It only takes a quick glance at the most popular authors in book genres like Young Adult and Fantasy to see that the biggest contributors to these genres are overwhelmingly white. Very few authors of color break through this mold with a successful or trendy book every once in a while, and even if they do, their books are often not as popular or widely-loved as those of white authors. This is an interesting trend, as book characters are becoming increasingly more diverse, but the people writing their stories are often still overwhelmingly white.
At the very beginning of this year, I saw a challenge floating around on social media that prompted book-lovers to read a book by an author of color for every book by a white author that they read. The goal of this challenge is to make readers realize how overwhelmingly white the publishing industry is, as after reading a couple books in this style, it becomes increasingly harder to find books by non-white authors. I am taking this challenge this year, and in honor of Black History Month, here are four books by black authors that I am looking forward to picking up this year.
This is My America by Kim Johnson
This is My America tells the story of Tracy Beaumont, a teengager who writes weekly letters to an organization known as “Innocence X,” begging them to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years of this, Tracy is beginning to run out of time to save her father. In the midst of this, police show up in the middle of the night at her family’s house, wrongly accusing Tracy’s older brother Jamal of killing a white girl. Determined to prove her brother’s innocence, Tracy takes matters into her own hands to find out what really happened. As the title suggests, This is My America sounds like an unfortunately accurate portrayal of the U.S. justice system, and I’m looking forward to reading a book that tackles these issues head-on rather than tip-toeing around them.
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Set to come out in May of this year, Clap When You Land follows Camino and Yahaira Rios, who are devastated by sudden loss when their father is killed in a plane crash. The two girls don’t know of each other before their father’s death, and are brought together in their grief as they struggle to figure out what their new realities look like with each other. I read With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo last year, and was blown away by her beautiful writing and amazing characterization. Since then, I’ve wanted to read anything and everything that she writes, and I’m sure that this one will not disappoint.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Although the Fantasy genre especially struggles with author diversity, Children of Blood and Bone is one of the few exceptions to this. This book has been extremely well-received since its release in 2018, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. This African-inspired story follows Zelie, a young girl who strives to protect her people and avenge her mother’s death by learning to harness her magic. Although this is a Fantasy, it deals with real-world issues such as slavery, colorism, and class relations as well. I’m looking forward to reading a story based on African mythology, as I don’t have a lot of past experience with it. Even though I’ve admittedly been a little afraid to pick up this book (it’s almost 600 pages long, and long books can be intimidating), I will definitely be reaching for this one the next time I’m in the mood for fantasy.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
On the Come Up tells the story of Bri, a 16 year old girl who dreams of making it as a rapper. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he broke into the mainstream music scene, she has a lot to live up to, but is determined to chase her dreams so that she can provide for her family and get them out of poverty. Thomas has been quoted as saying that hip-hop was the art form that made her fall in love with storytelling, and that this book is a homage to that. As a lifelong fan of rap and hip-hop, I can’t wait to read about Bri’s journey as she continues to fight even with all of the odds stacked against her.
