Diverse Books and Summer Reading ...

PBS NewsHour’s Jeffrey Brown just interviewed Glory Edim and Maureen Corrigan about their suggestions for diverse books to read this summer. That short video is provided below and here are a few comments on some of the books they mentioned:

THE OTHER BLACK GIRL by Zakiya Dalila Harris is a New York Times bestseller and LibraryReads selection for June which features a young Black woman, Nella Rogers, who is working in the publishing industry as an editorial assistant. When another Black assistant, Hazel, is hired, Nella is excited, but soon struggles more and more with the office atmosphere, including a threatening note: Leave Wagner. Now. There is an increasing atmosphere of menace and suspense, but the story could have moved much faster. Harris deftly conveys the difficulties of being Black in a White space (e.g., “…they rarely asked her about ‘Black issues’ – either because they didn’t want to offend her by doing so, or because they simply didn’t care enough to ask. But other times she found it almost demeaning, as though accepting Wagner’s job offer had also meant giving up her Black identity”) and I liked the perceptive and often satirical writing. However, I was confused by jumps in the timeline and appearance of new characters who were not fully introduced. Consider giving this sometimes dark debut novel a try – both Edim and Corrigan praised THE OTHER BLACK GIRL which received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. 

If historical fiction appeals, then be sure to check out both of these recommendations from the PBS NewsHour commentators:

THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV by Dawnie Walton is an amazing debut novel which traces the musical careers of the title characters. It presents a behind the scenes look at rock musicians and rock history in the 1970s. Originally from Detroit, Opal Jewel is a fighter and a survivor, unafraid to express herself although her talent is often underappreciated. Nev Charles, a quieter soul from England, crafts incredible tunes with Opal as a muse. They are linked by their music and subsequently by the racial violence at one of their concerts.  As Opal notes, “That’s what the South was like for me. Sweet on the first taste, but something gone sour underneath.” Told through multiple perspectives that read like the script for a documentary, THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. 

LIBERTIE by Kaitlyn Greenidge begins in in the 1860s in Brooklyn, moves through Ohio and later Haiti, as Libertie, a free-born Black girl comes of age. Throughout the text, she struggles with expectations from her mother (who wants her to be a doctor), from her husband, and from herself. Themes of classism, racism/colorism, and misogyny are explored, as well as the various interpretations of “freedom.” With a teen protagonist and slightly shorter length, this title will likely have the most appeal for our student readers. LIBERTIE received starred reviews from Booklist (“qualms of self doubt and struggles with her mother will resonate with YAs”), Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.

Video with these and other book recommendations from PBS NewsHour: