Fiction by Black Authors

This exploration of the natural world and family bonds through the eyes of a young mixed-race narrator is a living, breathing, dazzlingly multi-faceted, exuberant masterpiece, firmly grounded in her sense of self-worth and belonging. If Walt Whitman were reborn as a vibrant young woman of color, this is the book he might write. America, we hear... Read more »

From the New York Times bestselling creator of I Am Enough comes an empowering follow-up that celebrates every child’s limitless potential.

Don't miss this audiobook edition, read by the author, Grace Byers!

I Believe I Can is an affirmation for boys and girls of every background to love and believe in themselves, from actress and activist Grace...

In this warm and tender story by the Caldecott Honor-winning creator of Thank You, Omu!, join a mother and daughter on an up-and-down journey that reminds them of what's best about Saturdays: precious time together.

Today would be special. Today would be splendid. It was Saturday! But sometimes, the best plans don't work out exactly the way you... Read more »

If you enjoyed Just Mercy (Movie Tie-In Edition), then you’ll love From the Desk of Zoe Washington.

“An absolutely charming and inspirational read or listen about family, growing up and second chances. Social justice issues and experiences of racism are appropriately handled with grace and realism for this age. I enjoyed spending a bit of my summer experiencing her summer adventures and mishaps. Zoe is portrayed as a bright, ambitious 12 year-old, but she makes plenty of mistakes along the way. It balanced lighter moments of Zoe’s internship at a local bakery and re-building her friendship with her next-door neighbor alongside the tougher reality of deciding what to do when she receives a letter from her incarcerated biological father that she has never met. I loved that the author thoughtfully weaves in teachable moments around the Innocence Project and the effects that incarceration has on the entire family. Would partner great with "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stephenson. ”

Cori, Bright Side Bookshop

Clean Getaway

“This hooked me from the get go. When G'ma asks Will to come on an impromptu trip, he wants to get away for a bit but does not know what he is getting himself into. His sweet, loving, albeit kooky, G'ma is more than meets the eye. She is a whirlwind of chaos, taking Will on a roadtrip through her past, offhandedly teaching Will about racial tensions in the 1960s when she, a white woman, married a black man (his G'pa). Clean Getaway introduces the Civil Rights era, accessibly integrating the present with the past through G'ma's confessions and her treasure box of memories, including a green book, a road trip map, a photo, and a set of diamond earrings.”

Emma, Content

An Odyssey Honor audiobook and National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel—adapted for audio—is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl.

Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life... Read more »

King and the Dragonflies

“Kingston (King) James and his parents are grieving the loss of Khalid-- King's older brother. When Khalid was alive and the two shared a bedroom, he would talk in his sleep, telling his younger brother stories about the universe and its magic. King continues to see Khalid in his dreams, and is convinced Khalid has transformed into a dragonfly. The Louisiana bayou provides the backdrop for both a colorful landscape and a tense, fearful place where racism festers. When King's former friend, Sandy, who is white, and the son of the racist police chief, goes missing, King ends up helping hide Sandy from his abusive father. Woven seamlessly into this wise story is King's slow awakening of his sexuality, brought to the fore by his renewed friendship with Sandy, who is known to be gay. Callender's writing is so authentic and their characters are so tenderly portrayed by Ron Butler's superb narration I mourned its conclusion. The whole package is a crowning achievement.”

Jane, Bear Pond Books

National Book Award-finalist Ibi Zoboi makes her middle-grade debut with a moving story of a girl finding her place in a world that's changing at warp speed.

Twelve-year-old Ebony-Grace Norfleet has lived with her beloved grandfather Jeremiah in Huntsville, Alabama ever since she was little. As one of the first black engineers to integrate NASA,... Read more »

“Reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.” —The New York Times

“One of the best books I have ever read…will live in the hearts of readers for the rest of their lives.” —Colby Sharp, founder of Nerdy Book Club

“An emotional, painful, yet still hopeful adolescent journey…one that needed telling.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“I really... Read more »

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia's epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods.

Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he... Read more »

National Book Award Finalist

Stonewall Book Award Winner

"[A] beautiful, genre-expanding debut...Pet is a nesting doll of creative possibilities." (The New York Times)

The award-winning, genre-defying novel by the New York Times best-selling author of The Death of Vivek Oji that explores themes of identity and justice and asks: How do you share the... Read more »

This program is read by the author

"Just brilliant."—Kirkus Reviews

Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism—all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age story for fans of Renee Watson's Piecing Me...

A Stonewall Honor Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All Time

From Stonewall and Lambda Award–winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He...

The Black Flamingo

“This beautiful novel in verse has a tender, loving lens on the toxic directions we're sometimes forced to grow in before we are able to come into our own. In that way, it reminds me of Moonlight. The epilogue is beautiful and stands on its own—I want to print it out and pin it up in every middle and high school.”

Miriasha, Phoenix Books

SLAY

“This audiobook slays! An incredible way to experience this microphone drop of a story!”

Jessica, Brain Lair Books

"Hysterical. I couldn’t put it down.” (Nic Stone) "I laughed, I gasped, I church grunted through every chapter." (Tiffany D. Jackson) "Heartfelt and hilarious on every page!" (Justin A. Reynolds)

4 starred reviews! * An Indie Next List Pick! * Named one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children’s Books of the Year!

Two-time Edgar Award...

“I couldn’t put Dear Haiti, Love Alaine down!” —New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory

Co-written by sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite, this exceptional debut novel captures a sparkling new voice and irrepressible heroine in a story sure to thrill fans of Nicola Yoon and Ibi Zoboi!

Alaine Beauparlant has heard about Haiti all her... Read more »

A Coretta Scott King Honor Book

Told in two distinct and irresistible voices, Junauda Petrus's bold and lyrical debut is the story of two black girls from very different backgrounds finding love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both.

Port of Spain, Trinidad. Sixteen-year-old Audre is despondent, having just found out... Read more »

From award-winning and bestselling author, Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition.
Framed. Bullied. Disliked. But I know I can still be the best.

... Read more »

Clap When You Land

“This was my first Acevedo, and I'm kicking myself for not having read her sooner. Her spare language is fantastic, especially in the audio version. ”

Leah, Bards Alley