Multicultural Children's Book Day

#ReadYourWorld

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
    • Mission & History
    • Our Partner Organizations
    • What is a Multicultural Book?
    • Co-Founders
    • Board of Trustees
    • Board of Advisors
    • Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts
    • Team
    • MCBD Timelines
    • Make a Donation: #GivingTuesday 2022
    • Media Partners
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Us
  • FREE Diverse Books
    • FREE Diverse Books for Classrooms Program
    • FREE Diversity Book For Reviewers!
    • Authors & Publishers: Book Donations
    • Donate
  • Sponsorship
    • MCBD2023 Medallion Level Sponsors
    • MCBD2023 Author Sponsors
    • Fundraisers & Marketing Services
      • Fundraiser | Social Media Shout Outs!
      • Sponsor of the Week/Month
      • Fundraising/ Sponsored Post Services
      • Multicultural Children’s Book Day ebook
    • Medallion and Author Level Sponsorships for MCBD2023 are OPEN!
  • Reading Resources
    • Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents
    • Multicultural Children’s Book Day Classroom Kit 2022 Mental Health Support for Stressful Times
    • Raising Awareness on Systemic Racism in America Classroom Kit
    • Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit
    • FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit
    • Gallery of Our Free Posters
    • Neurodiverse and Autistic Voices Are Your Best Autism Resources
    • IG Live Interview Series
    • 2021 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2020 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2019 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2018 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2017 Big Giant Linky!
    • 2016 Big Giant LInky!
    • 2015 Big Giant Linky!
  • Press Kit & Stats
    • Press Kit
    • Social Proof & Media Mentions
    • 2016 Recap and Stats
    • 2015 Recap and Stats
  • Blog
  • Sign Up for Free Updates

Books for Teens Featuring African-American Protagonists & 5 Book Giveaway

January 23, 2018 by Mia Wenjen

Mike Mullin is the author of the Ashfall trilogy.

We are giving away 5 copies of his latest book, Surface Tension. Please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom to enter.

Surface Tension by Mike Mullin

After witnessing an act of domestic terrorism while training on his bike, Jake is found near death, with a serious head injury and unable to remember the plane crash or the aftermath that landed him in the hospital. A terrorist leader’s teenage daughter, Betsy, is sent to kill Jake and eliminate him as a possible witness. When Jake’s mother blames his head injury for his tales of attempted murder, he has to rely on his girlfriend, Laurissa, to help him escape the killers and the law enforcement agents convinced that Jake himself had a role in the crash.

Mike Mullin, author of the Ashfall series, delivers a gripping story with memorable characters and all-too-real scenario. [young adult, ages 14 and up]

#ReadYourWorld Book Jam 2018, Eight Picture Books with Diverse Family Constellations

Okay, I’ll start with a confession. The title of this post isn’t exactly accurate. I’m an author, not a librarian, and certainly not qualified to write any kind of exhaustive list of the rich YA literature featuring Black protagonists.

Instead, I’m offering a more personal reading history. These are the books that I remember and still think about, sometimes years after I read them, the books that most influenced my development as a reader and writer. That also means this list includes some books that are arguably middle grade and one that was marketed as adult.

Although some of the books are classics, I’m including a few more recent titles this list because of the impact they had on my forthcoming novel, SURFACE TENSION. One of the most important characters in that novel is Laurissa Davis, a 17-year-old Black teenager from a wealthy family. Some books on this list she may have read, and others helped me define her character and her understanding of the world.

To the book list! (Read that sentence in Batman’s voice, please.)

 

Books for Teens Featuring African-American Protagonists

1. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

I first read this novel the same year I first saw Star Wars, when I was ten or eleven. Both experiences linger in my memory nearly 40 years later. It wasn’t the first time I’d read books with Black protagonists (that would be Ezra Jack Keats’ brilliant picture books), but it was the first time I’d read about the brutality of racism. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry is set in 1930’s Mississippi—Taylor sets the scene so well that by the time you’re done reading you’ll be able to taste the rust-colored dust of the dirt roads.

Cassie is an indomitable heroine. Every time I read her story, I alternate between feeling terror and elation as she confronts everything from racist insults to horrific threats against her person. But the true brilliance of the novel is the theme of fire running throughout it, beginning with the horribly burnt body of Mr. Berry and ending with a forest fire—it serves as a stark metaphor for the all-consuming nature of racism. [chapter book, ages 11 and up]

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Multicultural Booklist Tagged With: Books for Kids Featuring African-American Protagonists, Books for Teens Featuring African-American Protagonists & 5 Book Giveaway, Young Adult Novels that Feature African-American Protagonists & 5 Book Giveaway

Help us get diverse Kidlit into schools!

Join our Read Your World
Newsletter and Blog List
Be the first to know about the latest Read Your World news, new children's books, exclusive offers, and special events.
Thanks for subscribing to our newsletter!

Make a Way Media Super Platinum Sponsor

Language Lizard Platinum Sponsor

Mia Wenjen Founders Circle

Audrey Press Founders Circle

Publisher Spotlight Gold Sponsor

Publisher Spotlight 2023

Interlink Publishing Gold Sponsor

Interlink 2023

Cardinal Rule Press Silver Sponsor

Barefoot Books Silver Sponsor

Lee & Low Books Silver Sponsor

Lee & Low 2023

Kimberly Gordon Biddle Silver Sponsor

Vivian Kirkfield Bronze Sponsor

Patrice McLaurin Bronze Sponsor

Star Bright Books Bronze Sponsor

The Quarto Group Bronze Sponsor

Carole P. Roman Bronze Sponsor

Star Bright Books Bronze Sponsor

Redfin Bronze Sponsor

Redfin Canada 2023

Redfin Canada Bronze Sponsor

Redfin Canada 2023

Rent.com Bronze Sponsor

Bay Equity Home Loans Bronze Sponsor

Title Forward Bronze Sponsor

Title Forward 2023

Brunella Costagliola Bronze Sponsor

Brunella Costagliola 2023

Stay in the loop with all MCBD Happenings!

MCBD is included in the Top 100 Children’s Book Blogs!

Children’s Book Blogs

Copyright © 2023 · Multicultural Childrens Book Day on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cleantalk Pixel