Black History Month Picks for Teens

Updated February 1, 2024
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The beautiful struggle : a memoir
Coates, Ta-Nehisi
Paper Book
Adapted from the adult memoir by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Water Dancer and Between the World and Me, this father-son story explores how boys become men, and quite specifically, how Ta-Nehisi Coates became Ta-Nehisi Coates. As a child,...
Blood debts
Benton-Walker, Terry J.
Paper Book
GODS MEDDLE AND MAGIC WILL BETRAY YOU, BUT THIS TIME JUSTICE WILL REIGN. Terry J. Benton-Walker's contemporary fantasy debut, Blood Debts, is "an extravaganza from start to finish" (Chloe Gong) with powerful magical families, intergenerational curses, and deadly drama in...
Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School
Jewell, Tiffany
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Book Is Anti-Racist and The Antiracist Kid, Tiffany Jewell, this YA nonfiction book, highlighting inequities Black and Brown students face from preschool through college, is the most important, empowering read this year. ...
El odio que das
Thomas, Angie
Paper Book
Starr es una chica de dieciséis años que vive entre dos mundos: el barrio pobre de gente negra donde nació, y su escuela situada en un elegante barrio residencial blanco. El difícil equilibrio entre ambos se hace añicos cuando ella es testigo de la muerte a tiros de su mejor amigo, Khalil, a...
The hill we climb : an inaugural poem for the country
Gorman, Amanda
Paper Book
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller and #1 USA Today bestseller Amanda Gorman's electrifying and historic poem "The Hill We Climb," read at President Joe Biden's inauguration. "Stunning." --CNN "Dynamic." --NPR...
Legendborn
Deonn, Tracy
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn's YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of...
Nubia : real one
McKinney, L. L.
Paper Book
Can you be a hero...if society doesn't see you as a person? Nubia has always been a little bit...different. As a baby she showcased Amazonian-like strength by pushing over a tree to rescue her neighbor's cat. But despite her having similar abilities, the world has no problem...
Poemhood: Our Black Revival : History, Folklore & the Black Experience: a Young Adult Poetry Anthology
Mcbride, Amber/ Martin, Erica/ Byas, Taylor/ Ashwin Writing, Llc (COR)
Paper Book
"A rich, thoughtful anthology exploring centuries of Black poetry." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This deep and complex assemblage of Black poetry culminates in a joyful, painful, and emotionally rich experience." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "An eclectic mix of Black...
Shuri. 1, The search for Black Panther
Okorafor, Nnedi
Paper Book
The world fell in love with her in the movie. Now, the Black Panther's techno-genius sister launches her own adventures written by best-selling Afrofuturist author Nnedi Okorafor and drawn by Eisner nominated artist Leonardo Romero! The Black Panther has disappeared, lost on a mission in space. And...
The taking of Jake Livingston
Douglass, Ryan
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! Get Out meets Holly Jackson in this YA social thriller where survival is not a guarantee. Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston sees dead people everywhere. But he can't decide what's worse: being a medium forced...
Uncelebrated narratives from Black history
Gill, Joel Christian.
Paper Book
Strange Fruit Volume Iis a collection of stories from early African American history that represent the oddity of success in the face of great adversity. Each of the nine illustrated chapters chronicles an uncelebrated African American hero or event. From the adventures of lawman Bass...
We deserve monuments
Hammonds, Jas
Paper Book
"An absolute must read." --Buzzfeed "A gripping portrayal of the South's inherent racism and a love story for queer Black girls." --Teen Vogue Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery...
When you look like us
Harris, Pamela N.
Paper Book
"A high-speed story that will draw teens in and keep them turning pages until they reach the unpredictable and thrilling ending. A must for YA collections." (School Library Journal) A 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work nominee and a 2022 Edgar Award nominee, this...

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