Must Read Books Summer – Fall 2020

This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work 

by Tiffany Jewell and illustrated by Aurélia Durand

What it’s about: This guidebook explores the concepts of social identity, teaches about the origins of racism and the history of resistance against it, and offers guidance on how to take action.

Why read it? It is written for everyone who lives within our systematically racist society. There are 20 activities designed to spark introspection, get you thinking, and prompt actionable steps. You’ll learn language and phrases to recognize and disrupt racism when you see it and get advice on how to stand up for yourself or in solidarity with others.

Say Her Name

by Zetta Elliott and illustrated by Loveis Wise

What it’s about: Inspired by the #SayHerName campaign launched by the African American Policy Forum, this powerful poetry collection pays tribute to victims of police brutality, the activists who are fighting to get the world to acknowledge that Black lives matter, and the influence of Black women poets of the past three centuries.

Why read it? This collection addresses very personal problems as well as those faced by Black people everywhere, but it is also a celebration of the creativity, resilience, and courage of Black women and girls.

The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color 

by Virgie Tovar

What it’s about: Women and girls of color are often at a heightened risk for poor body image due to the intersection of racism, sexism, and fatphobia. This book offers advice on how to cultivate unapologetic body positivity, covering subjects ranging from unhealthy media beauty standards to the unique tools that girls of color have to counter a negative self-image.

Why read it? Many of the microaggressions that girls of color experience, especially from white women and girls, are centered on appearance. And really, is there anything more radical than gaining the ability to recognize when you’re being manipulated into self-doubt and instead learning to accept yourself, exactly as you are?

Girls Resist!: A Guide to Activism, Leadership, and Starting a Revolution

by KaeLyn Rich

What it’s about: An in-depth guide to social activism, including tips on picking a cause, raising money, running dispute-free meetings, circulating petitions, planning a protest, being an effective ally, and promoting awareness on social media.

Why read it? This is a practical how-to handbook that breaks down the differences in resistance strategies and lays out the steps that can lead to meaningful and necessary change.

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America

edited by Ibi Zoboi 

What it’s about: A collection of short stories that explores what it is like to be young and Black, centering on the experiences of Black teenagers from a spectrum of backgrounds—urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrant, and more.

Why read it? This collection emphasizes that one person’s experiences, reality, and personal identity are different from someone else’s—because there is no monolithic “Black Experience.” And if you want to find more excellent books by Black authors, the 16 that are featured in this collection (which include Jason Reynolds, Liara Tamani, Brandy Colbert, and Nic Stone) are a good starting point.

These recommendations were provided by Kacy Helwick, Youth Collection Development Librarian at the New Orleans Public Library.