Banned Books Week Day 3

If you want to get involved in fighting against Banned Books in person, there are many organizations around the nation that are holding in person and online events. These events bring authors, librarians, teachers, and even teens to discuss the alarming surge of book challenges, what the folks on the ground are doing, and what we can do to help. Every Library is holding a week-long festival on Facebook and YouTube with events all throughout the day. Click on the links below for events that you can participate in.
Today’s book is from Contributor K. Imani. Her choice is The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson. She states “Horror has a way of exposing societies darkest elements and The Weight of Blood truly highlights how horrific racism is for Black Americans. Jackson’s novel shows how deep racism cuts our spirits, our families, and our community. It is a honest look at how there are many places in America where race relations, at their core, have not really improved, but healing is possible. Through this remake of a classic horror, we can reflect on our society and contribute to the discussion to bring about change.”

the book cover looks like a black and white photo. A young woman is wearing a tiara amid her many curls. She has a serious expression on her face. The only color on the cover is the red sparkly blood that is dripping down her face and onto her chest where there is also a rose and sash that says prom. The tag line at the top of the book is uneasy lies the head that wears the tiara..The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

When Springville residents–at least the ones still alive–are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation . . . Maddy did it.

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.

After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal life.

But some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet. And what they don’t know is that Maddy still has another secret . . . one that will cost them all their lives.

If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.