Last week was a difficult one for many in our community after the murders of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and five Dallas police officers. There was a lot of discussion all over the YA lit sphere about #blacklivesmatter and #ownvoices and how important #CarefreeBlackKids2k16 is.
On Monday Camryn Garrett‘s article “Black Lives Matter Is the Bare Minimum” went up on MTV.com, and she was attacked over its content. Many members of the YA community rallied to her defense, which was a wonderful thing to see.
Today we’d like to share a small collection of our favorite YA books and book lists about activism/social commentary or fun/self-care that are written by black authors and/or star black protagonists.
- The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
- Fire in the Streets by Kekla Magoon
- March: Book One by John Robert Lewis and Andrew Aydin with artist Nate Powell
- How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon
- All American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely
- X by Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon
Read This: #BlackLivesMatter Reads for Teens
Social Justice and Activism in YA Lit
- This Side of Home by Renée Watson
- Pointe by Brandy Colbert
- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
- Endangered by Lamar Giles
- Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
- Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra
- Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson
- Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
- Perfect Liars by Kimberly Reid
Self-Care Books for African-Americans in the Wake of Recent Tragedies
2014 African American MG & YA Fiction
You Need These Books By Black Women on Your YA Shelves
Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
You should check out my latest blog post, which focuses on the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow and recommends three books — one picture book, one middle grade, and one YA. The YA I recommend is Zetta Elliott’s brand-new time travel THE DOOR AT THE CROSSROADS. She’s an African-American author who deserves a lot more attention, both because of what she writes and because she has chosen to publish outside the traditional system to avoid making certain compromises. This makes for honest perspectives, and she’s such a talented writer that she can do it. Here’s my link: http://www.lynmillerlachmann.com/original-sin/
Thank you very much for the recommendation! I’ll have to check out THE DOOR AT THE CROSSROADS.