It’s the deep south in the great depression. A black man has been falsley accused of raping a white girl, and racial tensions rise. To Kill a Mockingbird shares how one girl, Jean Louise (Scout) finch awakens to the realities of race and racism, not only in her town, but in her country.
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Written as a letter to his 15 year-old son, Samori, Ta-Nehisi Coates reflects on how to live as a black person in America. In it, he shares of his childhood in Baltimore’s ghettos to his experience in university. Throughout the letter, he struggles to help his son navigate the world as a black boy - of his need to be “twice as good” and “follow the rules,” and that even then, things may not turn out right. A moving book that challenges all readers to reconsider what it means to live in a black body in today’s world.
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Set in the near future (sometimes frighteningly near in today’s political climate), The Handmaid’s Tale shares the story of a handmaid, named Offred, as she navigates Gilead. In Gilead, women are subjugated to the authority of men. They are not allowed to read, hold jobs or form true friendships. The society is divided into classes: Wives, who stand faithfully behind their husbands, Commanders in Gilead; Ecoonowives, who are able to remain married to low-ranking husbands and have children so long as they are faithful and free of sin; Marthas, who are servants in Commanders’ homes; Unwomen, who are the lowest ranking and are sent to forced labour camps; Jezebels, or sex-workeers; Aunts, who train the Handmaidens for their work; and, Handmaids who exist for one purpose only, breeding. The book follows Offred’s reflections on life before Gilead, and her efforts to lead a rebellion towards its downfall.
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An autobiographical tale, Maya shares her coming-of-age story, underscoring how strength of character and her love of literature helped her overcome her experiences of racism. The book follows Maya’s life from age 3 to 16, and sees her transition from victim to a dignified young woman with the courage and ability to stand up to racism.
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Three stories collide for an unexpected twist. First, all Jin Wang wants to do is fit in, which is hard when you’re the only Chinese American in your school. Second, a retelling of the beloved Chinese fable The Monkey King. And, finally, Chin-Kee is the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, and this is ruining his cousin Danny’s life at school.
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Starr Carter lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood she calls home, and the upscale prep school she attends. The tension she feels is tightened the day she sees her friend, Khalil, killed by a police officer. Khalil was unarmed, but the police officer thought otherwise. She’s the only witness to the shooting. The story follows Starr and her two worlds as they deal with the national headline case.
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Why is an Ivy League-bound student in handcuffs? Dear Martin follows Justyce McAllister’s struggles in leaving one neighbourhood behind, only to be ridiculed by his new classmates. He journals to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to try to find present-day insights in his teachings. A timely book that deals with the realities of racial profiling.
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Set against the backdrop of the 1937 New London school explosion (the worst school disaster in American History), this novel explores segregation, love, family and the forces that can destroy.
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Steve Harmon is a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. By telling his story, Steve seeks to understand how one decision can alter our lives.
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Tariq Johnson is 16 when he dies from gunshot wounds, sending his community into a spiral. Tariq is black. His shooter, white. A timely and relevant story that seeks to make sense of a life violently cut short, and the search for truth.
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Reyna Grande shares her story of living in a world divided. Growing up her parents left Mexico for “El Otro Lado” (The Other Side) leaving her Reyna and her siblings to live in an overcrowded home with her grandparents. That is until her mother returns, and Reyna makes her own journey to El Otro Lado. An insightful first-hand account of the immigrant experience.
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Michael never challenged his parents political views until Mina showed up in school. A timely tale that tackles Islamophobia, prejudice and fear.
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