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Celebrate Black History Month Diverse Reads: February 2021
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I Am Every Good Thing
by Derrick Barnes; illustrated by Gordon C. James
What it's about: The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He's got big plans, and no doubt he'll see them through—as he's creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend.
About the authors: Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James also created the award-winning Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut.
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Kamala and Maya's Big Idea
by Meena Harris; illustrated by Ana Ramírez González
Inspired by: A true story from the childhood of Vice President Kamala Harris and her sister, the lawyer and policy expert Maya Harris.
What happens: Through cooperation and determination, the two sisters help transform their neighborhood.
Try this next: Ambitious Girl, the latest picture book by Meena Harris, just arrived at the Library.
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All Because You Matter
by Tami Charles; illustrated by Bryan Collier
What it is: A lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to Black children everywhere.
Did you know? Amazon, the New York Public Library, NPR, and The Today Show all included this book on their "Best Children's Books of 2020" lists.
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Me & Mama
by Cozbi A. Cabrera
What it is: A celebration of a mother-daughter relationship that's perfect for sharing with little ones.
Book buzz: Me & Mama is a 2021 Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honor book.
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Class Act
by Jerry Craft
Starring: Eighth grader Drew Ellis, who navigates the challenges of being one of the few kids of color in a prestigious private school.
Series alert: This is a companion book to New Kid, the first graphic novel to win the prestigious Newbery Medal.
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Amari and the Night Brothers
by B. B. Alston
Introducing: Amari Peters, who has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive.
What happens: When Amari finds a ticking briefcase in her brother's closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she must complete for a spot against kids who've known about magic their whole lives.
For fans of: Tristan Strong, Percy Jackson, and Artemis Fowl.
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Brave. Black. First. 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World
by Cheryl Willis Hudson; illustrated by Erin K. Robinson
What it is: An illustrated biography compilation of remarkable African American women who helped pave the way for the next generation of young people.
Featuring: Harriet Tubman, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, Rosa Parks, Simone Biles, and many more!
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The Fierce 44: Black Americans Who Shook Up the World
by the staff of The Undefeated; illustrated by Robert Ball
What it's about: The Fierce 44 shines a spotlight on many of the country's greatest movers and shakers, with bright art that pops off the page.
What sets it apart: This book brings household names like Jay-Z and Oprah Winfrey together with lesser-known heroes like Dr. Charles Drew, who helped develop blood banks that saved thousands of lives.
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The Undefeated
by Kwame Alexander; illustrated by Kadir Nelson
What it is: An ode to Black American triumph in the face of adversity.
Don't miss: The spectacular illustrations by two-time Caldecott Honoree Kadir Nelson.
Includes: The closing section provides extra historical details on the people and events depicted throughout the book, for readers who'd like to learn more.
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You Should See Me in a Crown
by Leah Johnson
What happens: When the financial aid she was counting on falls through, Liz Lighty's plans come crashing down... until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls and catty competitors, but Liz is willing to do whatever it takes to attend uber-elite Pennington College.
Book buzz: Leah Johnson's debut was the inaugural pick for Reese Witherspoon's YA Book Club.
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Concrete Rose
by Angie Thomas
Starring: Seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter, the son of a former gang legend.
What happens: Mav finds out he's a father, and when he's offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. But after a loved one's brutal murder, loyalty, responsibility, and revenge threaten to tear Mav apart.
Series alert: Mav's story is a prequel to the acclaimed The Hate U Give.
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Every Body Looking
by Candice Iloh
What it's about: This debut novel tells the story of Ada—daughter of an immigrant father and an African American mother—and her struggle to find a place for herself in American and in her own family.
Reviewers say: "This blazing coming-of-age comet will have everybody looking up" (The New York Times)
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Punching the Air
by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
What it is: A powerful YA novel about Amal, an artist and poet who is wrongfully incarcerated. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his art.
Why it's significant: This story is a collaboration between award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, who was falsely convicted of a crime and served nearly seven years before being exonerated.
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Slay
by Brittney Morris
Introducing: Kiera Johnson—honors student and math tutor by day, and the secret developer of the online game SLAY.
What happens: When a teen is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, the game is labeled a violent hub for thugs and criminals. Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness.
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The Black Flamingo
by Dean Atta
What it's about: All his life, Michael has navigated what it means to be a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs—and the Black Flamingo is born.
Reviewers say: "Captures its audience from the very first page" (Booklist)
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The Awakening of Malcolm X
by Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson
In Charlestown Prison... a young Malcolm Little grapples with race, politics, religion, and justice. And as his time in jail comes to an end, he begins to awaken as Malcolm X.
Did you know? Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X's daughter, collaborated with award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson to tell this story.
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Grown
by Tiffany D. Jackson
What happens: When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields?
About the author: Tiffany D. Jackson won the 2019 Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Author Award for New Talent, for Monday's Not Coming.
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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
What it is: A fast-paced and timely exploration of racism—and antiracism—in America.
Reviewers say: "A true story—a living story—that everyone needs to know" (Steve Sheinkin). "Worthy of inclusion in every home and in curricula and libraries everywhere" (Kirkus Reviews)
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Kamala's Way: An American Life
by Dan Morain
What it's about: A revelatory biography of the first Black woman to stand for Vice President charts how the daughter of two immigrants in segregated California became one of this country’s most effective power players.
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African American poetry : 250 years of struggle & song
by Kevin Young
A wide-ranging anthology of black poetry represents 250 famous and less-recognized poets from the colonial era to the present who used their powerful words to illuminate such issues as racism, slavery and the threatened African Diaspora identity.
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Just As I Am
by Cicely Tyson
What it's about: Academy, Tony, and three-time Emmy Award-winning actor and trailblazer Tyson (1924-2021) recalls her extraordinary life, as well as the racial and gender stereotyping, movie-business prejudice, and ill-behaved men that shaped her seven-decade career. A forthright self-portrait of a determined woman and iconic cultural figure.
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Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?
by Martin Luther King Jr.
What it's about: In this last book written by King, he lays out his thoughts, plans, and dreams for America's future, including the need for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and quality education. With a universal message of hope that continues to resonate, King demanded an end to global suffering, asserting that humankind—for the first time—has the resources and technology to eradicate poverty.
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Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019
by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain (editors)
What it's about: Co-edited by the award-winning author of How to Be an Antiracist, a 400-year chronicle of African American history is written in five-year segments, as documented by 80 multidisciplinary historians, artists and writers.
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Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells
by Michelle Duster
What it's about: Written by her great-granddaughter, a historical portrait of the boundary-breaking civil rights pioneer includes coverage of Wells’s early years as a slave, her famous acts of resistance and her achievements as a journalist and anti-lynching activist.
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The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
by Les Payne and Tamara Payne
What it's about: A comprehensive, timely life of the renowned activist and his circuitous rise to prominence draws on hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving family members, intelligence officers and political leaders to offer new insights into Malcolm X’s Depression-era youth, religious conversion and 1965 assassination.
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Madam C.J. Walker: The Making of an American Icon
by Erica L. Ball
What it's about: A biography of entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker (1867–1919) who by the time of her death was worth $8.7 million. Walker engaged in an array of community-building, philanthropic, and civil rights endeavors. This brisk and informative account serves as a worthy introduction to a trailblazing businesswoman and social justice advocate.
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The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
by Peniel E. Joseph
What it's about: This dual biography upends longstanding preconceptions to transform our understanding of the twentieth century's most iconic African American leaders. While King is usually perceived as more practical and Malcolm X is considered more radical, this book shows that King was a revolutionary and that Malcolm X had his pragmatic side. Even though the two leaders began as rivals, they developed a political partnership and a shared revolutionary path.
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Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking
by Toni Tipton-Martin
What it's about: Drawing from historical texts and rare African-American cookbooks, a collection of 125 recipes takes readers into the world of African-American cuisine made by enslaved master chefs, free caterers and black entrepreneurs and culinary stars that goes far beyond soul food.
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His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope
by Jon Meacham
What it's about: The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Soul of America presents a timely portrait of veteran congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis that details the life experiences that informed his faith and shaped his practices of non-violent protest.
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Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture
by Emma Dabiri
What it's about: A BBC presenter and contributor for The Guardian describes the stigmatism of black hair and its encoded racism through history, from pre-colonial Africa through the Harlem Renaissance, to the modern Natural Hair Movement.
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Julian Bond's Time to Teach: A History of the Southern Civil Rights Movement
by Julian Bond
What it's about: A masterclass in the civil rights movement from one of the legendary activists who led it, Julian Bond's Time to Teach brings his invaluable teachings to a new generation of readers and provides a necessary toolkit for today's activists in the era of Black Lives Matter and #MeToo.
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The Princess and the Prophet: The Secret History of Magic, Race, and Moorish Muslims in America
by Jacob S. Dorman
What it's about: The story of how two enigmatic circus performers and the cultural ferment of the Gilded Age sparked the Black Muslim movement in America. Dorman explains why thousands of Americans came to see Islam as a global antiracist movement uniquely suited to people of African descent in an era of European imperialism, Jim Crow segregation, and officially sanctioned racism.
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The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song
by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
What it's about: In a companion book to a PBS documentary, renowned historian Gates presents a history of the Black church in America that illuminates its essential role in culture, politics and resistance to white supremacy.
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The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle
by Rob Kenner
What it's about: This first in-depth biography of the late hip hop artist examines his early years, his rise to fame with the mixtape “The Marathon” and his tragic murder in the very neighborhood he had dedicated himself to rebuilding.
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The Fire Next Time
by James Baldwin
What it's about: The powerful evocation of a childhood in Harlem that helped to galvanize the early days of the civil rights movement examines the deep consequences of racial injustice to both the individual and the body politic.
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The son of Mr. Suleman : a novel
by Eric Jerome Dickey
Targeted and blackmailed by racist colleagues, a Black professor at a Memphis university is called away from a whirlwind romance by the death of his father and a family that has never acknowledged him.
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The Prophets
by Robert Jones, Jr.
What it's about: In his debut novel, Jones delivers an ambitious tale of love and beauty in the face of brutality. Two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation find refuge in each other while transforming a quiet shed into a haven for their fellow slaves, before an enslaved preacher declares their bond sinful.
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Parable of the Talents
by Octavia E Butler
What it's about: In this sequel to Butler's Afrofuturism classic, Parable of the Sower, Laura Olamina's daughter, Larkin, describes the broken and alienated world of 2032, as war racks the North American continent and an ultra-conservative religious crusader becomes president. Originally published in 1998, this novel's prescient message of hope and resistance in the face of fanaticism is more relevant than ever.
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How to Catch a Queen
by Alyssa Cole
What it's about: An arranged marriage leads to unexpected desire, in the first book of Alyssa Cole's Runaway Royals series. After marrying the newly crowned King Sanyu of Njaza, Shanti Mohapi soon discovers that royal life is not what she expected and goes on the run when turmoil erupts in their kingdom and marriage.
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Black Buck
by Mateo Askaripour
What it's about: An unambitious college graduate accepts a job at Sumwun, the hottest NYC startup, and reimagines himself as “Buck”, a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. He begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate America's sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.
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Remote Control
by Nnedi Okorafor
What it's about: When an alien artifact turns her into Death’s adopted daughter, Sankofa, with her name being the only tie to her family and her past, searches for answers as cities fall in her wake. A thrilling sci-fi tale of community and female empowerment from Nebula and Hugo Award-winner Okorafor.
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The Tubman Command
by Elizabeth Cobbs
What it's about: A historical novel about Harriet Tubman who, as a scout for the Union army during the Civil War, led a successful raid up the Combahee River in South Carolina that freed 750 slaves.
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Another Country
by James Baldwin
What it's about: Set in Greenwich Village, Harlem, and France, Another Country is a novel of emotional intensity and haunting sensuality, depicting men and women, blacks and whites, stripped of their masks of gender and race by love and hatred at the most elemental and sublime. In a small set of friends, Baldwin imbues the best and worst intentions of liberal America in the early 1970s.
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Cane River
What it's about: A story of romance between two African Americans in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
What it's about: The story of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman whose cells were used in the 1950s to create the first immortal human cell line, resulting in medical breakthroughs.
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Southside with You
What it's about: Chronicles the first date of Michelle and Barack Obama, in 1989.
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Emperor
What it's about: The story of Shields "Emperor" Green, an escaped slave who traveled north and joined John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
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If Beale Street Could Talk
What it's about: A young couple in Harlem struggles with the woman's pregnancy while trying to prove that the man is innocent of a crime.
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John Lewis: Good Trouble
What it's about: Chronicles the life and career of civil rights activist and politician John Lewis.
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A Ballerina's Tale
What it's about: A profile of Misty Copeland, the first African American woman to become principal dancer of the American Ballet Theater.
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Back to Natural
What it's about: Examines the relationships between natural black hair, racial identity, and politics.
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King in the Wilderness
What it's about: Provides a look at the final three years of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., from the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to his assassination in April 1968.
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The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
What it's about: The first feature length documentary to explore the Black Panther Party, weaving a treasure trove of rare archival footage with the voices of the people who were there.
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Fresno County Public Library 2420 Mariposa St. Fresno, California 93721 559-600-READ (7323)www.fresnolibrary.org |
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