A Celebration of African-American YA | #YearofYA February ’19

 

There is a beautiful book called 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith Jr. that should be in every library, every classroom, every month of the year.

 

Perhaps just as necessary now than ever, young people need to find inspiration in the courage of generations before us, to learn about lived experiences vastly different (or incredibly similar!) to their own, to reflect on what it means to be a bystander, versus an ally, versus an upstander.

 

Stories like the short biographies found in 28 Days provide readers with those essential windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors that Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop has so famously referred to – and while biographies are a fitting way to connect and reflect during Black History Month, #YearofYA wants to celebrate the incredible works of African-American young adult authors.

 

Below are lists of books written by African American authors:

• 21 Books for Black History Month by Epic Reads
• Don’t Miss These Fantastic YA Books by Black Authors That Release This Year (2018) by Buzzfeed
• 18 Young Adult Books by POC Writers that you Need to Read by Epic Reads
• Great Books for Teens by African-American Authors by Burlington County Library System
• 100 Books for Black Boys/Teens of Color by Langston League

 

Additional helpful resources:

Reading While White

Tolerance.org

 

Mollee’s Must-Reads

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Anything by Jason Reynolds

 

Tavia’s Must-Reads

Any and Everything by Jason Reynolds (All American Boys is my favorite)

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Allegedly By Tiffany D. Jackson