Mama calls her Girlpie, and she’s Daddy’s honey bun chocolate dew drop. But when she does something naughty, will Mama and Daddy still love her? YES! This colorful board book is a sweet celebration of family love.
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30873322398&dest=usa
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by Shannon Gibney
Ages 14-17
Gibney features herself as the protagonist in this part memoir, part speculative fiction novel. Shannon Gibney and Erin Powers are one and the same person. However, there’s a primal difference in that one was adopted and the other wasn’t.
Using documents like vital records, correspondence written from her birth mother to her adoptive mother, and photographs of herself and family members, Gibney delivers a layered, complicated and enthralling tale told in the often underheard voice of a transracial adoptee. The author using her own name and photographs in the book make this book read like part autobiography and part science fiction.
The book is a challenging read that requires some suspension of disbelief. However, in the often misunderstood or misrepresented narrative of adoption, this story is an “authentic” piece of fiction written by a transracial adoptee. Shannon/Erin gets to be an explorer who time travels and jumps to other dimensions in order to piece together the story of not only the families that made and raised her but of the family she builds for herself well into her adulthood.
This book comes highly recommended for families formed by transracial adoption. The style and subject matter don’t make for an easy read but what valuable books are (easy reads)?
Don’t just hand this off to a teen to read in a vacuum, read it with them. If they want to talk about it, then discuss. If they don’t want to talk it’s still important for non-adoptees to read books like this and show they care about the perspective, identity and narrative of the transracially adopted person. Just as Shannon and Erin catch glimpses of each other or their birth father at different points in space and time, the reader may catch glimpses of what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a transracial adoptee.
Highly recommended!
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=32105044908&dest=usa
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by Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond
illustrated by Ken Daley
Preschool-Grade 3
Colorful illustrations and rhyming text introduce young readers to Black men who made history – Colin Kaepernick, Elijah McCoy, Sam Cooke, Barack Obama, and more. This inspiring book encourages Black boys to break boundaries, believe in themselves, and shape their own fates.
Read more and/or buy the book at The Young Dreamers' Bookstore.
by Nikole Hannah-Jones & Renee Watson,
illustrated by Nikkolas Smith
Grades 2-5, Ages 7-10
Her school assignment is “trace your roots.” How can a young Black girl, who can only trace her family back three generations, complete this assignment? Her grandmother gathers the family around to tell them about their beginnings. She talks about the vibrant civilization enjoyed by African people before they were kidnapped and enslaved. She tells stories of the terrible journey to America, and what happened to the survivors when they arrived. Ending on a hopeful note, this is a moving and important book..
https://www.asiabookcenter.com/store/p4041/The_1619_Project%3A_Born_on_the_Water.html
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by Rebecca Carroll
Adult
Transracial adoptee Becky had an idyllic early childhood in a loving family. Living in a rural community, she was the only person of color in her town, and as she grew older, Becky felt isolated and confused. Life became even more difficult when she met Tess, her white birth mother, at age 16. Tess refused to talk about Becky’s Black father and undermined Becky’s identity and self-esteem. Becky’s journey to find herself is an illuminating – and ultimately hopeful - read.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Surviving-the-White-Gaze/Rebecca-Carroll/9781982116279
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by Stella Blackstone & Sunny Scribens
illustrated by Christiane Engel
Board Book
Dad and baby have a great day together in this colorful board book. When a baby’s other dad comes home, it’s time for a bubble bath and a cozy tuck-in. Young children will enjoy learning new words as they spend the day with this happy family.
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by Kekla Magoon
Grades 3-7
Chester Keene’s mom is always worrying about him, so Chester tries his best to hide bad things from her. When a bully gives him a black eye, Chester tells his mom he ran into something. Chester really needs someone to talk to. His father left when Chester was a baby, but presents arrive every birthday and Christmas. When Chester finds an email address in one of the packages, he is glad to finally have a way to communicate with his father. Chester sends messages and receives advice in return, but he really wants to see his dad in person. He believes his father doesn’t come around because he is a secret agent on a mission, but the truth is more complicated and hard to face. Chester Keene Cracks the Code has mystery, adventure – and a lot of heart.
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by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Ages 3-6
During a month that we focus on the significance of names for transracial adoptees, Becoming Vanessa, by Vanessa Brantley-Newton feels like a relevant recommendation.
Vanessa wants to feel special on her first day of school, but everything goes wrong. The outfit she picked is too fancy, and her name has too many letters. She shares her sad feelings with her parents, who help her discover how special her name is – and how special she is, too! A super book to share at the beginning of the school year.
Watch a special YouTube video for a read aloud with the author:
by Sharon Draper
Grades 4-7
Told from the perspective of an 11 year old, whose parents are divorced, Izzy / Isabella relays her experiences being shuttled between both parents’ homes (she can’t call either house her home). Her mother is white and her father is Black and not much is ever said to her about being two different races until a racist event (targeted at her close friend) happens at school. Suddenly, Izzy is forced to “check the box” as to what her racial identity is and she doesn’t know what to do.
As the story unfolds, more events related to Izzy’s racial identity occur. A boy seems to like Izzy, but it hurts when she finds out he's curious about her “exotic” looks. When she and her Black stepbrother get profiled by the police while getting ice cream, they’re both pulled from the car and the situation becomes racist and violent.
Since everything is relayed in Izzy’s/Isabella’s voice, the story is accessible to young adolescents. There are tough topics related to blended families, divorce, race and racism that make this a reading journey to be shared between responsive parents or adults and children reading this book.
Visit Sharon Draper's website for more resources supporting Blended, including a study guide, discussion questions and additional activities.
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Instead of one book and author this month, we’re sharing a robust resource from Penguin Random House. All Ways Black is a year-round celebration of Black authors and stories, a place to honor the depth and breadth of experiences around what it means to be Black. This is a community dedicated to Black literature – reading, sharing, living, and loving it. All Ways Black aims to help you discover incredible authors and books and support the next wave of Black writers. There are all kinds of goodies on this site - take a look and let us know what you find.
