Books for Older Readers
Clap When you Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people. In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.
Separated by distance and Papi's secrets, the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they have lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Xiomara has always kept her words to herself. When it comes to standing her ground in her Harlem neighbourhood, she lets her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But X has secrets: her feelings for a boy in her bio class and the notebook full of poems that she keeps under her bed and a slam poetry club that will pull those secrets into the spotlight.
Because in spite of a world that might not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to stay silent.
A novel about finding your voice and standing up for what you believe in, no matter how hard it is to say. Brave, bold and beautifully written - dealing with issues of race, feminism and faith.
Ipods in Accra by Sophia Acheampong
Makeeda's plans for the summer holidays are falling apart! Her parents suddenly announce that the family are going on a trip to visit their relatives in Ghana and then she splits up with her boyfriend Nelson. Can things get any worse?
But in Ghana things are different, and Makeeda, the sophisticated London girl, makes some surprising discoveries about herself, her family and her friends, and while she is struggling to reconcile her two cultures, could it be that she has found true love where she least expected it?
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise.
Zélie remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. When different clans ruled. Burners igniting flames, Tiders beckoning waves and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoning forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, anyone with powers was targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Only a few people remain with the power to use magic and they must remain hidden.
Zélie is one such person and now she has a chance to bring back magic to her people and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must learn to harness her powers as she struggles to come to terms with the strength of her magic and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
This is not about being ready, it is not even about being fierce, or fearless. It;s about being free.
Michael waits in the stage wings, wearing a pink wig, pink fluffy coat and black heels. One more step will see him illuminated by spotlight.
He has been on a journey of bravery to get here and he is almost ready to show himself to the world in bold colours. Can he emerge as The Black Flamingo?
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Sephy is a Cross: she lives a life of privilege and power. But she's lonely and burns with injustice at the world she sees around her.
Callum is a Nought: he is considered to be less than nothing, a blanker, there to serve Crosses, but he dreams of a better life.
They have been friends since they were children and they both know that is as far as it can ever go. Noughts and Crosses are fated to be bitter enemies, love is out of the question. Then, in spite of a world that is fiercely against them, these star crossed lovers choose each other. But this is love story that will lead both of them into terrible danger and which will have shocking repercussions for generations to come.
Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman
Years after a violent war destroyed much of the world, Kaspar has grown up in a society based on peace and harmony. But beyond the city walls, a vicious band of rebels are plotting to tear this peace apart. It is up to the Guardians, an elite peacekeeping force, to protect the city, without ever resorting to the brutal methods of their enemy.
When Kaspar joins the Guardians, he has a chance encounter with a rebel, a beautiful girl named Rhea. Haunted from that moment on by strange visions and memories, he realises he has not been told the truth about what the rebels really want and what he is really fighting for.
The Guilded Ones by Namina Forna
Sixteen-year old Deka lives in Otera, a deeply patriarchal ancient kingdom, where a woman's worth is tied to her purity and she must bleed to prove it. But when Deka bleeds gold - the colour of impurity, of a demon - she faces a consequence worse than death.
She is saved by a mysterious woman who tells Deka of her true nature: she is an Alaki, a near-immortal with exceptional gifts. The stranger offers her a choice: fight for the Emperor, with others just like her, or be destroyed.
Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin
The Coram man takes babies and money from desperate mothers, promising to deliver them safely to a Foundling Hospital in London. Instead, he murders them and buries them by the roadside, to the helpless horror of his mentally ill son, Mish. Mish saves one, Aaron, who grows up happily unaware of his history, proving himself a promising musician. As Aaron's new life takes him closer to his real family, the watchful Mish makes a terrible mistake, delivering Aaron and his best friend Toby back into the hands of the Coram man. It tells the story of a dark time in English history.
Ruby Red by Linzi Glass
In Ruby Winters' world, colour opens some doors and slams others shut. Her opulent Johannesburg neighbourhood is a far cry from the streets of Soweto where anger and hatred simmer under the surface.
Ruby cannot resist the blue eyed Afrikaans boy who brings her the exciting rush of first love, but whose presence brings hushed whispers and disapproving glances. She might not see race, colour or creed, but it seems everybody else does.
Bone by Bone by Bone by Tony Johnston
David's daddy is determined that his son will grow up to be a doctor like himself. David studies the human bones, and secretly teaches them in turn to his black friend, Malcolm. In a rage, Dr. Church forbids Malcolm to ever enter their home--and threatens to kill him if he does. David tries to change his daddy's mind. but when Malcolm crosses the line, Dr. Church grabs his shotgun.
Buffalo Soldier by Tanya Landman
What kind of a girl steals the clothes from a dead man's back and runs off to join the army? A desperate one. That's who. At the end of the American Civil War, Charley, a young African-American slave from the deep south, is ostensibly freed. But then her adopted mother is raped and lynched at the hands of a mob and Charley is left alone. In a terrifyingly lawless land, where the colour of a person's skin can bring violent death, Charley disguises herself as a man and joins the army. Soon she is being sent to the prairies to fight a whole new war against the savage Indians. Trapped in a world of injustice and inequality, it is only when Charley is posted to Apache territory that she begins to learn what it is to be truly free.
Apache by Tanya Landman
This is a haunting account of the Apache's struggle for survival. Siki is an orphan of the Black Mountain Apache. Her mother was killed by Mexicans three years ago and her father lost in an ambush the winter before that. When Siki witnesses the brutal murder of her little brother Tazhi, she vows to become an Apache warrior and avenge his death.
This powerful but sensitively written novel will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.
Indigo Donut by Patrice Lawrence
Seventeen year old Indigo has had a tough start in life, having grown up in the care system after her dad killed her mum. Bailey, also seventeen, lives with his parents in Hackney and spends all his time playing guitar or tending to his luscious ginger afro.
When Indigo and Bailey meet at sixth form, serious sparks fly. But when Bailey becomes the target of a homeless man who seems to know more about Indigo than is normal, Bailey is forced to make a choice he should never have to make.
Rose Interrupted by Patrice Lawrence
Being a teenager is hard enough, but it is even harder in a world you have never known ... Eighteen months ago, 17 year old Rose and 13 year old Rudder escaped a strict religious sect with their mum. They are still trying to make sense of the world outside, no more rules about clothes and books, films and music, no more technology bans. But also, no more friendship with the people they have known all their lives, no community and no certainty and their mum has to work all hours to pay rent on their cramped, smelly, one bed flat above a kebab shop in Hackney.
Rudder accidently sets a devastating chain of events into action and Rose must decide whether to sacrifice everything and go back to the life she hates, in order to save the people she loves.
Orange Boy by Patrice Lawrence
Not cool enough, not clever enough, not street enough for anyone to notice me. I was the kid people looked straight through.
Not any more. Not since Mr Orange.
Sixteen year old Marlon has made his mum a promise, he will never follow his big brother, Andre, down the wrong path. So far, it has been easy, but when a date ends in tragedy, Marlon finds himself hunted. They are after the mysterious Mr Orange and they are going to use Marlon to get to him. Marlon's out of choices, can he become the person he never wanted to be, to protect everyone he loves?
To Kill a Mockingbirg by Harper Lee
Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it is a sin to kill a Mockingbird.'
A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel, a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.
Run Rebel by Manjeet Mann
I am restless, my feet need to fly.
Amber is trapped - by her father's rules, by his expectations, by her own fears. Now she is ready to fight - for her mother, for her sister, for herself. Freedom always comes at a price.
Run, Rebel is a trailblazing verse novel that thunders with rhythm, heart and soul.
Black Angels by Rita Murphy
Eleven year old Celli's summer begins the usual way, her mother leaves for a month's vacation in Atlanta and Sophie the baby-sitter moves into their house from the other side of town. But this is not a usual summer. Celli has discovered angels that no one else can see, black angels appearing on the white side of town and Sophie, part of the family despite the dark color of her skin, has become an outspoken advocate for equal rights. Her daring support of the fledgling civil rights movement embarrasses Celli and leaves her an outcast among her friends. As the black community's support for equality swells, Celli feels more embarrassed by Sophie's strident presence in town than supportive of the movement, until her long lost grandmother from Ohio pays a visit and reveals a secret that will change the way Celli looks at life, colour and family.
No Turning back by Beverley Naidoo
Set in South Africa in the 1990s, a time when an increasing number of young black South Africans are dealing with the violence, the legacy of disrupted schooling and the continued struggle for survival.
The story focuses on one boy's struggle for survival as he leaves the violence of his home and joins a gang of children living on the streets.
Burn My Heart by Beverley Naidoo
The Mau Mau - the name of a secret society that once struck terror into the hearts of British settlers in Kenya. An episode in history that ended in a State of Emergency, with violent and brutal acts dividing a nation.
This is an intensely personal and vivid story of two boys: one black, one white. Once they were friends even though their circumstances are very different. But in a country driven by fear and prejudice, even the best of friends can betray one another.
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
Los Angeles, 1992. Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It is the end of high school, and they are spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.
But everything changes one afternoon in April, when four police officers are acquitted after beating a Black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley is not just one of the girls. She is one of the Black kids.
As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?
Long Way down by Jason Reynolds
And then there were SHOTS, Everybody ran, ducked, hid, tucked themselves tight.
Pressed our lips to the pavement and prayed the boom, followed by the buzz of a bullet didn't meet us.
After Will's brother is shot in a gang crime, he knows the next steps. Do not cry. Do not snitch. Get revenge. So he gets in the lift with Shawn's gun, determined to follow the rules. Only when the lift door opens, Buck walks in, Will's friend who died years ago and Dani, who was shot years before that. As more people from his past arrive, Will has to ask himself if he really knows what he is doing.
Opposite of Always Justin Reynolds
When Jack and Kate meet at a party, he knows he is falling hard. Soon she is meeting his best friends and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. But then Kate dies and their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet and Kate is there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack is not sure if he is losing his mind.
Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he will take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences and when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he is willing to do to save the people he loves.
The Boxer by Nikesh Shukla
Told over the course of the ten rounds of his first fight, this is the story of amateur boxer Sunny. A seventeen year old feeling isolated and disconnected in the city he has just moved to, Sunny joins a boxing club to learn to protect himself after a racist attack. He finds the community he has been desperately seeking at the club, and a mentor in trainer Shobu, who helps him find his place in the world. But racial tensions are rising in the city, and when a Far Right march through Bristol turns violent, Sunny is faced with losing his new best friend Keir to radicalisation.
Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
Lie #1: I'm not afraid
Lie # 2:I'm sure I'm doing the right thing
Lie # 3: I don't care what they think of me
It is 1959. The battle for civil rights is raging and it is Sarahs first day of school as one of the first black students at previously all white Jefferson High. No one wants Sarah there. Not the Governor. Not the teachers and certainly not the students especially Linda, daughter of the towns most ardent segregationist. Sarah and Linda are supposed to despise each other but the more time they spend together, the less their differences matter. Both girls start to feel something they have never felt before. Something they are determined to ignore.
Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor
'We have no choice of what colour we are born or who our parents are or whether we are rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we're here.'
The Mississippi of the 1930s was a hard place for a black child to grow up in, but still Cassie did not understand why farming his own land meant so much to her father. During that year, though, when the night riders were carrying hatred and destruction among her people, she learned about the great differences that divided them, and when it was worth fighting for a principle even if it brought terrible hardships.
On the Come up by Angie Thomas
Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. But when her first song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, Bri finds herself at the centre of controversy and portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. And with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it, she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Sixteen year old Starr lives in two worlds; the poor neighborhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice.
Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace
For Robert Jacklin, packed off without warning to boarding school in Zimbabwe, everything is terrifyingly new. Branded an outsider from the moment he opens his mouth and unable to decode the subtle power struggles of the classroom, he longs for the safety of his old life in England. Then he meets Ivan. Clever, cunning, seductive Ivan, who offers him not only friendship, but power. As Robert is drawn slowly into Ivan's destructive web, he begins to question things he had always held true and, as Ivan's grip tightens, he finds himself caught up in something far more dangerous than he could have imagined.
Home Girl by Alex Wheatle
Home Girl is the story of Naomi, a teenage girl growing up fast in the care system. It is a wholly modern story which sheds a much-needed light on what can be an unsettling life and the consequences that can follow when children are treated like pawns on a family chessboard.
Home Girl is fast paced and funny, tender, tragic and full of courage, just like Naomi.
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
Maddy is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her.
But then Olly moves in next door and just like that, Maddy realises there is more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love and Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.
The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Natasha: I am a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I am definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him will not be my story.
Daniel: I have always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
Life is not safe for Alem. His father is Ethopian, his mother Eritrean. Their countries are at war and Alem is welcome in neither place.
So Alem is excited to spend a holiday in London with his father, until he wakes up to find him gone. What seems like a betrayal is in fact an act of love, but now Alem is alone in a strange country and he must forge his own path.
N.Raddon - September 2023