Tag Archives: racism

Review: The House on Rondo by Debra J. Stone

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The House on Rondo by Debra J. Stone

The House on Rondo
Debra J. Stone
University of Minnesota Press
Published October 7, 2025

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About The House on Rondo

A young girl reckons with the demolition of a Black Saint Paul neighborhood to make way for the Interstate in the early 1960s

When thirteen-year-old Zenobia has to leave her friends and spend the summer at Grandma’s while Mama recovers from a stroke, life seems so unfair. But then the eviction letters start arriving throughout her grandparents’ neighborhood, and white men chalk arrows to mark the gas and water lines, and a new world … Continue reading →

Review: Thirsty: A Novel by Jas Hammonds

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Thirsty by Jas Hammonds

Thirsty: A Novel
Jas Hammonds
Roaring Brook Press
Published May 14, 2024

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About Thirsty: A Novel

It’s the summer before college and eighteen-year-old Blake Brenner and her girlfriend, Ella, have one goal: join the mysterious and exclusive Serena Society. The sorority promises status and lifelong connections to a network of powerful, trailblazing women of color. Ella’s acceptance is a sure thing—she’s the daughter of a Serena alum. Blake, however, has a lot more to prove.

As a former loner from a working-class background, Blake lacks Ella’s pedigree and confidence. Luckily, she finds courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle. When she drinks, … Continue reading →

Review: White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History by Ann Bausum

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White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History by Ann Bausum

White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History
Ann Bausum
Roaring Brook Press
Published August 12, 2025

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About White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History

This powerful and unflinching examination of racism in America by award-winning historian Ann Bausum deconstructs the warped history of the Civil War for teen readers, perfect for fans of STAMPED, JUST MERCY, and ACCOUNTABLE.

Warning: This is not your average U.S. history book.

After the Civil War, the Confederates may have laid … Continue reading →

Review: You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino

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You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino

You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!
Alex Gino
Scholastic Press
Published September 25, 2018

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About You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!

Alex Gino, the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of Melissa, is back with another sensitive tale based on increasingly relevant social justice issues.

Jilly thinks she’s figured out how life works. But when her sister, Emma, is born deaf, she realizes how much she still has to learn. The world is going to treat Jilly, who is white and hearing, differently from Emma, just as it will treat them both differently from their Black cousins.

A big fantasy reader, … Continue reading →

Review: Malcolm Lives! by Ibram X. Kendi

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Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers by Ibram X. Kendi

Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers
Ibram X. Kendi
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published May 13, 2025

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About Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers

In collaboration with the Malcolm X Estate, this powerful biography for young readers is a modern classic in the making, written by #1 New York Times-bestselling, National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi.

Published 100 years after his birth, Malcolm Lives! is a ground-breaking narrative biography of one of the most influential Americans of all time.

Dr. Kendi … Continue reading →

Review: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

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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 again…and … Continue reading →