Books We Loved in 2020

A lot of us had lofty reading goals when 2020 began, but the truth is that sometimes we didn't feel much like reading. (And that's okay!) Binge-watching mindless television or baking away our troubles took precedence at times. Eventually though, we found our way back to the balm of books: books to take our minds off things, books to soothe the soul, books that showed us worlds 10,000 times better (or worse!) that our current situation. We offer the following selection of MLC staff's favorite books read in the last year. Many were published in 2020, but you'll find classics here as well. Scroll through to find well-loved books in a variety of genres for all ages. Once you're done, let us know what you loved reading in 2020 in the comments.

Comics/Graphic Novels

• The Daughters of Ys
  M.T. Anderson and Jo Rioux (2020)
  

• When Stars Are Scattered
  Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (2020)
  "Even though this graphic novel memoir is aimed at middle grade readers, people of all ages will be drawn to its themes of hope, resilience, and familial love."
   
• Harleen
  Stjepan Šejić (2020)
  
  
• They Called Us Enemy
  George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (2019)
   
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me
  Rosemary Valero-O'Connell and Mariko Tamaki (2019)
  "Learning how to respect yourself and not lose yourself when you're in a romantic relationship with someone else--this book nails it."
   
• Are You Listening?
  Tillie Walden (2019)
  "Genuine human connections and a mysterious cat. I was completely entranced."
   
• The Prince and the Dressmaker
  Jen Wang (2018)
  

Adult Fiction

• Anxious People
  Fredrik Backman (2020)
  "It’s the world’s worst hostage situation with the world’s most neurotic hostages. Backman does a wonderful job exploring what make people PEOPLE. The book clips along at a wonderful pace and just about every other chapter has a reveal that makes you re-evaluate everything you’ve read so far."
   
• Wish You Well
  David Baldacci (2000)
  "I read a lot of David Baldacci this year, but this one had a particular message for me."
   
• Battleground 
• Peace Talks
  Jim Butcher (2020)
  "I have been reading a lot of escapism--no-thought, sci-fi pulp--but the back to back release of the two Dresden File books was high on my list of best moments."
  "I have been reading this series since the early 2000s and Jim Butcher is one of my favorite authors."
  

• The Girl in the Mirror
  Rose Carlyle (2020)
  "One of the best twisty mystery/thriller novels I read this year."
   
• And Then There Were None
  Agatha Christie (1939)
   
• Ring Shout
  P. Djèlí Clark
  "Alternate history considering the idea that hate turns people into actual monsters that are only perceptible to the few who fight them. Unsettling."
   
• Piranesi
  Susanna Clarke (2020)
  "Piranesi’s always lived in the House…until one day, somebody else shows up. This is a weird little atmospheric fantasy book about being alone but not being alone, being trapped but not being trapped, and making the most of your surroundings. So you know, the perfect 2020 quarantine read."
   
• The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In
  Charles Dickens (1844)
  "My husband and I started 2020 by reading this as an audiobook while sitting in front of our fire pit on New Year's Eve. I count it, because we didn't finish until around 1:30 AM. I had always meant to read it and that just seemed like the perfect time."
  
  
• Leopard's Wrath
  Christine Feehan (2019)
   
• The Guest List
  Lisa Foley (2020)
  "A modern-day take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None set on an Irish island. I binge-read this."
   
• Into the Drowning Deep
  Mira Grant (2017) 
   
• Snow Falling on Cedars
  David Guterson (1994)
   
• An Anonymous Girl
  Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (2019)
   
• Beach Read
  Emily Henry (2020)
  "When I was stuck in a reading slump, this book pulled me back out by the hair. Its story, at times heartbreakingly sweet and poignant, led me from cover to cover until I was at the end and wishing it would never be over."

• The Bone Tree
• Mississippi Blood
• Natchez Burning
  Greg Iles (2015, 2017, 2014)
  "In my ongoing effort to read and become familiar with the works of Mississippi authors, I enjoyed several books in the Penn Cage series by Greg Iles set in the Natchez area (Port Gibson to the southwest corner of Wilkinson County). Iles's characters in these books are both intricate and audacious, spanning the concepts of both good and evil. These larger than life stories are surely "must reads" for anyone who wants to be familiar with one of the state's "to be treasured" authors. Who would think that an attempt to do the right thing would foster so very many evil actions by demoniac individuals acting singularly and in groups? During this time of isolation due to the pandemic, these three titles helped this reader to temporarily forget the stress of the virus."
  
  
• The City We Became
  N.K. Jemisin (2020)
  "Jemisin really showed in this book that she can not only do high fantasy but is also adept at contemporary fantasy. The modern characters and setting crackle with life and wit, and the story itself pulled me taut with excitement and anticipation the entire time I was reading."
  
  
• The Only Good Indians
  Stephen Graham Jones (2020)
  "This was a good year for horror, exemplified by none other than this book, which expertly tackles both the genre and the societal issues surrounding Native American culture. This tale is gripping, terrifying, and one I wish I could erase from my brain so I could have the pleasure of reading it for the first time again."
  "Great exploration on how our past haunts us."
  
  
• Chasing Cassandra
• It Happened One Autumn
  Lisa Kleypas (2020, 2005)
  
  
• The Historian
  Elizabeth Kostova (2005)
  "I go back and listen to this audiobook every couple of years. It is such a good story and well put together."
  
  
• Thalmaturge
  Terry Mancour (2019)
   
• Pale Fire
  Vladimir Nabokov (1962)
  "Worth the hype."
  
  
• Witch World
• Web of the Witch World
• Three Against the Witch World
  Andre Norton (1963, 1964, 1965)
  "I read a lot of new biographies and memoirs this year, but I got the most enjoyment from rereading an old series of books that I read as a child. Andre Norton's Witch World series first caught my attention when I was in the fifth grade, and I rejoiced every time I found a new book in it."
  
  
• What Are You Going Through
  Sigrid Nunez (2020)
  "The Friend was better, but this was also good."
  
  
• Moon of the Crusted Snow
  Waubgeshig Rice (2018)
  "A small town/tribal community is cut off from society for an unknown reason and must rely on their ancestors' knowledge to survive. Timely."
  
  
• The Black Swan of Paris
  Karen Robards (2020)
  "A historical fiction WWII spy novel that delivered and made me sad when it was over."
  
  
• Normal People
  Sally Rooney (2018)
  
  
• The Wise Man's Fear
  Patrick Rothfuss (2011)
  
  
• The Perfect Guests
  Emma Rous (2021)
  "I loved the flashing back and forth between the present and the past while the book got closer and closer to revealing the truth about a wealthy family."
  
  
• Home Before Dark
  Riley Sager (2020)
  
  
• Elephant Man
  Christine Sparks (1980)
  
  
• The Sun Down Motel
  Simone St. James (2020)
  "A ghost story in an old and creepy roadside motel. Yes, please."
  
  
• No Rest for the Restless
  R.W. Stone (2020)
  "First western I've read. Really enjoyed it and will read more."
  
  
• The Past is Never
  Tiffany Quay Tyson (2018)
  
  
• The Bourbon Kings 
• Consumed
  J.R. Ward (2015, 2018)
  
  
• Mobius
  Garon Whited (2019)
  

Adult Nonfiction

• The Worst Journey in the World
  Apsley Cherry-Garrard (1922)
  "Being in the Antarctic SUCKS and Cherry-Garrard does a wonderful job explaining how. This wonderful exploration of Robert Scott’s ill-fated polar expedition is a combination of the author’s memories and diary entries from other members of the expedition. It’s a little heavy at times, but so worth it."

• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
  Lori Gottlieb (2019)
   
• As the Last Lead Falls: A Pagan's Perspective on Death, Dying, and Bereavement
  Kristoffer Hughes (published as The Journey into Spirit in 2014)
  "I listened to a presentation the author did about his work in May and I immediately ordered his book. It was really one of the most beautiful views of death and his pagan rituals surrounding it."
   
• My Trip Down the Pink Carpet
  Leslie Jordan (2008)
   
• Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family
  Robert Kolker (2020)
  "After listening to a podcast by Shellie and Tracy, I read Tracy's recommendation of Hidden Valley Road. I enjoy nonfiction, and I have to agree with Tracy that it was one of my favorite books for the year."
   
• Greenlights
  Matthew McConaughey (2020)
  "The audiobook is amazing since Matthew is doing his own reading for you. You can hear him smile as he reads his life stories out loud. It's simply an awesome memoir with a positive way to look at life and how best to catch those "greenlights in life" and not let the yellow and red lights slow you down. I rate it five "warm and fuzzy" stars."
   
• I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
  Michelle McNamara (2018)
  "When I heard that HBO was making a six-part documentary series based on the book of the same name, I decided to read the book. Knowing that the author died before finishing the book gives the reader an added layer of context. You feel the desperation of the author to come so close to discovering the killer only to have passed away before knowing her work would result in the capture of a decades long predator. Maybe not the best for reading before bed, but a strong read for those that like true crime."
   
• Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era
  Jerry Mitchell (2020)
   
• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
  Trevor Noah (2016)
   
• Erebus: The Story of a Ship
  Michael Palin (2018)
  "This is a fun, easy-to-read history book about HMS Erebus, the British naval vessel who had a tour of the Antarctic and later mysteriously vanished in the Arctic! Palin’s narrative voice is super fun and you get such a wonderful view of this ship’s history and all the places she went."
   
• The Order of Time
  Carlo Rovelli (2017)
   
• Open Book
  Jessica Simpson (2020)
   
• Arcadia
  Tom Stoppard (1993)
   
• The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
  Sonya Renee Taylor (2018)
   
• Memorial Drive
  Natasha Trethewey (2020)
  "Devastatingly gorgeous, this just made me want to hug my momma close." 
  

Picture Books

• Stick and Stone
  Beth Ferry and Tom Lictenheld (2015)
  "Simple, yet detailed artwork tells a story of friendship."
   
• Looking Out for Sarah
  Glenna Lang (2001)
  "Beautifully illustrated story about a seeing-guide dog and his day-to-day tasks. Based on a real pup and person. Plus there is a dog. :)"
   
• We Are Water Protectors
  Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goada (2020)
  "The art is stunning . The story is equally good and pairs well with the illustrations."
   
• Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
  Juana Martinez-Neal and Kevin Noble Maillard (2019)
  "I love fry bread. This book is a celebration of that delectable treat and of the indigenous people across North America who make it."
   
• Unicorn Day
  Diana Murray and Luke Flowers (2019)
  "Chaotic artwork, but in a good way. A delightful tale of acceptance."
   
• In Our Mothers' House
  Patricia Polacco (2009)
  "I love Patricia Polacco and this book, showcasing a lesbian couple and their adopted children, gave me all the warm and fuzzy feels."
   
• My Papi Has a Motorcycle
  Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña (2019)
  "A celebration of father-daughter love and of the importance of community."
   
• The Most Magnificent Thing
  Ashley Spires (2014)
  "A great picture book about emotions and creating things. Plus, there is a dog. :)"
   
• Coming on Home Soon
  Jacqueline Woodson and James E. Ransome (2001) 
• Visiting Day
  Jacqueline Woodson and E.B. Lewis (2004)
  "Both of these super sweet books focus on children who live with their grandmothers while their parent is away. I ached for them when they missed their parent--one in prison, the other far away working--but I basked in the glow of that grandmotherly love."
   
• William's Doll
  Charlotte Zolotow and William Pène du Bois (1972)
  "William knows what he wants and what he wants is a doll. Smashing gender stereotypes back in the 70s!"
  

Middle Grade

 

• The Girl and the Ghost
  Hanna Alkaf (2020)
  "I adored this Malaysian ghost tale: a girl inherits a ghost from her grandmother, setting her off on a fascinating quest."
   
• Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe
  Jo Watson Hackl (2018)
  "A girl in a Mississippi ghost town named Cricket searches for a secret room her mother told her about. Well-researched."
   
• Indian No More
  Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell (2019)
  "Set in the mid-1950s, Indian No More tells the true story of a young girl from the Umpqua tribe. When the US government terminates her tribe, her immediate family moves to California and starts a new, very different, life."
   
• The Bad Beginning
  Lemony Snicket (1999)
  "I used to love these books and it turns out I still do. I reread all of them this year, but I'm just going to list the first one."
  

YA

• The Night Country
  Melissa Albert (2020)
  
  
• The Darkest Part of the Forest
  Holly Black (2015)
   
• Clown in a Cornfield
  Adam Cesare (2020)
  "Like reading an 80s slasher film."
   
• These Shallow Graves
  Jennifer Donnelly (2015)
   
• Copper Sun
  Sharon Draper (2006)
   
• Pet
  Akwaeke Emezi (2019)
  "Just because you pretend something is gone doesn't mean it's so."
   
• Come Tumbling Down
  Seanan McGuire (2020)
  "Every year, I eagerly await the next book in the Wayward Children series. This year's installment was one of the best yet. I just want to hug these books, I love them so much."
   
• Prophecy 
• Warrior
• King
  Ellen Oh (2013, 2013, 2015)
   
• Witch Child
  Celia Rees (2000)
   
• Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All
  Laura Ruby (2019)
  "I love a good, non-scary ghost story and this historical mystery was amazing."

We hope you discovered a few books to read in 2021, whether they're old favorites are brand new. Until next time, happy reading!

Reading Widely: March 2018

Here are three youth titles to help you read widely in March - a picture book, a middle grade book, and a young adult book.

Islandborn by Junot Díaz, illustrated by Leo Espinosa.  When Lola's teacher asks her class to draw pictures of where they immigrated from, Lola is sad because she can't remember The Island--she left when she was just a baby. But with the help of family and friends, she learns her family's story and gets closer to knowing who she really is.

Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender. Caroline Murphy is a hurricane child--she was born during a hurricane. This is unlucky, and the other kids in her school on St. Thomas bully her. She already has enough to deal with: a spirit only she can see is following her and her mother left one day and never came back. But when new student Kalinda arrives, Caroline may finally have a friend and a crush. Will she have the bravery to face her feelings, the spirit, and the reasons her mother abandoned her?

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. This #1 New York Times bestselling book is the start of a new series! Set in a world where magic has disappeared, seventeen year old Zélie has a chance to bring magic back to Orïsha. She sets off on a journey with her brother and a fugitive princess on a journey to get her people's magic back, but they must outwit a prince who is determined to get rid of magic once and for all!

15 Books to Read During Jewish American Heritage Month

In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). We use this month to acknowledge the contributions Jewish Americans have made to our country. For more information regarding JAHM, visit the Library of Congress's websites here and here.

The Mississippi Library Commission is celebrating JAHM with this list of books that highlight Jewish American literature.

Oskar and the Eight Blessings

by Tanya Simon and Richard Simon
preK-2nd grade

On Christmas Eve and the seventh day of Hanukkah, a young boy arrives in New York City. Although escaping the horrors of Kristallnacht, he still finds kindness and goodness among those he meets.

My Name Is Aviva

by Lesléa Newman

illustrated by Ag Jatkowska
preK-2nd grade

Little Aviva dislikes her name so much that she decides to change it to Emily... that is, until she learns about her Jewish great-grandmother for whom she is named.

Kayla and Kugel

by Ann D. Koffsky
preK-Kindergarten

Kayla and her puppy Kugel set the table for Shabbat. This book explains Shabbat and its traditions and customs.

Echo 

by Pam Muñoz Ryan
2nd-4th grades 

A mysterious harmonica winds its way through the lives of four special children, one of whom, Friedrich, finds himself trying to save his family from the Nazis.

Beyond Lucky

by Sarah Aronson
3rd-7th grades

Ari prepares for his Bar Mitzvah as he tries to become a soccer star and keep his team on track.

The Importance of Wings

by Robin Friedman
5th-8th grades

Israeli-American Roxanne becomes less obsessed with all things American when an Israeli girl moves into the cursed house next door. 

I'm Glad I Did 

by Cynthia Weil
7th grade and up

Jewish JJ pursues her dream of a music career while falling in love and solving a mystery.

Kissing in America 

by Margo Rabb
9th grade and up

Eva, who is Jewish loses herself in romance novels to cope with the death of her father. When she finds the guy of her dreams in real life, who then moves across the country, she and her best friend travel cross-country to find him.

Numbers 

by David A. Poulsen
7th-10th grades

Outsider Andy Crockett encounters Holocaust denial at school.

What to Do About the Solomons

by Bethany Ball
Adult fiction

This debut about a multigenerational family is set in Israel, New York, and Los Angeles.

The One Man

by Andrew Gross
Adult fiction

This thriller involves a heart-pounding rescue of a physicist, the one man who can win the war for the Allies, who is trapped in a Nazi concentration camp.

Modern Girls

by Jennifer S. Brown
Adult fiction

This debut, which is set in the Jewish community of New York in the 1930s, sees a mother and daughter face tough choices as Hitler begins his rise to power overseas.

The Jews of Harlem: The Rise, Decline, and Revival of a Jewish Community

by Jeffrey S. Gurock
 Adult nonfiction

This book follows the path of the burgeoning Jewish population of Harlem in the early 1900s, through their desertion of the neighborhood, and their return today.

Eat My Schwartz

by Geoff and Mitch Schwartz,

with Seth Kaufman
 Adult nonfiction

The inspirational story of offensive linemen Geoff and Mitch Schwartz and their ties to their close-knit Jewish family is told in this heartwarming book.

Rhapsody in Schmaltz: Yiddish Food and Why We Can't Stop Eating It

by Michael Wex
Adult nonfiction

Explore the path of Jewish food from the Bible through Europe to present day America.

If you are interested in more books or book clubs with Jewish content, check out the Jewish Book Council.

Happy reading!

Young Adult Books for Women's History Month

To celebrate Women’s History Month we have put together this list of young adult books by and/or about strong women. We hope that you can find a few new favorites from this list!

Non-Fiction:

• We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement by Andi Zeisler
• Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World by Kelly Jensen (Editor), Kody Keplinger, Courtney Summers Erika T. Wurth Brenna Clarke Gray, Mikki Kendall, Angie Manfredi, Lily Myers , Becca Sexton, Allison Peyton Steger, Anne Thériault, Shveta Thakrar, Kayla Whaley, Sarah McCarry, Malinda Lo, Ashley Hope Pérez, Nova Ren Suma, Daniel José Older, Wendy Davis, Matt Nathanson, Mia DePrince, Alida Nugent, Constance Zaber, Brandy Colbert, Siobhan Vivian, Rafe Posey, Jessica Luther, Michaela DePrince, Amandla Stenberg, Suzannah Weiss, Zariya Allen, Risa Rodil
• The V-Word: True Stories About First-Time Sex by Amber J. Keyser, Molly Bloom, Sidney Joaquin-Vetromile, Alex Meeks, Carrie Mesrobian, Sarah Mirk, Sara Ryan, Erica Lorraine Scheidt, Jamia Wilson, Kiersi Burkhart, Chelsey Clammer, Christa Desir, Kate Gray, Justina Ireland, Laurel Isaac, Karen Jensen, Kelly Jensen

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America by Karen Blumenthal
• Women's Rights (Great Speeches in History) by Jennifer A. Hurley

• A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
• Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardner, Amy Richards

• Feminism by Nancy Dziedzic              
• Feminism : Reinventing the F Word by Nadia Abushanab Higgins.
• Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs, Sophia Foster-Dimino

Fiction:

• Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
• Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel
• Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

• Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan
• Asking For It by Louise O'Neill
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

• The Valiant by Lesley Livingston
• Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

• After the Fall by Kate Hart
• Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
• Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

• Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina
• If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
• Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Graphic Novels:

• Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke A. Allen
• Princeless, Vol. 1: Save Yourself  by Jeremy Whitley, Mia Goodwin, Jung-Ha Kim, Dave Dwonch
• Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal  by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona

• Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North, Erica Henderson
• Kim & Kim Vol. 1 by Magdalene Visaggio, Eva Cabrera, Imogen Binnie

• Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O'Neill
• Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
• Blue Is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh

• The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks
• Adventure Time: Marceline and the Scream Queens by Meredith Gran
• Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci

 Happy reading.

Middle Grade and Young Adult Books to Celebrate Black History Month

We continue celebrating Black History Month with this list of books for middle graders and young adults. We hope to encourage young readers to read diverse books and to support identity and culture through books.

Elijah of Buxton
by Christopher Paul Curtis:

Elijah is a young boy living in a settlement for runaway slaves in Buxton, Canada. He is the first in his family to be born into freedom. However, when Elijah travels to America to help a friend he witnesses firsthand the struggles that his parents endured as slaves.

The Hero Two Doors Down 
by Sharon Robinson

Young Steven is a native New Yorker and loves the Dodgers. He is thrilled to hear that the one and only Jackie Robinson is moving two doors down from him. However, some of the neighbors are not so excited to hear that an African American family is moving to this all-Jewish neighborhood.

One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-Garcia

This story follows a young girl as she spends the summer attending a Black Panther summer camp in the late 1960's.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963
by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Watson family decides to take a road trip to visit grandma in Birmingham, Alabama, when older brother Byron gets into some trouble. The trip turns out to be a vital learning experience for the whole family as they witness segregation in the deep South.

The Logan Family Series 

By Mildred D. Taylor

This series by Mississippi author Mildred D. Taylor tells the struggles of African Americans living in the South. 

Midnight Without a Moon
by Linda Williams Jackson

This is Mississippi author Linda Williams Jackson's debut novel that follows a young girl living in Mississippi during the time of Emmett Till's murder.

Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case
by Patricia Hruby Powell and Shadra Strickland

This book tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving as they fight to legalize their interracial marriage in the Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia.

Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson

With beautiful poetry Woodson shares what it was like growing up during the Civil Rights Movement.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom
by Lynda Blackmon Lowery, Elspeth Leacock, Susan Buckley and P.J. Loughran

Lynda Blackmon Lowery at the age of 15 was the youngest to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, during the 1965 voting rights march. This memoir shares her experiences during the march and the many times that Lowery fought for change in America.

Rhythm Ride
by Andrea Davis Pinkney

This memoir shares how Berry Gordy used his music scene to inspire the Civil Rights Movement.

The Hate U Give
By Angie Thomas

Starr Carter's world comes crashing down when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Mississippi author Angie Thomas was inspired to write this book by the Black Lives Matter community. Be sure to look for this book on its release date, February 28th. We also hear that a movie adaptation is in the works.

Dear Martin 
by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is wrongfully arrested and now must cope with the aftermath. To do this he starts a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. Dear Martin is set to be published October 17th. Be sure to check it out then.

Dreamland Burning
by Jennifer Latham

Based on the Tulsa race riot of 1924 this novel interweaves alternate perspectives of a painful century-old murder. Look for this book on February 21st.

Into White
by Randi Pink

LaToya Williams, a black teenager, prays to be white so that she will fit in at her mostly white school. Her wish comes true when she wakes up one morning with blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin.

Allegedly 
by Tiffany D. Jackson

Mary B. Addison was accused of killing a white baby when she was nine-years-old. She has spent the past six years in jail; however, now she has something to live for and must revisit the past to clear her name.

March Book One, Two and Three 

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

These graphic memoirs follow John Lewis' life and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.

How It Went Down 

by Kekla Magoon

Tariq Johnson is fatally shot by a white man named Jack Franklin. Now Tariq's friends and family are left to make sense of the tragedy by giving their version of what happened that day. 

X

by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

Follow Malcolm X from childhood to his imprisonment for theft in this young adult novel co-written by Malcolm X's daughter.  

Until next time, happy reading!