Genesis Begins AgainGenesis Begins Againby Alicia WilliamsThirteen-year-old Genesis tries againand again to lighten her black skin,thinking it is the root of her family'stroubles, before discovering reasonsto love herself as is.

ClaClayton Byrd Goesyton Byrd GoesUndergroundUndergroundby Rita Williams-GarciaFeeling most alive when he playsmusic with his grandfather, ClaytonByrd is devastated when hisgrandfather dies and his mother

forbids him from playing the blues. So he runs away inhopes of joining other bluesmen on the road.

Brown Girl DreamingBrown Girl Dreamingby Jacqueline WoodsonIn vivid poems that reflect the joy offinding her voice through writingstories, Woodson describes growing upblack in the 1960s and 1970s in boththe North and the South.

My Life as an Ice CreamMy Life as an Ice CreamSandwichSandwichby Ibi Aanu ZoboiIn the summer of 1984, twelve-year-old Ebony-Grace of Huntsville,Alabama, visits her father in Harlem,where her fascination with outer space

and science fiction interfere with her findingacceptance.

Black BrotherBlack Brother, Black, BlackBrotherBrotherby Jewell Parker RhodesRoutinely compared to his lighter-skinned brother, a black boy at anelitist prep school is unfairlysuspended in the wake of an incident

involving the school bully, whom he tries to defeat in afencing competition.

Betty Before XBetty Before Xby Ilyasah ShabazzRaised by her aunt until she is six,Betty, who will later marry Malcolm X,joins her mother and stepfamily in1940s Detroit, where she learns aboutthe civil rights movement.

Clean GetaClean Getawawayyby Nic StoneAn 11-year-old boy confronts therealities of race relations, past andpresent, as he and his grandmother takea mysterious and unplanned SpringBreak road trip through the once-

segregated American South.

The Harlem CharThe Harlem Charadeadeby Natasha TarpleyAfter Elvin's grandfather is attacked, Jin,Alexandra, and Elvin band together tofind out who is responsible. The searchleads them into conflict with a politician

with plans to turn Harlem into an amusement park.

Some Places More ThanSome Places More ThanOthersOthersby Renée WatsonAmara visits her father's family in Harlemfor her twelfth birthday, hoping to betterunderstand her family and herself, but

New York City is not what she expected.

Black BooksMatter:

Middle Grade BooksStarring

Protagonists of Color

BookBookededby Kwame AlexanderTwelve-year-old Nick loves soccer andhates books,. But he learns the powerof words as he wrestles with problemsat home, stands up to a bully, and triesto impress the girl of his dreams.

Finding LangstonFinding Langstonby Lesa Cline-RansomeDiscovering a book of LangstonHughes' poetry in the library helpsLangston cope with the loss of hismother, relocating from Alabama toChicago as part of the Great Migration,

and being bullied.

The Only Black Girls inThe Only Black Girls inTTownownby Brandy ColbertEcstatic to hear that another AfricanAmerican family has moved into town,surfer Alberta attempts to makefriends with homesick newcomer Edie,

who helps her uncover painful local secrets in a box ofold journals.

New KidNew Kidby Jerry CraftAfter his parents send him to aprestigious private school known forits academics, artist Jordan Banks findshimself torn between two worlds.

Bud, Not BuddyBud, Not Buddyby Christopher Paul CurtisTen-year-old Bud, a motherless boyliving in Flint, Michigan during theGreat Depression, escapes a bad fosterhome and sets out in search of the manhe believes to be his father--the

renowned bandleader, H. E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

Stella bStella by Starlighty Starlightby Sharon M. DraperGrowing up in the segregatedSouth, Stella and her little brotherhave always accepted the disparitiesin treatment. But when theywitness a terrible event , they arecompelled to fight back and triggerfundamental changes.

The Last Last-DaThe Last Last-Day-of-y-of-SummerSummerby L. R. GilesWhen adventurous cousins Otto andSheed Alston accidentally extend thelast day of summer by freezing time,they end up having to fight evil in order

to get things back on track.

GarvGarveey's Choicey's Choiceby Nikki GrimesOverweight Garvey prefers scienceand reading to the sports his dadpushes him to play. Additionally, he isbullied at school. But when he joinsthe school chorus he discovers a talent

that may just change things.

The PThe Parkarker Inheritanceer Inheritanceby Varian JohnsonSpending the summer in Lambert, SouthCarolina, Candice discovers the letterthat sent her grandmother on a treasurehunt. Candice and her new friend

Brandon set off to expose the injustice once committedagainst a local African American family.

FFor Black Girls Likor Black Girls Like Mee Meby Mariama LockingtonExplores the complexities of family, race,sisterhood, and belonging through theeyes of an African American girl adoptedinto a white family.

TTristan Strong Punches a Holeristan Strong Punches a Holein the Skyin the Skyby Kwame MbaliaHaunted by the bus accident that endedhis best friend’s life, seventh grader

Tristan Strong dreads visiting his grandparents’Alabama farm. After arrival, however, he falls into aworld of burning seas, iron monsters and exhaustedblack folk heroes who need his help to save their world.

FFrom the Desk of Zrom the Desk of ZoeoeWWashingtonashingtonby Janae MarksAn unexpected letter from herincarcerated father has Zoe scrambling

to determine his innocence, all while preparing for acooking-show competition.

The Stars Beneath Our FThe Stars Beneath Our Feeteetby David Barclay MooreLolly Rachpaul is still reeling from theshooting death of his olderbrother. When his mother's girlfriend

gives him legos, he is able to build a fantastical city at aHarlem community center and begin to find his ownway--without gang alliances.

A Good Kind of TA Good Kind of Troubleroubleby Lisa Moore RaméeAfter attending a powerful protest,Shayla starts wearing an armband toschool to support the Black Lives Mattermovement. But when the school gives

her an ultimatum, she is forced to choose between hereducation and her identity.

LLook Both Wook Both Waays : a Tys : a Tale Tale Told inold inTTen Blocksen Blocksby Jason ReynoldsA collection of short stories that take place

on the same day. They follow 10 kids walking homefrom school, who oddly don't notice a very unusualevent.