Fiction
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (Walker Books for Young Readers, 2008 )
Joseph by Shelia P. Moses ( Margaret K. McElderry, 2008 )
Alice’s Afterimage by Lulu Delacre (Lee and Low; 2008 )
Chess Rumble by G. Neri; illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson (Lee & Low, 2008 )
Death of Jayson Porter by Jaime Adoff (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2008 )
Hot Girl by Dream Jordan (St. Martin Press, 2008)
Dark dude by Oscar Hijuelos (Atheneum, 2008 )
Stacie and Cole by Rm Johnson (December, 2007 )
If I was your boyfriend; Trouble follows; 16 isn’t always sweet; The pact; Dirty jersey; Shrink to fit; Hallway diaries (Kimani Tru)
Beacon Hill High by Monique & Sherri McGee McCovey (Sept, 2008 )
Chameleon by Charles R. Smith (September, 2008 )
Suckerpunch by David Hernandez
Red Glass by Laura Resau
Kendra by Coe Booth (October, 2008 )
Blue Jasmine by Kashmira Sheth (October, 2007 )
Five Miles to Empty by Harold Imes ( re issue June, 2008 )
She said, she said Celeste O Norfleet and Jennifer Norfleet (June, 2008 )
That’s what’s up! Paula Chase (June, 2008 )
Courtin Jayd (Drama High) L. Divine (August, 2008 )
He forgot to say goodbyeby Benjamin Alire Saenz (June, 2008 )
Rogelia’s house of magic by Jamie Martinez Wood (June, 2008 )
Path to my African eyes by Ermila Moodley
First Daughter: White House Rules Mitali Perkins (January, 2008 )
Esperanza: A latina story Sandra Lopez
Roots and wings Many Ly
Sacred Leaf Debra Ellis (August, 2007) Americas Award Commended Title
Good Enough Paula Yoo (February, 2008 )
Gamma Glamma Kim Flores (January, 2008 )
My life as a rhombus Varian Johnson (January, 2008 ) First Chapter
After Tupac and D Foster Jacqueline Woodson (January, 2008 )
Mexican White Boy Matt de la Pena August, (2008 )
Fat hoochie prom queen Nico Medina (May, 2008 )
Hurrican Song Paul Volponi
The Whole Sky Full of Stars by Rene Saldana
The Brothers Torres by Coert Vorhees (April, 2008 )
Anahita’s woven riddle Meghan Nuttall Syres
Hotlanta Denene Millner Mitzi Miller (April, 2008 )
Pass on no pass back Darrell Lum
Sunrise over Fallujah Walter Dean Myers
Island boyz Graham Salisbury
Ask me no questions Marina Budhos
Across a hundred mountains Renya Grande
Scandalosa: A Honey blonde chica novel Michelle Serros
Fifteen candles: Fifteen tales of taffeta, hair spray, drunk uncles and other quiceanera stories Adriana Lopez
Rolling Wit the punches Jarold Imes
Running wit no breaks Jarold Imes
The ALT Girlz Series Sonia Hayes (Urban Goddess; Eye Candy)
Ms. Thang Sonia Hayes
Growing Pains Rhonda Allen
Adios to my old life Caridad Ferrer
It’s not about the accent Caridad Ferrer
That’s What’s Up Paula Chase Hyman
Life is Fine Allison Whittenberg
Touching Snow M. Sindy Felin
Conception Kalisha Buckhanon
Sold Patricia McCormick
Chasing the Jaguar Michele Dominguez Greene
Quedando bien Anilu Bernardo
Tyrone’s Betral Gloria Velasquez
My father, the angel of death Ra Villareal
Quesadilla Moon Gary Castillo
How to Salsa in a Sari Dona Sarkar (Kimani Tru)
A matter of attitude Hayden (Kimani Tru)
Runaway Precious
Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa Micol Ostow
Scandalosa: A Honey Blonde Chica Novel Michele Serros
Game Walter Dean Myers
Useful Fools Corrine Schmidt
Chameleon Charles Smith
Staci & Cole R.M. Johnson
Jubilee Journey Carolyn Meyer
Lady J L. Divine (Drama High Series)
Graffiti Girl Kelly Parra
The absolutely true story of a part time Indian Sherman Alexie (awards)
When the Black Girl Sings Bil Wright
Marked by Fire Joyce Carol Thomas
What they found: Love on 145th Street Walter Dean Myers (2008 Best Book for Young Adults)
Hero Moore Perry (2008 Best Book for Young Adults)
I cannot out do Fusion Stories for reviews of Asian American fiction
World Lit
Mister Pip by Lloyd Johnson (2006) Commonwealth Writer’s Prize; shortlisted for the Man Booker Award
Beneath my mother’s feet Amjed Qamar, June 2008
The door of no return by Sarah Mussi (August, 2008; winner 2007 Glen Dimplex Awards UK)
The Last of the warrior kings by Sarah Mussi
Say you’re one of them by Uwem Akpan
Chanda’s War by Allan Stratton (2008 )
A long way gone: Memoirs of a boy soldier Ishmael Beah ( 2008 Alex Award)
Religious
The triumph of my soul (multiple authors)
With friends like these Reshonda Tate Billingsley
Pressing hard; Problem solved (Perry Skky series) by Stephanie Perry Moore
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
The Lesson Fred Rutledge (March, 2008)
Zahrah the windseeker Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
The Shadow Speaker Nnedi Okorafo-Mbachu
Comics/Graphic Novels
Pitch Black by by Youme Landowne / Anthony Horton
Aya ; Aya of Yop CIty ; Marguerite Abouet
Satchel Paige: striking out Jim Crow by James Sturm and Richard Tommaso
Yummy: The last days of a southside shorty Greg Neri
Chance in hell Gilbert Hernandez
Malcolm X: A graphic biography Andrew Helfer (2008 Best Book for Young Adults)
Poetry/Drama
¡Aplauso! Hispanic Children’s theater Joe Rosenburg
Why war is never a good idea Alice Walker
Non-Fiction
Reaching out Francsco Jimenez (Houghton Mifflin, 2008 )
Latino Chronology D. H. Figueredo (New York Library Association Best Reference 2007)
No way home: A dancer’s journey from the streets of Havana to the stages of the world Carlos Acosta
Walk with us: triplet boys and their teen parents and two white women who tagged along Elizabeth Gordon, Crandall Dostie & Douglass Books, 2007
The bond: three young men learn to forgive and re-connect with their fathers Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt Riverhead Hardcover, 2007
Mi voz, mi vida Latino college students tell their life storiesCornell University Press, 2007
The buzz on M.L.K. Journey of a King Tonya Bolden ( 2008 NCTE Orbis Picture Award)
George Washington Carver Tonya Bolden
Other heroes: African American Comic Creators, Characters and Archetypes
Professional Reading
Free within ourselves: The development of African American children’s literature by Rudine Sims Bishop (May, 2007 )
Classics
10 June 2008 Tuesday at 2:23 am
Thank you fir including my book Walk with Us on your list. I will be touring this Fall and would love to read in Indianapolis – if young readers there would be interested. The book just won an Indie Book Award, for multicultural non-fiction, and we got a great review at Multicultural Review (June), so I’m psyched. And I’m honored now to find myself on your list. I shared the book with a class of 7th graders in Albany last week, readers of color. Unlike adult audiences, who offer statments, they asked real questions. It was a cool wind in my face, a breathtaking view. Elizabeth
13 June 2008 Friday at 1:59 am
Thanks for contacting me!
Edi
2 July 2008 Wednesday at 8:25 am
[...] Helping kids find the right book… July 2, 2008, 12:16 am Filed under: YA Lit | Tags: African American Fiction, YA Literature I found a blog, by “Edi, an African American school librarian in Indianapolis hoping to improve the literacy of students of color”. Her homepage is interesting, as it examines black issues in literature, essays, movies, etc., but I’m excited about the booklists she created–very helpful for those of us who haven’t read many multicultural, teen-appropriate books, but would still like to be able to recommend some. She’s made lists for 2007 and 2008. [...]
7 July 2008 Monday at 7:25 pm
Hello Edi,
Thank you for what you are doing to improve literacy amongst African American students. My name is Sonia Hayes and I too, share that same passion. I found my first novel, “Ms. Thang” (2006) on your website. I also like to invite you to take a look at “Urban Goddess” (2007) and “Eye Candy” (2008). They comprise my teen series, the ATL Girlz. I write to empower teens to make positive choices in their lives. If ever I can be of service to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please keep doing what you are doing. It matters!
Warmest regards,
Sonia Hayes
410.710.2700
7 July 2008 Monday at 9:50 pm
Hello and thanks for letting me know about the other titles. I’ll be back in the States in a couple of weeks and I will definitely add your books to my reading list. Keep in touch, let me know what other projects you’re working on! We have to keep fighting the good fight!