Young adult books go above and beyond when it comes to representation, and it’s something that we, the community, authors, and readers continue to fight for every day. So, in honor of Black History Month, we want to take a look at some of the books that have influenced this wave of representation and encourage you to read through the month.
You are reading: Good books for black young adults
And let’s face it: they’re all really, really good.
From anthologies to graphic novels, from atmospheric fantasies to realistic tales tinged with everyday themes, there is something to offer every type of reader in each of these stories. Start this year off strong by supporting Black authors and their stories!
54 Books To Read During Black History Month
(and every month!)
1. the hate you give for angie thomas
our number 1 recommendation for black history month is already a classic. From superstar author Angie Thomas, this stunning novel is inspired by Black Lives Matter activists and is a 100% must-read for this month and beyond.
Sixteen-year-old starr carter is torn between two worlds: the slum where she lives and the posh suburban high school she attends. The unsettling balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of his childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Shortly after, his death is a national headline. some call him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and gang member. Protesters are taking to the streets in the name of Khalil. some cops and the local drug dealer try to intimidate starr and his family. what everyone wants to know is: what really happened that night? and the only person alive who can answer that is starr.
but what starr says, or doesn’t say, could turn his community upside down. it could also endanger your life.
- buy the hate you give now!
2. cement rose by angie thomas
In the prequel to The Hate You Give, Maverick Carter is a force to be reckoned with. Enough saying.
If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: trading for the Lord Kings. With this money she can help her mother, who has two jobs while her father is in prison.
See Also: 40 Spooky and Mysterious Middle Grade Books • The Contented Reader
Life isn’t perfect, but with a flying girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, mav has it all under control.
until maverick finds out he’s a father.
suddenly he has a baby, seven years old, who depends on him for everything. but it is not so easy to sell drugs, finish school and raise a child. so when she is offered the opportunity to go straight, he takes it. In a world where you’re expected to be nothing, maybe mav can prove you’re different.
however, when the blood of the lord king runs through your veins, you can’t just walk away. Loyalty, revenge and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. he will have to discover for himself what it really means to be a man.
- buy cement rose now!
3. piercing the air by ibi zoboi & yusef salam
This amazing novel in verse based on real life events is a must read for everyone! this story will move you and inspire you to delve deeper into prison reform.
The story I thought was my life didn’t start the day I was born
amal shahid has always been an artist and a poet. but even in a diverse art school, due to a biased system, he is seen as disruptive and unmotivated. then, one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood turns into tragedy. “kids are just kids” turns out to be true only when those kids are white.
the story that I think will be my life begins today
Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. despair and rage nearly sink him until he turns to the shelter of his words, his art. this should never have been his story. but can you change it?
- buy air punches now!
4. blackout by dhonielle clayton, tiffany d. jackson, nic stone, angie thomas, ashley woodfolk and nicola yoon
six of the world’s greatest black female authors come together to tell a beautiful summer love story that’s perfect for all seasons.
a summer heat wave blankets new york city in darkness. But as the city is thrown into turmoil, a different kind of electricity is turned on…
a first meeting.
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long time friends.
ex bitter.
and maybe the start of something new.
When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities arise.
- buy blackout now!
5. happily ever after by elise bryant
Have you ever seen a cuter cover than this? this cover and the book are pure joy and all the magic of black girls. We’re always rooting for rom-coms, and this is definitely one for the books!
sixteen-year-old tessa johnson has never felt like a protagonist in her own life. she has rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she is a true female lead is in her own writing: in the stunning love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and her #1 devoted reader. p>
When Tessa is accepted into a prestigious art school’s creative writing program, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. but when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just… gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in her own real-life love story. and she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps toward a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like something out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.
but as tessa checks off each item on caroline’s list, she drifts further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about, including the surprising bond she develops with Sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s on her way to having her own love story in real life, but is it the one she wants after all?
- shop happily ever after now!
6. a true love for elise bryant
even more black girl magic in this companion to the super sweet happily ever after, with a black love story too!
lenore bennett has always been a force. A star artist and style icon at Ella’s high school, she’s a master of the subtle art of not giving a. . . well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she’s a little less confident.
he heads to nyu in the fall with a scarlet u (for “undeclared”) written on his chest. His parents always remind him that black kids can’t afford to find out on the spot, they have to be 110 percent prepared. But it’s a lot of pressure to be her ancestor’s wildest dreams when Lenore still isn’t sure what her dreams are.
When her family embarks on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise, her friend Tessa is sure Lenore is in for a whirlwind romance. but lenore knows that doesn’t happen to girls like her.
then he meets alex lee. after her parents bond over cupid’s mix, she ends up stuck with him for the rest of the cruise. he is a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a ten year plan. In short, he’s irritating as hell.
But as they get to know each other during picturesque stops in Europe, Alex can help Lenore find something else she’s been looking for, even if she doesn’t want to admit it: love.
- buy true love now!
7. black birds in the sky by brandy colbert
A searing new work of nonfiction from award-winning author Brandy Colbert about the history and legacy of one of the deadliest and most destructive acts of racial violence in American history: the Tulsa Race Massacre.
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