From My TBR: 15 Young Adult and Middle Grade Books By Black Authors

 

(Warning: this post references racism and police brutality)

 ***All Amazon.com links in this post are commission links. This means I earn commission from purchases made in the US*** 

Please do not use my links to make UK purchases.

There are three important reasons for me writing this post:

1. Black Lives still Matter.

2. It's always a good time to highlight diverse books.

and 3. There are so many amazing Black creators out there, who don't always get the recognition they deserve.

So here's a small selection of some of the Young Adult (YA) and Middle Grade (MG) books on my TBR list that were written by Black authors.

For those of you who don't know the book-blog lingo - a TBR is a 'to-be-read' list. Mine is immortal and cannot be stopped. Send help.

For those of you who are British like me, and/or haven't heard the book blogging term, Middle Grade books are those aimed at (roughly) ages 8-12, or 8-14, depending who you ask.

(Quick disclaimer: obviously, I haven't read these books, just their synopses, so I don't know what they're like in terms of content, quality, etc.)

I hope you find something to add to your own TBR, and remember to support Black authors, and other Black creators.

There're so many talented Black authors out there who deserve our attention!

Here we go, then, dearest nerdlets:

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

This one looks really interesting - a story about two brothers as they navigate middle school in the US. But while one brother is dark-skinned (and known as the 'Black brother'), the other is very light-skinned, and white-passing.

Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Set in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, this MG novel promises mermaids and magic. I'm not normally much of one for mermaids, but something about this one made me want to put it on my TBR.

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D Williams

13-year-old Genesis has a list of 96 things she hates about herself 💔. 

One of those things is her skin colour, which even her family makes fun of, because her skin-tone is so dark.

When Genesis reaches bad thing #100, will she keep making this list? Or is it time for a fresh start?

You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson

Contemporary YA about a young Black girl named Liz, who's trying to be crowned prom queen - but because it comes with a college scholarship. And she wants that scholarship.

Liz is also Queer, and there's an F/F romantic aspect.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

This YA contemporary is one that's been all over the bookish Interwebs (or at least the pro-Diversity and/or Queer parts of it.)

Dealing with blackmail over his dead-name (the name a Trans person is assigned at birth,) leads Felix to becoming involved in a catfish-scenario quasi-love-triangle.

More important, though, is Felix coming to terms with himself - Black, Queer, and Transgender, sometimes Felix feels like he's too marginalised to ever find his happy-ever-after.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Another book that deals with coming to terms with identity, The Black Flamingo is a YA novel-in-verse about Michael, a biracial British boy, entering the Drag world under the name of The Black Flamingo.

Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

This one looks super awesome!

This is a YA contemporary about two girls named Jasmine and Chelsea, who start an online feminist Women's Rights Club, and end up going viral.

Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson

An MG novel by Renée Watson, this book follows Amara as she finally visits her father's family in Harlem, and ends up learning that the history and the reality of both family and place are more complicated than she thought.

Slay by Brittney Morris

Student by day, but secretly one of the world's biggest game developers by night, Kiera Johnson is living a double-life. 

But, when the world of SLAY starts to gather attention in the real world, and problems like racism start to rear their heads, things are gonna get messy.

YA contemporary.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas' second YA novel (her debut being the awesome The Hate U Give (THUG)) On the Come Up is about Bri - a 16-year-old with dreams of making it as a rapper, but the struggles of poverty to contend with.

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

This YA novel follows the fallout of tragedy for Marvin Johnson, whose twin brother, Tyler, is killed by a police officer at a party.

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Monday Charles is missing, and only best friend Claudia seems to care. YA contemporary mystery.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

This African YA fantasy centres on Zélie Adebola as she tries to bring magic - outlawed under a ruthless king - back to her land of Orïsha.

I know a lot of my fellow bloggers love this one! 😊

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

This is a Middle Grade/Young Adult crossover fantasy series about an albino Nigerian-American girl named Sunny, who finds herself drawn into the world of the Leopard People, and trying to track down a dangerous kidnapper.

The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo by Catherine Johnson

Based on a real story from 19th Century Britain, this historical YA is about a distressed and traumatised Black girl, who leaves her troubled life behind, convincing an upper-class family that she is an 'exotic' lost princess from a faraway land.

There is a petition to get justice for Jacob Blake here.

There's a petition here to get justice for Breonna Taylor.

This petition is to free Willie Simmons, who has served over 38 YEARS in prison for stealing $9.

There are many other petitions and causes to support.

Have you read any of these books?

How many are on your TBR?

Any other YA/MG by Black authors to recommend?

Talk to me! 😊💬

You can follow me on Twitter @CeeDoraReads, on Pinterest, and on Dora Reads @ BlogLovin. For more ways to support me, check out the Support Me page

Related Reading:

• Review Time! - Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

• Nerd Church - Supporting Black People, Trans People, and Black Trans People

• The Bookish Diversity Linklist 2020

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