With warmer weather coming our way, it’s the perfect time to recharge with good books. These Black Young Adult reads range in subject matter but share a common goal: to expand what it means to see Black teenage girls as full, whole characters.
Black girl characters often play second fiddle with little agency and low stakes. But this group of authors are among those who actively challenge mainstream notions readers may have around what is possible for a Black girl, particularly in YA fiction. There seems to be more space for YA to explore Black joy, love, fantasy, social justice, and simple existence.
Namina Forna is a Sierra Leonean American author of young adult fiction. Her debut novel, The Gilded Ones, was published in February 2021 and entered the New York Times and Indie Bestseller lists. Forna’s novel follows 16-year-old Deka as she is about to enter a purity ceremony. If her blood bleeds red, she is pure. However, things don’t go well for Deka when she bleeds gold. She has to make a decision to either join an army of girls fighting for the emperor or live outside of the village, never to be accepted. As Deka moves to the Capital, she joins other girls and has to come to terms with herself and truths she discovers. Her journey is filled with challenges she’s never imagined. With this story, Forna gives Black girls a spotlight in the world of modern fantasy, and it’s perfect for those who love Black Panther.
Stephanie Kuehn is an author of young adult fiction, best known for her novels Charm & Strange, Delicate Monsters, and Complicit. Her stories explore themes of mental illness and psychology. We Weren’t Looking to Be Found focuses on two teens who come from very different worlds. Dani and Camila have different familial structures that play into their addictions and self-harm: one with wealthy parents who are not very invested in their daughter’s life, while the other has more middle-class parents who really want their daughter to succeed but can’t afford to send her to art school. The parent-daughter relationships are a big part of the story and how the parents’ actions affect their daughters’ livelihoods and futures. They join together during a treatment program in Georgia and attempt to solve the mystery of a former resident. I love the author’s honest portrayal of mental health and believe it will give young readers a sense of hope.
Kai Harris is a writer and educator from Detroit, Michigan, who uses her voice to uplift the Black community through realistic fiction centered on the Black experience. Harris’ debut release, What the Fireflies Knew, sensitively paints a picture of an 11-year-old Black girl growing up and facing the crossroads of family and her own identity. The story follows Kenyatta Bernice, KB, who is left to pick up the pieces of her life after her father’s overdose causes her family to break. This story addresses several important and timely topics, especially highlighting racism, mental health, and family dynamics. Because it’s narrated by KB, it is full of heart and sweetness to balance the sadness and authenticity.
Elizabeth Acevedo is a Dominican-American poet and author. In September 2022, the Poetry Foundation named her the year’s Young People’s Poet Laureate. Acevedo is the author of the young adult novels The Poet X and Clap When You Land. She has the ability to inspire young audiences so beautifully. With the Fire on High brings Afro-Latin culture into the spotlight with the story of 17-year-old Emoni Santiago. An aspiring chef, Emoni dreams of attending culinary school, where she can hone her skills, but she has a 3-year-old daughter and can’t fully set course on that journey. Raised by her grandmother Gloria after her mother died and with her father moving in and out of her life, Emoni is determined to be the best mother she can be. But when Emoni’s school announces a new culinary arts class that will culminate in a weeklong apprenticeship in Spain, she gains hope.
Nisi Shawl is a writer, editor, and journalist. Best known as an author of science fiction and fantasy short stories, Shawl writes and teaches about how fantastic fiction can really be. In the beautiful story Speculation, teen Winna inherits an old-timey pair of glasses that belonged to her great-aunt Estelle and discovers they have magical powers. Whatever she “speculates” to happen, the glasses make actually happen. Through her requests, she embarks on a journey to break a generational curse to heal her mother, as well as find out what happened to a family ancestor separated from his parents while enslaved.
Pick up these titles for your favorite teen, or better yet, treat yourself and revisit those youthful notions you felt during the formative years. The books mentioned are available at Bookshop.org. Every purchase gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities.
