Review: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

All American Boys
Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Simon & Schuster
Published September 29, 2015

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About All American Boys

Rashad is absent again today.

That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all…

Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn’t matter what Rashad said next—that it was an accident, that he wasn’t stealing—the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid with mad art skills, was absent … Continue reading

Review: Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

Needy Little Things
Channelle Desamours
Wednesday Books
Published February 4, 2025

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About Needy Little Things

In this debut speculative YA mystery, a Black teen with premonition-like powers must solve her friend’s disappearance before she finds herself in the same danger.

Sariyah Lee Bryant can hear what people need—tangible things, like a pencil, a hair tie, a phone charger—an ability only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know the truth about. But when she fulfills a need for her friend Deja who vanishes shortly after, Sariyah is left wondering if her ability is more curse than … Continue reading

Review: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Between the World and Me
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Spiegel & Grau
Published July 14, 2015

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About Between the World and Me

“This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.”

In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis. Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race,” a … Continue reading

Review: King: A Life by Jonathan Eig with Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long

King: A Life by Jonathan Eig

King: A Life (The Pulitzer Prize-winning Bestseller, Adapted for Young Adults)
Jonathan Eig
with Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published January 7, 2024

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About King: A Life (The Pulitzer Prize-winning Bestseller, Adapted for Young Adults)

Hailed as “the most compelling account of [Martin Luther] King’s life in a generation” by the Washington Post, the Pulitzer Prize–winning bestseller is now adapted for young adults in this new standard biography of the most famous civil rights activist in American History.

Often regarded as more of a myth and legend than man, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King … Continue reading

Review: This Town is On Fire by Pamela N. Harris

This Town is on Fire by Pamela N. Harris

This Town is On Fire
Pamela N. Harris
Quill Tree Books
Published June 20, 2023

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About This Town is On Fire

From the critically acclaimed author of When You Look Like Us comes a page-turning YA contemporary novel about what happens when the latest “Becky” on the internet is your best friend.

A lot is up in the air in Naomi Henry’s her spot as a varsity cheer flier, her classmates’ reaction to the debut of her natural hair, and her crush on the guy who’s always been like a brother to her. With so much uncertainty, she feels lucky … Continue reading

Review: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

American Born Chinese
Gene Luen Yang
First Second
Published September 5, 2006

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About American Born Chinese

All Jin Wang wants is to fit in. When his family moves to a new neighborhood, he suddenly finds that he’s the only Chinese American student at his school. Jocks and bullies pick on him constantly, and he has hardly any friends. Then, to make matters worse, he falls in love with an all-American girl…

Born to rule over all the monkeys in the world, the story of the Monkey King is one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables. Adored by … Continue reading