The Black Girls Left Standing

The Black Girls Left Standing
Author: Juliana Goodman
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2022-06-28
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1250793149

In Juliana Goodman's powerful young adult debut The Black Girls Left Standing, Beau Willet will stop at nothing to clear her sister's name. Sixteen-year-old Beau Willet has dreams of being an artist and one day leaving the Chicago projects she’s grown up in. But after her older sister, Katia, is killed by an off-duty police officer, Beau knows she has to clear her sister’s name by finding the only witness to the murder; Katia’s no-good boyfriend, Jordan, who has gone missing. If she doesn't find him and tell the world what really happened, Katia's death will be ignored, like the deaths of so many other Black women who are wrongfully killed. With the help of her friend, Sonnet, Beau sets up a Twitter account to gather anonymous tips. But the more that Beau finds out about her sister's death, the more danger she finds herself in. And with a new relationship developing with her childhood friend, Champion, and the struggle to keep her family together, Beau is soon in way over her head. How much is she willing to risk to clear her sister's name and make sure she's not forgotten?

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
Author: Jayne Allen
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 383
Release: 2021-09-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0063137917

“It’s a good thing that this is only the first book of a trilogy, because after getting to know Tabitha, you won’t want to leave her at the end. . . . Written intimately as if you’re peering into the mind of a close friend, this book is a true testament to the stresses on women today and how great girlfriends (and grandmothers) are often the key to our sanity.” — Good Morning America The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted. Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own. With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former "Sexy Lexi," and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother's age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted.

The Other Black Girl

The Other Black Girl
Author: Zakiya Dalila Harris
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2021-06-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1982160152

A Hulu Original Series Coming Soon “Riveting, fearless, and vividly original” (Emily St. John Mandel, New York Times bestselling author), this instant New York Times bestseller explores the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing. Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust. Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career. Having joined Wagner Books to honor the legacy of Burning Heart, a novel written and edited by two Black women, she had thought that this animosity was a relic of the past. Is Nella ready to take on the fight of a new generation? “Poignant, daring, and darkly funny, The Other Black Girl will have you stressed and exhilarated in equal measure through the very last twist” (Vulture). The perfect read for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace.

Black Girl Rising

Black Girl Rising
Author: Brynne Barnes
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Total Pages: 38
Release: 2022-06-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1452183554

This enduring anthem for Black girls celebrates their power, potential, and brilliance—for themselves and for the world. You are a thousand curls unfurling in your hair. You are a thousand fists standing proudly in air. You are the song of swallows, lifting sun as they sing— breaking light with their beaks, breaking sky with their wings . . . Black girlhood is beautiful! In this deeply moving celebration and rallying cry, and in the face of the many messages that still work to convince Black girls that they should shrink themselves, hide their light, know their place, Brynne Barnes and Tatyana Fazlalizadeh reclaim that narrative: A Black girl's place is everywhere, and her selfhood is everything she can dream it to be. With poignant, poetic prose and striking, color-drenched illustrations, this empowering picture book centers the inherent worthiness and radiance of Black girls that is still far too often denied. A love letter to and for Black girls everywhere, Black Girl Rising alchemizes the sorrow and strength of the past into the brilliant gold of the future, sweeping young readers of all backgrounds into a lyrical exploration of what it means to be Black, female, and glorious. EMPOWERS AND INSPIRES SELF-LOVE: This uplifting anthem of Black brilliance shuts out invalidating messages and replaces them with unconditional assertions of Black girls' rights to be loved, to be inspired, and to exist fully in their power. Everything about Black girls deserves to be seen and celebrated—and this picture book provides a welcome opportunity for readers of all ages to do so! MAKES A GREAT GIFT: From graduation to birthdays to other key milestones, this book makes a perfect present for consumers looking to celebrate, empower, and inspire the women in their lives—whether daughters, granddaughters, nieces, cousins, or friends. EXCELLENT READ-ALOUD: Warm, loving sentiments paired with poetic prose and a light rhyme make this picture book a great choice to read aloud together at story time, bedtime, or any time. It's sure to become a fast favorite and inspire countless moments of parent-child connection. Perfect for: • Parents, grandparents, and caregivers • Teachers and librarians • Readers who loved Hair Love and Little Leaders • The vast #WeNeedDiverseBooks community • Anyone seeking books about Black joy, female empowerment, or Black history • Gift-givers looking for a unique and inspiring book for the girls (or women) in their lives

The Last Girls Standing

The Last Girls Standing
Author: L C Valentine
Publisher:
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2020-06-16
Genre:
ISBN:

A SUMMER CAMP. AN UNDEAD KILLER. A FINAL GIRL. YOU MIGHT THINK YOU KNOW THIS STORY. THINK AGAIN... A group of teenagers work as camp counsellors at a recently reopened summer camp. A camp that hides a sinister secret. It's home to an undead killer. A monster that picks them off one by one, until there's only one girl left standing. For Ellie Cartwright, that's not how the story ends. That's how it begins. Because Ellie's not the only girl to have faced evil and survived. There are others. And now, they've sworn to protect those in danger. They've sworn to fight back against the creatures that lurk in the darkness. They are the Last Girls Standing. And Ellie's journey is just getting started... SURVIVING WAS JUST THE BEGINNING...

Black Girls Must Be Magic

Black Girls Must Be Magic
Author: Jayne Allen
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2022-02-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0063137933

“Masterfully written and pitch perfect, Black Girls Must Be Magic is, simply, magic.”—Good Morning America In this highly anticipated second installment in the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted series, Tabitha Walker copes with more of life’s challenges and a happy surprise—a baby—with a little help and lots of love from friends old and new. For Tabitha Walker, her grandmother’s old adage, “Black girls must die exhausted” is becoming all too true. Discovering she’s pregnant—after she was told she may not be able to have biological children—Tabitha throws herself headfirst into the world of “single mothers by choice.” Between her job, doctor’s appointments, and preparing for the baby, she’s worn out. And that’s before her boss at the local news station starts getting complaints from viewers about Tabitha’s natural hair. When an unexpected turn of events draws Marc—her on and off-again ex-boyfriend—back into her world with surprising demands, and the situation at work begins to threaten her livelihood and her identity, Tabitha must make some tough decisions about her and her baby’s future. It takes a village to raise a child, and Tabitha turns to the women who have always been there for her. Bolstered by the fierce support of Ms. Gretchen, her grandmother’s best friend, the counsel of her closest friends Laila and Alexis, and the calming presence of her doula Andouele, Tabitha must find a way to navigate motherhood on her own terms. Will she harness the bravery, strength, and self-love she’ll need to keep “the village” together, find her voice at work, and settle things with Marc before the baby arrives?

The Only Black Girls in Town

The Only Black Girls in Town
Author: Brandy Colbert
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2020-03-10
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0316456373

From award-winning YA author Brandy Colbert comes a debut middle-grade novel about the only two Black girls in town who discover a collection of hidden journals revealing shocking secrets of the past. Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only Black girl in town for years. Alberta's best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a sister, but there are some things even Laramie can't understand. When the bed and breakfast across the street finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the family is black—and they have a 12-year-old daughter just like her. Alberta is positive she and the new girl, Edie, will be fast friends. But while Alberta loves being a California girl, Edie misses her native Brooklyn and finds it hard to adapt to small-town living. When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie's attic, they team up to figure out exactly who's behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.

The Dark Fantastic

The Dark Fantastic
Author: Ebony Elizabeth Thomas
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2020-09-22
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1479806072

Reveals the diversity crisis in children's and young adult media as not only a lack of representation, but a lack of imagination Stories provide portals into other worlds, both real and imagined. The promise of escape draws people from all backgrounds to speculative fiction, but when people of color seek passageways into the fantastic, the doors are often barred. This problem lies not only with children’s publishing, but also with the television and film executives tasked with adapting these stories into a visual world. When characters of color do appear, they are often marginalized or subjected to violence, reinforcing for audiences that not all lives matter. The Dark Fantastic is an engaging and provocative exploration of race in popular youth and young adult speculative fiction. Grounded in her experiences as YA novelist, fanfiction writer, and scholar of education, Thomas considers four black girl protagonists from some of the most popular stories of the early 21st century: Bonnie Bennett from the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, Rue from Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, Gwen from the BBC’s Merlin, and Angelina Johnson from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. Analyzing their narratives and audience reactions to them reveals how these characters mirror the violence against black and brown people in our own world. In response, Thomas uncovers and builds upon a tradition of fantasy and radical imagination in Black feminism and Afrofuturism to reveal new possibilities. Through fanfiction and other modes of counter-storytelling, young people of color have reinvisioned fantastic worlds that reflect their own experiences, their own lives. As Thomas powerfully asserts, “we dark girls deserve more, because we are more.”

Unbossed

Unbossed
Author: Khristi Lauren Adams
Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
Total Pages: 191
Release: 2022-03-08
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1506474268

Black girls are leading the way. They are starting nonprofits. Promoting diverse literature. Fighting cancer. Improving water quality. Working to prevent gun violence. From Khristi Lauren Adams, author of the celebrated Parable of the Brown Girl, comes Unbossed, a hopeful and riveting introduction to eight young Black leaders.

Black Girls Rock!

Black Girls Rock!
Author: Beverly Bond
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2018-02-27
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1501157930

From the award-winning entrepreneur, culture leader, and creator of the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! movement comes an inspiring and beautifully designed book that pays tribute to the achievements and contributions of black women around the world. Fueled by the insights of women of diverse backgrounds, including Michelle Obama, Angela Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Misty Copeland Yara Shahidi, and Mary J. Blige, this book is a celebration of black women’s voices and experiences that will become a collector’s items for generations to come. Maxine Waters shares the personal fulfillment of service. Moguls Cathy Hughes, Suzanne Shank, and Serena Williams recount stories of steadfastness, determination, diligence, dedication and the will to win. Erykah Badu, Toshi Reagon, Mickalane Thomas, Solange Knowles-Ferguson, and Rihanna offer insights on creativity and how they use it to stay in tune with their magic. Pioneering writers Rebecca Walker, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Joan Morgan speak on modern-day black feminist thought. Lupita Nyong’o, Susan Taylor, and Bethann Hardison affirm the true essence of holistic beauty. And Iyanla Vanzant reinforces Black Girl Magic in her powerful pledge. Through these and dozens of other unforgettable testimonies, Black Girls Rock! is an ode to black girl ambition, self-love, empowerment, and healing. Pairing inspirational essays and affirmations with lush, newly commissioned and classic photography, Black Girls Rock!: Owning Our Magic and Rocking Our Truth is not only a one-of-a-kind celebration of the diversity, fortitude, and spirituality of black women but also a foundational text that will energize and empower every reader.