African American Teen Fiction
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After Tupac and D Foster In the New York City borough of Queens in 1996, three girls bond over their shared love of Tupac Shakur's music, as together they try to make sense of the unpredictable world in which they live. subjects: Shakur, Tupac, 1971-1996--Fiction, Coming of age, Friendship, African Americans, Queens (New York, NY) |
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The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, volume1: The Pox Party Various diaries, letters, and other manuscripts chronicle the experiences of Octavian, a young African American, from birth to age sixteen, as he is brought up as part of a science experiment in the years leading up to and during the Revolutionary War. Sequel: The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation. vol. 2, The kingdom on the waves awards: Printz Honor-2007, National Book Award Winner-2006 subjects: Liberty, Slavery, Science experiments, African Americans, Freedom, United States-History-Revolution-1775-1783 |
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Baby Girl With her tough facade and hard attitude, Sheree doesn't make friends easily and lives a lonely life, but when she gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby with the intention of finding unconditional love, Sheree learns important lessons about herself that change her entire outlook on life. awards: YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers-2008 subjects: African American women |
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Broken China China Cup Cameron, a fourteen-year-old single mother with only her paralyzed Uncle Simon for support, takes on tremendous personal debt in hopes of a beautiful funeral after her daughter dies. award: Texas Tayshas High School Reading List 2006-2007 subjects: Teenage Mothers, Mothers and Daughters, Single-Parent Families, Poor, Uncles, African Americans, Death, Funeral Rites and Ceremonies |
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Bucking the Sarge Luther T. Farrel has got to get out of Flint, Michigan. As his best friend Sparky says, "Flint's nothing but the Titanic." And his mother, a.k.a. the Sarge, says, "Take my advice and stay off the sucker path." awards: Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Books: 2004, SLJ Best Books for Children: 2004, Parents' Choice Gold Award: 2004, Booklist Editor's Choice: 2004, ALA Best Books for Young Adults: 2005, ALA Notable Children's Books: 2005, Texas: Tayshas Reading List: 2006 subjects: Business Enterprises, Fraud, Group Homes, Mothers, People With Mental Disabilities, Mothers, Flint (Mich.), African Americans |
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Dark Sons Alternating poems compare and contrast the conflicted feelings of Ishmael, son of the Biblical patriarch Abraham, and Sam, a teenager in New York City, as they try to come to terms with being abandoned by their fathers and with the love they feel for their younger stepbrothers. awards: Texas Tayshas High School Reading List-2006-2007 subjects: Fathers and Sons, Stepbrothers, Ishmael (Biblical Figure), African Americans, Self-Perception, New York (N.Y.), Bible-History of Biblical Events |
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Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue Emma has taken care of the Butler children since Sarah and Frances's mother, Fanny, left. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, as a rift over slavery has ripped the Butler household apart. Now, to pay off debts, Pierce Butler wants to cash in his slave "assets", possibly including Emma. subjects: Slavery, African Americans |
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Drinking Coffee Elsewhere A first time collection of short stories tells about the lives of predominately black youth who face challenges to their preconceived ideas. awards: Alex Awards: 2004 subjects: African American Women, Young Women |
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Emako Blue Monterey, Savannah, Jamal, and Eddie have never had much to do with each other until Emako Blue shows up at chorus practice, but just as the lives of the five Los Angeles high school students become intertwined, tragedy tears them apart. awards: ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 2005, IRA Children's Book Award: 2005, Texas: Tayshas Reading List: 2006 subjects: African Americans, High Schools, Los Angeles (Calif.), Interpersonal Relations |
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The First Part Last Bobby's carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter. awards: Texas: Tayshas Reading List: 2005, Coretta Scott King Author Award: 2004, Michael L. Printz Award: 2004, subjects: Teenage Fathers, Teenage Parents, Father and Child, Babies, African Americans |
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Flygirl During World War II, a light-skinned African American girl "passes" for white in order to join the Women Air Force Service Pilots. subjects: Women Air Force Pilots (U.S.), World War 1939-1945, African Americans |
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47 Number 47, a fourteen-year-old slave boy growing up under the watchful eye of a brutal master in 1832, meets the mysterious Tall John, who introduces him to a magical science and also teaches him the meaning of freedom. subjects: Slavery, African Americans, Plantation Life, Freedom, Magic, Georgia-History-1775-1865 |
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Home of the Brave Kek, an African refugee, is confronted by many strange things at the Minneapolis home of his aunt and cousin, as well as in his fifth grade classroom, and longs for his missing mother, but finds comfort in the company of a cow and her owner. subjects: Immigrants, African Americans |
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The Hoopster Andre Anderson is a black teenager who loves to play basketball, When he is viciously attacked, it calls his whole world into question--even his deadly jump shot. Sequel: Hip-Hop High School subjects: Teenage boys, Hate crimes, African Americans, Basketball stories |
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Hot Girl Kate, a fourteen-year-old Brooklyn girl and former gang member, risks losing her first good foster family when she adopts the risqué ways of her flirtatious new friend, Naleejah. subjects: Friendship, Conduct of life, African Americans, Foster home care, Brooklyn (N.Y.) |
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Hotlanta Living a privileged life in Atlanta, wealthy and beautiful African American twin sisters, Sydney and Lauren, must deal with family secrets and scandal when their father is released from prison. subjects: Sisters, Twins, Rich People, African Americans, Fathers and daughters, Atlanta (Ga.) |
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Imani All Mine This deceptively simple first-person novel takes readers into the heart and mind of 15-year-old Tasha, whose love for her baby, Imani, is as plain as her fear of the rapist who fathered the child. awards: ALA Best Books for Young Adults: 2000, Alex Awards: 2000,Texas: Tayshas Reading List: 2002, , ALA Popular Paperbacks: 2005 subjects: African American Teenage Mothers-New York (State)-Buffalo, Inner Cities, Drive-By Shootings |
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Jason and Kyra Handsome and popular Jason tries to come to terms with his irascible, often absent father and his growing attraction to the quiet, studious Kyra. awards: ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 2005 subjects: African Americans, Interpersonal Relations, Fathers and Sons, Self-Perception, High Schools |
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Joseph Fourteen-year-old Joseph tries to avoid trouble and keep in touch with his father, who is serving in Iraq, as he and his alcoholic, drug-addicted mother move from one homeless shelter to another. subjects: Family problems, Mothers, Homeless persons, Alcoholism |
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The Kayla Chronicles Kayla transforms herself from mild-mannered journalist to hot-trotting dance diva in order to properly investigate her high school's dance team, and has a hard time remaining true to her real self while in the role. subjects: Dance, Identity, High schools, Journalism |
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M + O 4evr In parallel stories, Hannah, a slave, finds love while fleeing a Maryland plantation in 1842; and in the present, Opal watches her life-long best friend, Marianne, pull away and eventually lose her life in the same Pennsylvania ravine where Hannah died. subjects: Best friends, Lesbians, Slavery, Death |
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Mare's War Teens Octavia and Tali learn about strength, independence, and courage when they are forced to take a car trip with their grandmother, who tells about growing up black in 1940s Alabama and serving in Europe during World War II as a member of the Women's Army Corps. subjects: Grandmothers, African Americans, World War 1939-1945, Sisters, Family life-Alabama |
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Money Hungry All thirteen-year-old Raspberry can think of is making money so that she and her mother never have to worry about living on the streets again. Sequel: Begging For Change, awards: Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books-2002 subjects: Money, Mothers and Daughters, Single-Parent Families, Inner Cities, African Americans |
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My Life as a Rhombus When the classmate she is tutoring in trigonometry admits she is pregnant, high school junior Rhonda must finally come to terms with the abortion her father insisted she undergo three years earlier and examine how it has changed her life. subjects: Pregnancy, Abortion, Self-actualization (Psychology), Single-parent families, family problems, South Carolina |
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No Laughter Here In Queens, New York, ten-year-old Akilah is determined to find out why her closest friend, Victoria, is silent and withdrawn after returning from a trip to her homeland, Nigeria. awards: ALA Best Books for Young Adults: 2005, Texas: Tayshas Reading List: 2006 subjects: Friendship, Schools, Female Circumcision, Nigerian Americans, African Americans, Queens (New York, NY) |
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November Blues A teenaged boy's death in a hazing accident has lasting effects on his pregnant girlfriend and his guilt-ridden cousin, who gives up a promising music career to play football during his senior year in high school. awards: Coretta Scott King Author Honor-2008 subjects: Pregnancy, High Schools, African Americans |
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Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You Before one fateful April day, Jeanne lived the life of a typical Rwandan girl. She fought with her little sister, went to school, and teased her brother. Then, in one horrifying night, everything changed. Political troubles unleashed a torrent of violence upon the Tutsi ethnic group. Jeanne's family, all Tutsis, fled their home and tried desperately to reach safety. They--along with nearly 1 million others--did not survive. The only survivor of her family's massacre, Jeanne witnessed unspeakable acts. But through courage, wits, and sheer force of will, she survived. Based on a true story, this haunting novel by Jeanne's adoptive mother makes unforgettably real the events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide as one family experienced it. Jeanne's story is a tribute to the human spirit and its capacity to heal. award: Texas Tayshas High School Reading List 2008-2009, ALA Best Books for Young Adults-2007 subjects: Genocide-Rwanda |
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The Rock and the River In 1968 Chicago, fourteen-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonviolent approach to seeking civil rights for African Americans and his older brother, who has joined the Black Panther Party. subjects: Black Panther Party, Civil rights movements, Racism, Brothers, African Americans |
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry A black family living in the South during the 1930's are faced with prejudice and discrimination which their children don't understand. The Logan Family Saga includes Prequels: The Land, The Well, Mississippi Bridge, Song of the Trees, The Friendship, Sequels: Let the Circle Be Unbroken, The Road to Memphis awards: John Newbery Medal: 1977 subjects: African Americans, Southern States-Race Relations |
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Rucker Park Setup While playing in a crucial basketball game on the very court where his best friend was murdered, Mackey tries to come to terms with his own part in that murder and decide whether to maintain his silence or tell J.R.'s father and the police what really happened. award: Texas Tayshas High School Reading List 2008-2009 subjects: Basketball, Conduct of Life, Best Friends, Friendship, Murder, African Americans, Harlem (New York, N.Y.) |
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Small Steps Three years after being released from Camp Green Lake, Armpit is trying hard to keep his life on track, but when his old pal X-Ray shows up with a tempting plan to make some easy money scalping concert tickets, Armpit reluctantly goes along. awards: Schneider Family Book Award Winners-2007 subjects: Juvenile delinquents, Cerebral palsy, People with disabilities, Singers, African Americans |
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Street Love This story told in free verse is set against a background of street gangs and poverty in Harlem in which seventeen-year-old African American Damien takes a bold step to ensure that he and his new love will not be separated. awards: ALA Best Books for Young Adults-2008 subjects: African Americans, Love, Harlem (NY) |
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Spellbound Raven, a teenage mother and high school dropout living in a housing project, decides, with the help and sometime interference of her best friend Aisha, to study for a spelling bee which could lead to a college preparatory program and four-year scholarship. Companion novels: Chill Wind, Twists and Turns, Brother Hood, Harlem Hustle awards: ALA Best Books for Young Adults: 2002, Texas: Tayshas Reading List: 2003 subjects: Teenage Mothers, High School Dropouts, Best Friends, English Language, African Americans |
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Trouble In My Way Coming of age in Texas, sixteen-year-old Karis shares her thoughts in a series of diary entries. subjects: Coming of age, Mothers and daughters, African Americans, Christian life, Diaries |
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Tyrell Fifteen-year-old Tyrell, who is living in a Bronx homeless shelter with his spaced-out mother and his younger brother, tries to avoid temptation so he does not end up in jail like his father. See also: Kendra awards: ALA Best Books for Young Adults-2007, ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers-2007 subjects: Poor, African Americans, Homeless persons, Bronx (New York, NY) |
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When the Black Girl Sings Adopted by white parents and sent to an exclusive Connecticut girls' school where she is the only black student, fourteen-year-old Lahni Schuler feels like an outcast, particularly when her parents separate, but after attending a local church where she hears gospel music for the first time, she finds her voice. subjects: Identity, Interracial adoption, Singing, African Americans |
List updated August 2009— Joanna Nigrelli & Patti Cook
