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Subject=African Americans--Fiction.

Mending the world : stories of family by contemporary Black writers

A celebration of modern black family life, featuring fiction, memoir, and poetry, by African American authors both new and renowned.

The bluest eye

Morrison, Toni.

The Bluest Eye is the story of eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove, a black girl in an America whose love for its blonde, blue-eyed children can devastate all others, who prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.

The hate u give

Thomas, Angie, author.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does, or does not, say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Jimi & me

Adoff, Jaime.

After his father's tragic death, twelve-year-old Keith James moves from Brooklyn to a small midwestern town where his mixed race heritage is not accepted, but he finds comfort in the music of Jimi Hendrix and the friendship of a white classmate.

Swing

Alexander, Kwame, author.

"Noah and his best friend Walt want to become cool, make the baseball team, and win over Sam, the girl Noah has loved for years. When Noah finds old love letters, Walt hatches a plan to woo Sam. But as Noah's love life and Walt's baseball career begin, the letters alter everything"-- Provided by publisher.

Ashes

Anderson, Laurie Halse, author.

"As the Revolutionary War rages on, Isabel and Curzon are reported as runaways, and the awful Bellingham is determined to track them down. With purpose and faith, Isabel and Curzon march on, fiercely determined to find Isabel's little sister Ruth, who is enslaved in a Southern state"-- Provided by publisher.

Forge

Anderson, Laurie Halse.

Separated from his friend Isabel after their daring escape from slavery, fifteen-year-old Curzon serves as a free man in the Continental Army at Valley Forge until he and Isabel are thrown together again, as slaves once more.

The Pox party

Anderson, M. T.

Various diaries, letters, and other manuscripts chronicle the experiences of Octavian, a young African American, from birth to age sixteen, as he is brought up as part of a science experiment in the years leading up to and during the Revolutionary War.

We are all welcome here : a novel

Berg, Elizabeth.

Tyrell

Booth, Coe.

Fifteen-year-old Tyrell, who is living in a Bronx homeless shelter with his spaced-out mother and his younger brother, tries to avoid temptation so he does not end up in jail like his father.

Born in sin

Coleman, Evelyn, 1948-

Despite serious obstacles and setbacks, fourteen-year-old Keisha pursues her dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer and medical doctor.

Bucking the Sarge

Curtis, Christopher Paul.

Deeply involved in his cold and manipulative mother's shady business dealings in Flint, Michigan, fourteen-year-old Luther keeps a sense of humor while running the Happy Neighbor Group Home For Men, all the while dreaming of going to college and becoming a philosopher.

Copper sun

Draper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills)

Two fifteen-year-old girls--one a slave and the other an indentured servant--escape their Carolina plantation and try to make their way to Fort Moses, Florida, a Spanish colony that gives sanctuary to slaves.

Begging for change

Flake, Sharon.

Fourteen-year-old Raspberry Hill tries to sort out her confused feelings of disgust, shame, and love for her homeless, drug addicted father and worries that she may have inherited his lying and stealing ways.

Pemba's song : a ghost story

Hegamin, Tonya.

As fifteen-year-old Pemba adjusts to leaving her Brooklyn, New York, home for small-town Connecticut, a Black history researcher helps her understand the paranormal experiences drawing her into the life of a mulatto girl who was once a slave in her house.

Dread nation : rise up

Ireland, Justina, author.

When families go missing in Baltimore County, Jane McKeene, who is studying to become an Attendant, finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that has her fighting for her life against powerful enemies.

Soulcatcher and other stories

Johnson, Charles Richard, 1948-

Hot girl

Jordan, Dream.

Kate, a fourteen-year-old Brooklyn girl and former gang member, risks losing her first good foster family when she adopts the risqué ways of her flirtatious new friend, Naleejah.

Like no other

LaMarche, Una, author.

Though their relationship is strictly forbidden, Devorah and Jax arrange secret meetings and risk everything to be together. But how far can they possibly go? Just how much are they willing to give up?

Day of tears : a novel in dialogue

Lester, Julius.

Emma has taken care of the Butler children since Sarah and Frances's mother, Fanny, left. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, as a rift over slavery has ripped the Butler household apart. Now, to pay off debts, Pierce Butler wants to cash in his slave "assets", possibly including Emma.

Indigo Summer

McKayhan, Monica.

When fifteen-year-old Indigo's perfect world falls apart she turns to her neighbor, sixteen-year-old Marcus Carter, for help but now that she has realized what a great guy he is, so does someone else.

This way home

Moore, Wes, 1978-, author.

Elijah, seventeen, has always been sure of just one thing--basketball--and believes it will be his way out of West Baltimore, but when gang violence knocks him down, helping a veteran repair his rickety home helps Elijah see what really matters.

Jazz

Morrison, Toni.

Song of Solomon

Morrison, Toni.

47

Mosley, Walter.

Number 47, a fourteen-year-old slave boy growing up under the watchful eye of a brutal master in 1832, meets the mysterious Tall John, who introduces him to a magical science and also teaches him the meaning of freedom.

The Beast

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

A visit to his Harlem neighborhood and the discovery that the girl he loves is using drugs give sixteen-year-old Anthony Witherspoon a new perspective both on his home and on his life at a Connecticut prep school.

Game

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

If Harlem high school senior Drew Lawson is going to realize his dream of playing college, then professional, basketball, he will have to improve at being coached and being a team player, especially after a new--white--student threatens to take the scouts' attention away from him.

Street love

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

This story told in free verse is set against a background of street gangs and poverty in Harlem in which seventeen-year-old African American Damien takes a bold step to ensure that he and his new love will not be separated.

Drinking coffee elsewhere

Packer, ZZ.

Pick-up game : a full day of full court

A series of short stories by such authors as Walter Dean Myers, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Joseph Bruchac, interspersed with poems and photographs, provides different perspectives on a game of streetball played one steamy July day at the West 4th Street court in New York City known as The Cage.

Loving vs. Virginia : a documentary novel of the landmark civil rights case

Powell, Patricia Hruby, 1951- author.

Written in blank verse, this is the story of Mildred Loving, an African American girl, and Richard Loving, a Caucasian boy, who challenge the Viriginia law forbidding interracial marriages in the 1950s.

All American boys

Reynolds, Jason, author.

When sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend. Told through Rashad and Quinn's alternating viewpoints.

When I was the greatest

Reynolds, Jason.

Ali lives in Bed-Stuy, a Brooklyn neighborhood known for guns and drugs, but he and his sister, Jazz, and their neighbors, Needles and Noodles, stay out of trouble until they go to the wrong party, where one gets badly hurt and another leaves with a target on his back.

Flygirl

Smith, Sherri L.

During World War II, a light-skinned African American girl "passes" for white in order to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

Dear Martin

Stone, Nic, author.

Writing letters to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., seventeen-year-old college-bound Justyce McAllister struggles to face the reality of race relations today and how they are shaping him.

Calling my name

Tamani, Liara, author.

"Taja Brown, growing up in a conservative and tightly knit African American family, battles family expectations to discover a sense of self and find her unique voice and purpose"-- Provided by publisher.

The hate u give

Thomas, Angie, author.

After witnessing her friend's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.

The good Negress

Verdelle, A. J., 1960-

After leaving rural Virginia for Detroit in 1963, a young black girl struggles with divided loyalties as she begins to see her family in a new light.

The Final Four

Volponi, Paul.

Four players at the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament struggle with the pressures of tournament play and the expectations of society at large.

Rucker Park setup

Volponi, Paul.

While playing in a crucial basketball game on the very court where his best friend was murdered, Mackey tries to come to terms with his own part in that murder and decide whether to maintain his silence or tell J.R.'s father and the police what really happened.

Piecing me together

Watson, Renée, author.

Tired of being singled out at her mostly-white private school as someone who needs support, high school junior Jade would rather participate in the school's amazing Study Abroad program than join Women to Women, a mentorship program for at-risk girls.

After Tupac and D Foster

Woodson, Jacqueline.

In the New York City borough of Queens in 1996, three girls bond over their shared love of Tupac Shakur's music, as together they try to make sense of the unpredictable world in which they live.

The house you pass on the way

Woodson, Jacqueline.

When fourteen-year-old Staggerlee, the daughter of a racially mixed marriage, spends a summer with her cousin Trout, she begins to question her sexuality to Trout and catches a glimpse of her possible future self.

The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963

Curtis, Christopher Paul.

The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

Freedom over me : eleven slaves, their lives and dreams brought to life

Bryan, Ashley.

"Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, contrasts the monetary value of a slave with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away"--Provided by publisher.

Sasquatch in the paint

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, 1947-

Eighth-grader Theo Rollins' growth spurt has Coach Mandrake trying to transform him into a basketball star, but training time is hurting the science club's chances of winning the "Aca-lympics," and being accused of stealing could mean Theo is off both teams.

The crossover

Alexander, Kwame.

Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

Addy saves the day : a summer story

Porter, Connie Rose, 1959-

Addy and Harriet feud over everything, including fund-raising plans to help the families of freed slaves, but tragedy finally forces them to stop fighting and work together.

Meet Addy : an American girl

Porter, Connie Rose, 1959-

Nine-year-old Addy Walker escapes from a cruel life of slavery to freedom during the Civil War.

Chains : seeds of America

Anderson, Laurie Halse.

After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.

Home of the brave

Applegate, Katherine.

Kek, a refugee from Sudan, is confronted by many strange things at the Minneapolis home of his aunt and cousin, as well as in his fifth-grade classroom, and longs for his missing mother, but finds comfort in the company of a cow and her owner.

Crossing Jordan

Fogelin, Adrian.

Twelve-year-old Cass meets her new African-American neighbor, Jemmie, and despite their families' prejudices, they build a strong friendship around their mutual talent for running and a pact to read Jane Eyre.

Egg-drop blues

Banks, Jacqueline Turner.

Twelve-year-old Judge Jenkins has a low science grade because of his dyslexia, so he convinces his twin brother Jury to work with him in a science competition in order to earn extra credit.

Extra innings

Barber, Tiki, 1975-

"Tiki and Ronde have their sights set on a big diamond--a baseball diamond! Sure, they're experienced athletes, but they've never played baseball before. Do they have what it takes to make the team?"--Provided by publisher.

Brand-new school, brave new Ruby

Barnes, Derrick D.

Eight-year-old Ruby Booker is headed to a new school where her older brothers rule; however, Ruby has big plans to change that.

The tallest tree

Belton, Sandra.

A group of young African-American children learn about Paul Robeson from one of the neighborhood elders, and decide to reclaim the town theater in order to celebrate Robeson's life.

Jefferson's sons : a founding father's secret children

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker.

A fictionalized look at the last twenty years of Thomas Jefferson's life at Monticello through the eyes of three of his slaves, two of whom were his sons by his slave, Sally Hemings.

Gloria's way

Cameron, Ann, 1943-

Gloria shares special times with her mother and father and with her friends Julian, Huey, and Latisha.

Julian, secret agent

Cameron, Ann, 1943-

When Julian, his little brother Huey, and their friend Gloria decide to be "crime busters," they find themselves in one adventure after another.

Storm warriors

Carbone, Elisa Lynn.

In 1895, after his mother's death, twelve-year-old Nathan moves with his father and grandfather to Pea Island off the coast of North Carolina, where he hopes to join the all-black crew at the nearby lifesaving station, despite his father's objections.

The jacket

Clements, Andrew, 1949-

Sixth-grader Phil comes to an awareness of his own racial prejudice after he sees Daniel, an African-American boy, wearing his brother's one-of-a-kind jacket and leaps to the conclusion that Daniel has stolen the coat.

Shadows on Society Hill : an Addy mystery

Coleman, Evelyn, 1948-

When her family moves to Philadelphia's Society Hill neighborhood in 1866, Addy, a former slave, discovers that her new home holds dangerous secrets--including one connected to the North Carolina plantation she escaped from only two years earlier. Includes an educational section on Reconstruction.

Bud, not Buddy

Curtis, Christopher Paul.

Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

Mr. Chickee's funny money

Curtis, Christopher Paul.

Flint Future Detective Club members Steven Carter, his friend Russell, and Russell's dog Zoopy solve the mystery of a quadrillion-dollar bill with the image of James Brown on it.

The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963

Curtis, Christopher Paul.

The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.

I thought my soul would rise and fly : the diary of Patsy, a freed girl

Hansen, Joyce.

Twelve-year-old Patsy keeps a diary of the ripe but confusing time following the end of the Civil War and the granting of freedom to former slaves.

The journal of Joshua Loper : a Black cowboy

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

In 1871 Joshua Loper, a sixteen-year-old black cowboy, records in his journal his experiences while making his first cattle drive under an unsympathetic trail boss.

The dazzle disaster dinner party

Draper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills)

Sassy's fancy dinner turns into a disaster, but with the help of the items in her handy sack and a little ingenuity, Sassy manages to make the meal memorable.

The silver secret

Draper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills)

Sassy, who cannot sing, wants to be in the school musical, but must first prove to her music teacher that she can make a positive difference in the program.

Dragons in a bag

Elliott, Zetta.

In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.

It all comes down to this

English, Karen.

"In the summer of 1965, Sophie's family becomes the first African Americans to move into their upper middle-class neighborhood in Los Angeles. When riots erupt in nearby Watts, she learns that life and her own place in it are a lot more complicated than they had seemed"-- Provided by publisher.

Substitute trouble

English, Karen.

While Ms. Shelby-Ortiz is recovering from an injury, substitute Mr. Willow takes over Nikki and Deja's third-grade class with disastrous results.

Nobody's boy

Fleischner, Jennifer.

A fictional story featuring historical figures, in which George, a slave boy in 1850s St. Louis, gains his freedom with his mother, future White House dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly, and decides to use his liberty to help others escape.

Armstrong & Charlie

Frank, Steven, 1963-

"During the pilot year of a Los Angeles school system integration program, two sixth grade boys, one black, one white, become best friends as they learn to cope with everything from first crushes and playground politics to the loss of loved ones and racial prejudice in the 1970s"--Provided by publisher.

Darby

Fuqua, Jonathon Scott.

In 1926, nine-year-old Darby Carmichael stirs up trouble in Marlboro County, South Carolina, when she writes a story for the local newspaper promoting racial equality.

Garvey's choice

Grimes, Nikki.

Preferring science and reading to the sports his father wants him to play, Garvey comforts himself with food and endures bullying before joining the school chorus, where he learns how to accept himself and bond with his father.

Make way for Dyamonde Daniel

Grimes, Nikki.

Spunky third-grader Dyamonde Daniel misses her old neighborhood, but when she befriends a boy named Free, another new student at school, she finally starts to feel at home.

The road to Paris

Grimes, Nikki.

Inconsolable at being separated from her older brother, eight-year-old Paris is apprehensive about her new foster family but just as she learns to trust them, she faces a life-changing decision.

Satch & me : a baseball card adventure

Gutman, Dan.

With his ability to travel through time using vintage baseball cards, Joe takes Flip with him to find out whether Satchel Paige really was the fastest pitcher ever.

Yellow Bird and me

Hansen, Joyce.

Doris becomes friends with Yellow Bird as she helps him with his studies and his part in the school play and discovers that he has a problem known as dyslexia.

Midnight without a moon

Jackson, Linda Williams.

Rose Lee Carter, a thirteen-year-old African-American girl, dreams of life beyond the Mississippi cotton fields during the summer of 1955, but when Emmett Till is murdered and his killers are unjustly acquitted, Rose is torn between seeking her destiny outside of Mississippi or staying and being a part of an important movement.

The Parker inheritance

Johnson, Varian.

Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure--but when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, she finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.

True north : a novel of the underground railroad

Lasky, Kathryn.

Because of the strong influence which her grandfather, an abolitionist, has in her life, fourteen-year-old Lucy assists a fugitive slave girl in her escape.

The Old African

Lester, Julius.

An elderly slave uses the power of his mind to ease the suffering of other slaves and eventually leads them back to Africa.

The rock and the river

Magoon, Kekla.

In 1968 Chicago, fourteen-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonviolent approach to seeking civil rights for African-Americans and his older brother, who has joined the Black Panther Party.

Secret Saturdays

Maldonado, Torrey.

Justin, a fatherless twelve-year-old in a dangerous neighborhood in New York, starts to worry about his friend Sean, who has started telling lies and getting into trouble at school, and when he suspects that the change in attitude is connected to mysterious trips Sean takes with his mother, he tries to get involved.

A friendship for today

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

Twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson learns that she will be attending an all-white school in the fall; but when her best friend is diagnosed with polio, she must face the first day of school alone.

Let my people go : Bible stories told by a freeman of color to his daughter, Charlotte, in Charleston, South Carolina, 1806-1816

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

The daughter of a free black man who worked as a blacksmith in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1800s recalls the stories from the Bible that her father shared with her, relating them to the experiences of African Americans.

Porch lies : tales of slicksters, tricksters, and other wily characters

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

Presents a collection of nine original tales drawn from African American oral tradition that blends history and legend with sly humor, creepy horror, villainous characters, and wild farce.

Junebug

Mead, Alice.

An inquisitive young boy who lives with his mother and younger sister in a rough housing project in New Haven, Connecticut, approaches his tenth birthday with a mixture of anticipation and worry.

Darnell Rock reporting

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

Thirteen-year-old Darnell's twin sister and the other members of the Corner Crew have doubts about his work on the school newspaper, but the article he writes about a homeless man changes his attitude about school.

A big day for baseball

Osborne, Mary Pope.

"Jack and Annie use the magic tree house to travel back in time to 1947 Brooklyn, New York, where they pretend to be batboys at Jackie Robinson's first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves"--Provided by publisher.

Jump into the sky

Pearsall, Shelley.

In 1945, thirteen-year-old Levi is sent to find the father he has not seen in three years, going from Chicago, to segregated North Carolina, and finally to Pendleton, Oregon,where he learns that his father's unit, the all-Black 555th paratrooper battalion, will never see combat but finally has a mission. Includes historical notes.

Trouble don't last

Pearsall, Shelley.

Samuel, an eleven-year-old Kentucky slave, and Harrison, the elderly slave who helped raise him, attempt to escape to Canada via the Underground Railroad.

Raven in a dove house

Pinkney, Andrea Davis.

While twelve-year-old Nell and her fourteen-year-old cousin struggle with the loss of parents and other hardships, both African-American youths learn to rely on themselves.

January's sparrow

Polacco, Patricia.

After a fellow slave is beaten to death, Sadie and her family flee the plantation, traveling north through the Underground Railroad in search of freedom.

Lu

Reynolds, Jason.

"Lu knows he can lead Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and the team to victory at the championships, but it might not be as easy as it seems. Suddenly, there are hurdles in Lu's way--literally and not-so-literally--and Lu needs to figure out, fast, what winning the gold really means"--Provided by publisher.

Bayou magic

Rhodes, Jewell Parker.

Visiting her grandmother in the Louisiana bayou, ten-year-old Maddy begins to realize that she may be the only sibling to carry on the gift of her family's magical legacy.

Hang a thousand trees with ribbons : the story of Phillis Wheatley

Rinaldi, Ann.

A fictionalized biography of the eighteenth-century African woman who, as a child, was brought to New England to be a slave, and after publishing her first poem when a teenager, gained renown throughout the colonies as an important African-American poet.

Children of the fire

Robinet, Harriette.

A young African-American girl named Hallelujah lives through the great Chicago fire with courage and resourcefulness.

Yankee girl

Rodman, Mary Ann.

When her FBI-agent father is transferred to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1964, eleven-year-old Alice wants to be popular but also wants to reach out to the one black girl in her class in a newly-integrated school.

Small steps

Sachar, Louis, 1954-

Three years after being released from Camp Green Lake, Armpit is trying hard to keep his life on track, but when his old pal X-Ray shows up with a tempting plan to make some easy money scalping concert tickets, Armpit reluctantly goes along.

Zora and Me

Bond, Victoria, 1979-

A fictionalized account of Zora Neale Hurston's childhood with her best friend Carrie, in Eatonville, Florida, as they learn about life, death, and the differences between truth, lies, and pretending. Includes an annotated bibliography of the works of Zora Neale Hurston, a short biography of the author, and information about Eatonville, Florida.

Hoodoo

Smith, Ronald L. (Ronald Lenard), 1959-

In 1930s Alabama, twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher is the only member of his family who seems unable to practice folk magic, but when a mysterious man called the Stranger puts the entire town at risk from his black magic, Hoodoo must learn to conjure to defeat him.

Mississippi bridge

Taylor, Mildred D.

During a heavy rainstorm in 1930s rural Mississippi, a ten-year-old white boy sees a bus driver order all the black passengers off a crowded bus to make room for late-arriving white passengers and then set off across the raging Rosa Lee River.

Keena Ford and the field trip mix-up

Thomson, Melissa, 1979-

Keena and her second-grade class go on a field trip to the United States Capitol where they meet a congressman; and Keena makes a big impression, which she documents in her new journal.

Second daughter : the story of a slave girl

Walter, Mildred Pitts.

Aissa, the teen-age fictional sister of Elizabeth Freeman, struggles against a system which declares that she is property and that she is to remain silent.

Kizzy Ann Stamps

Watts, Jeri Hanel, 1957-

Kizzie Ann Stamps is nervous about starting at a new school that was just integrated, and wonders if she and her dog Shag will be allowed to compete in a herding competition because she is African-American.

Revolution

Wiles, Deborah.

"It's 1964 in Greenwood, Mississippi, and Sunny's town is being invaded by people from up north who are coming to help people register to vote. Her personal life isn't much better, as a new stepmother, brother, and sister are crowding into her life, giving her little room to breathe"--From publisher's description.

One crazy summer

Williams-Garcia, Rita.

In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

The blossoming universe of Violet Diamond

Woods, Brenda (Brenda A.)

"A biracial girl finally gets the chance to meet the African American side of her family"--Provided by publisher.

Feathers

Woodson, Jacqueline.

When a new, white student nicknamed "The Jesus Boy" joins her sixth grade class in the winter of 1971, Frannie's growing friendship with him makes her start to see some things in a new light.

Hush

Woodson, Jacqueline.

Twelve-year-old Toswiah finds her life changed when her family enters the witness protection program.

Crow

Wright, Barbara, 1951-

Moses Thomas's summer vacation in 1898 does not go as planned, and while he deals with family problems and fickle friends, Moses comes to be more aware of the escalating tension between the African American and white communities of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Love like sky

Youngblood, Leslie C.

Eleven-year-old Georgie is still adjusting to leaving Atlanta for a small town, having a stepfather, and being unable to get close to her stepsister when her six-year-old sister, Peaches, suddenly becomes very ill.

Kick it, Mo!

Adler, David A.

"When soccer season starts, Mo, who has been working hard to improve his kicking skills, wonders if he will ever get a chance to show his team what he can do"--OCLC.

White water : inspired by a true story

Bandy, Michael S.

After tasting the warm, rusty water from the fountain designated for African Americans, a young boy questions why he cannot drink the cool, refreshing water from the "Whites Only" fountain. Based on a true experience co-author Michael S. Bandy had as a boy.

No mirrors in my Nana's house

Barnwell, Ysaye M.

A girl discovers the beauty in herself by looking into her Nana's eyes.

Li'l Dan, the drummer boy : a Civil War story

Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988.

L'il Dan, informed by a company of Union solders that he is no longer a slave, follows them and uses his beloved drum to save them from attack. Includes a reading by Maya Angelou on CD.

Grandmama's pride

Birtha, Becky, 1948-

While on a trip in 1956 to visit her grandmother in the South, six-year-old Sarah Marie experiences segregation for the first time, but discovers that things have changed by the time she returns the following year.

Ron's big mission

Blue, Rose.

Nine-year-old Ron, a frequent visitor to the Lake City Public Library in South Carolina in the 1950s, where he pores over books on airplanes and flight, makes his own quiet stand against segregation when he decides to apply for his own library card. Based on the life of astronaut Ron McNair.

Lookin' for Bird in the big city

Burleigh, Robert.

A fictionalized account of the time when, as a teen-age music student, trumpeter Miles Davis spent many hours trying to find Charlie Parker in New York City.

Nappy

Carney-Nunes, Charisse.

An African-American mother styling her young daughter's hair teaches her to be proud of her heritage, showing her that she shares her "nappy" hair with strong African-American women who came before her, such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks.

Light in the darkness

Cline-Ransome, Lesa.

Risking a whipping if they are discovered, Rosa and her mama sneak away from their slave quarters during the night to a hidden location in a field where they learn to read and write in a pit school.

White socks only

Coleman, Evelyn, 1948-

Grandma tells the story about her first trip alone into town during the days when segregation still existed in Mississippi.

Full, full, full of love

Cooke, Trish.

For young Jay Jay, Sunday dinner at Gran's house is full of hugs and kisses, tasty dishes, all kinds of fishes, happy faces, and love.

You are here

Crews, Nina.

When the rain keeps Mariah and Joy confined to the indoors, they create a magic map and go on a fantastic imaginary voyage.

Clean your room, Harvey Moon!

Cummings, Pat.

Harvey tackles a big job: cleaning his room.

Last stop on Market Street

de la Peña, Matt.

A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.

Rap a tap tap : here's Bojangles-- think of that!

Dillon, Leo.

Rhyming text and illustrations describe the dancing of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, one of the most famous tap dancers of all time.

Hot day on Abbott Avenue

English, Karen.

After having a fight, two friends spend the day ignoring each other, until the lure of a game of jump rope helps them to forget about being mad.

The buffalo soldier

Garland, Sherry.

Realizing that his future lies in owning land, not just being free, a young man raised as a slave becomes a buffalo soldier--a member of an all-black cavalry regiment formed to protect white settlers from Indians, bandits, and outlaws, and that later fought in the Spanish American War. Includes historical note.

Danitra Brown leaves town

Grimes, Nikki.

Recounts, in a series of poems and letters, Danitra's summer at her aunt's house in the country and her best friend Zuri's summer at home in town.

The chicken-chasing queen of Lamar County

Harrington, Janice N.

A young farm girl tries to catch her favorite chicken, until she learns something about the hen that makes her change her ways.

Jamaica's blue marker

Havill, Juanita.

Jamaica thinks her classmate Russell is a pest who is always getting into trouble, but then she discovers he is moving away.

Most loved in all the world

Hegamin, Tonya.

Even though Mama is an agent on the Underground Railroad, in order to help others she must remain a slave, but she teaches her daughter the value of freedom through a gift of love and sacrifice.

Mr. George Baker

Hest, Amy.

Harry sits on the porch with Mr. George Baker, an African American who is one hundred years old but can still dance and play the drums, waiting for the school bus that will take them both to the class where they are learning to read.

Grace at Christmas

Hoffman, Mary, 1945-

When her grandmother takes in a stranded family at Christmas, Grace is reluctant to share her favorite holiday with strangers, even though the visiting family includes a "real live ballerina."

A band of angels : a story inspired by the jubilee singers

Hopkinson, Deborah.

The daughter of a slave forms a gospel singing group and goes on tour to raise money to save Fisk University.

Steamboat school : inspired by a true story : St. Louis, Missouri: 1847

Hopkinson, Deborah.

In 1847 St. Louis, Missouri, when a new law against educating African Americans forces Reverend John to close his school, he finds an ingenious solution to the new state law by moving his school to a steamboat in the Mississippi River. Includes author's note on Reverend John Berry Meachum, a minister, entrepreneur, and educator who fought tirelessly for the rights of African Americans.

Virgie goes to school with us boys

Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald.

In the post-Civil War South, a young African American girl is determined to prove that she can go to school just like her older brothers.

Two Mrs. Gibsons

Igus, Toyomi.

The biracial daughter of an African-American father and a Japanese mother fondly recalls growing up with her mother and her father's mother, two very different but equally loving women.

All different now : Juneteenth, the first day of freedom

Johnson, Angela, 1961-

In 1865, members of a family start their day as slaves, working in a Texas cotton field, and end it celebrating their freedom on what came to be known as Juneteenth.

Lily Brown's paintings

Johnson, Angela, 1961-

When Lily Brown paints, she imagines all sorts of fantastic things in the scenes that she sees every day.

Julius

Johnson, Angela.

Maya's grandfather brings her a pig from Alaska and the two of them learn about fun and sharing together.

Angel City

Johnston, Tony, 1942-

Joseph, an old African-American man, finds a Mexican baby abandoned in a Dumpster and raises him in a rough Los Angeles neighborhood to know both African-American and Mexican American ways.

Faraway home

Kurtz, Jane.

Desta's father, who needs to return briefly to his Ethiopian homeland, describes what it was like for him to grow up there.

Black cowboy, wild horses : a true story

Lester, Julius.

An African-American cowboy is so in tune with wild mustangs that they accept him into the herd, thus enabling him singlehandedly to take them to the corral.

Freedom school, yes!

Littlesugar, Amy.

When their house is attacked because her mother volunteered to take in the young white woman who has come to teach African-American children at the Freedom School, Jolie is afraid, but she overcomes her fear after learning the value of education.

These hands

Mason, Margaret H., 1954-

An African American man tells his grandson about a time when, despite all the wonderful things his hands could do, they could not touch bread at the Wonder Bread factory. Based on stories of bakery union workers; includes historical note.

The all-I'll-ever-want Christmas doll

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

During the Depression, three young sisters get one baby doll for Christmas and must find a way to share.

Goin' someplace special

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

In segregated 1950s Nashville, a young African American girl braves a series of indignities and obstacles to get to one of the few integrated places in town: the public library.

Stitchin' and pullin' : a Gee's Bend quilt

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

As a young African American girl pieces her first quilt together, the history of her family, community, and the struggle for justice and freedom in Gee's Bend, Alabama unfolds.

Lights out!

Medearis, Angela Shelf, 1956-

At bedtime, a young girl enjoys looking out her window and then creates a puppet show with shadows on the wall.

Daisy and the doll

Medearis, Michael.

Daisy, an eight-year-old African-American girl living in rural Vermont in the 1890s, is given a black doll by her teacher and becomes uncomfortable that her skin is a different color from that of her classmates, until she finds the courage to speak from her heart.

Across the alley

Michelson, Richard.

Jewish Abe's grandfather wants him to be a violinist while African-American Wille's father plans for him to be a great baseball pitcher, but it turns out that the two boys are more talented when they switch hobbies.

Don't touch my hair!

Miller, Sharee (Illustrator)

Aria loves her soft and bouncy hair, but must go to extremes to avoid people who touch it without permission until, finally, she speaks up. Includes author's note.

Looking like me

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

Jeremy sets out to discover all of the different "people" that make him who he is, including brother, son, writer, and runner.

Who will I be, Lord?

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux.

A young girl recalls the stories she has been told about the members of her family and wonders what kind of person she will become.

In my momma's kitchen

Nolen, Jerdine.

A child describes the family events, like making apple jelly and having relatives visit, that center around Momma's kitchen.

Boycott blues : how Rosa Parks inspired a nation

Pinkney, Andrea Davis.

Uses the form of a blues song to share the story of the year-long bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked by seamstress Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger in 1955, which resulted in a repeal of the Jim Crow segregation laws.

Peggony-Po : a whale of a tale

Pinkney, Andrea Davis.

Peggony-Po, carved out of wood by his father, a one-legged whaler, determines to catch the huge whale that ate his father's leg.

Max found two sticks

Pinkney, J. Brian.

Although he doesn't feel like talking, a young boy responds to questions by drumming on various objects, including a bucket, hat boxes, and garbage cans, echoing the city sounds around him.