Happy Father’s Day to each and every dad, uncle, grandfather, and father figure! We hope you enjoy your special day! Here’s a small gift: a collection of books highlighting the different aspects and perspectives on fatherhood.
Month: June 2020
Books to add to your Anti-Racism Reading List
Happy Juneteenth! In celebration of the holiday, we’re highlighting the richness of the Black Culture as well as spotlighting books that speak to the current racial climate.
Not sure what Juneteenth is? On June 19, 1865, the abolition of slavery was announced in Texas, marking the end of slavery in the United States. First known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth commemorates that critical date in history.
How to be an Antiracist
By Ibram X. Kendi
Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
By Michelle Alexander
Alexander provocatively argues that by targeting Black men and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of color blindness.
Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice
By Paul Kivel
Learn about interpersonal, institutional, and cultural racism along with stories of resistance and white solidarity. It provides practical tools and advice on how white people can work as allies for racial justice, engaging the reader through questions, exercises, and suggestions for action.
Have Black Lives Ever Mattered?
By Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia gives voice to the many people of color who have fallen to police bullets or racist abuse, and offers the post-Ferguson generation advice on how to address police abuse in the United States.
They Can’t Kill Us All
By Wesley Lowery
Washington Post writer Wesley Lowery details his quest for justice in the deaths of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray, offering both unparalleled insight into the reality of police violence in America and an intimate, moving portrait of those working to end it.
By Barbara Ransby
Book | eBook
By Khalil Gibran Muhammad
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Looking for even more books on this subject? Check out the Pratt’s collection of Anti-Racist Reading for Adults.
Diverse Books for Young Adults
Take a look at these books from some of our favorite YA authors. They truly highlight just how diverse and complex our society is. Don’t forget you can reserve your copy through Sidewalk Service or download the eBook or eAudiobook.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
By Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
Bestselling author Jason Reynolds remixes Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s award-winning Stamped from the Beginning which tackles the history of racist ideas in America and inspires hope for the future.
Black Enough: Stories of Young & Black in America
By Ibi Zoboi
Featuring some of the most acclaimed bestselling Black authors writing for teens today, Black Enough, is an essential collection of captivating stories about what it’s like to be young and Black in America.
A Phoenix First Must Burn
By Patrice Caldwell
Sixteen tales by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic. A Phoenix First Must Burn will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and everything in between
Tyler Johnson Was Here
By Jay Coles
What starts as a night of harmless fun for twin brothers Tyler and Marvin turns into a tragic event when Tyler is shot and killed by a police officer. Don’t miss this powerful and moving portrait of youth and family that speaks to the serious issues of today—from gun control to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Genesis Begins Again
By Alicia D. Williams
This deeply sensitive and powerful debut novel tells the story of a thirteen-year-old who must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself.
Looking for even more diverse YA books? Check out the Pratt’s collection of Diverse Books for Young Adults.
Happy African American Music Appreciation Month!
From pop and rock, to soul and rap, African Americans have such a strong impact and influence on music. This June, we celebrate them during African American Appreciation Month! With Hoopla you can download up to 15 e-materials a month. Here’s a collection of some of the music industry’s latest and greatest performers. Go ahead and take a listen.
Wires & Nerve
by Jodi Apps, Librarian
Meyer’s debut graphic novel, Wires and Nerve, picks up immediately following the events of Winter (2015), the fourth installment of the Lunar Chronicles. The evil queen was overthrown and Cinder, the new Queen, has reestablished peace between Earth and Luna (kingdom on the moon); however, the evil queen spent many years transforming young men into wolf-hybrid soldiers and though her reign is over, those soldiers remain on Earth. Their presence challenges the hard-fought peace, so Iko, the once servant android turned operative, takes it upon herself to locate and return the soldiers. When a zealot begins recruiting the rogue soldiers in a plot to kill Cinder, Iko must find a way to protect the life of her friends and the peace agreement. Holgate’s illustrations are rendered in a bold, cartoonish fashion in skillfully shaded black and blue hues. White text bubbles moving in a traditional left-to-right fashion are set in sharp contrast to the illustrations and combined with well-defined panels and transitions, making the storyline easy to follow for first-time graphic novel readers. The detailed text, though heavy at times, and precise, fast-paced action scenes tell a clear and complex story that ends on a definite cliffhanger. Although the prologue attempts to introduce the large cast of characters and catch new readers up to speed, the storyline is filled with references to events that occurred in previous installments, making it difficult to read as a stand-alone. Fans of the Lunar Chronicles will love the extended storyline, answering the “what happens next” questions.