who died. Louisiana has always been told about a curse on their family. Her great grandfather, who was a magician, cut her great grandmother in half during a magic show but didn't put her back together. This is where the curse started. One day, Louisiana's granny wakes her up at 3 in the morning and tells her that they are leaving immediately. Louisiana thinks they will be coming back but soon discovers that her granny has no plans of returning. While they are staying in a motel on their journey, Louisiana discovers her granny has left her there alone without saying anything except in a note. The note changes absolutely everything for Louisiana, and suddenly she has no idea who she is or where she is supposed to go. Louisiana's Way Home is a sweet book about a girl who has had a lot of sad things happen in her life but who remains strong. Author: Tehlor Kay Mejia
Published: 2019 The island of Medio is split. The inner section is where the very wealthy live. The closer you get to the outer regions, the more poverty there is. The outer section is where the poorest of the poor live. There is a wall separating the inner section from the outer, and it is near impossible to cross over. Those who try may be killed, and it's worthless to cross over without identification papers proving you were born on the inner island. Dani, who is a student at the Medio School for Girls located in the inner section of the island, is the top of her class. At the school, girls are trained to either become Primeras or Segundas. Wealthy men are given two wives--a Primera and a Segunda. Both play different roles. Primeras are partners who help her husband run the household; they are expected to show very little emotion. Segundas are there to bring the children and take care of them; they are able to display their emotions. Dani is a Primera and is assigned to be the wife of the most powerful young man in society. Dani has a secret. Her identification papers are forged. When she was very little, she and her parents lived on the outer island and crossed over illegally. When someone confronts her about her secrets, she suddenly has her eyes opened to the violence, the poverty and the absolute unfairness of life on the island. She has a choice to make. Will she risk everything her parents have fought and sacrificed for her? What choice does she really have? We Set the Dark on Fire is a fantastic dystopian fantasy set in a world with many (horrifying) parallels to our own society. I absolutely loved this story, and I cannot wait to see where it goes in the next book. Author: Ibi Zoboi
Published: 2019 Ebony-Grace's grandfather works as an engineer for NASA. He was one of the first Black engineers at NASA when he started in the 1960s. Ebony-Grace and her grandfather have a very close relationship, and they are both absolutely obsessed with space and with things like Star Trek. They have their inside secrets and secret space games they play with each other that no one else understands. The summer of 1984, Ebony-Grace is traveling from her home in Alabama to live with her father in New York for a few weeks. Her grandfather is dealing with some issues, and her mom thinks it is best for her to spend some time away. No one tells Ebony-Grace what is happening with her grandfather. She shows up at her dad's house ready to play space games in her and her grandfather's imaginary world they have created, but no one else understands. They look at Ebony-Grace like she is completely weird and talking nonsense. No one understands her. All she wants to do is talk to her grandfather, but she never can reach him. My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich is a good book for fans of science fiction or for readers who feel like outsiders. |
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