NEW Multicultural Children's & YA Books October 2024

Here is our list of new multicultural children’s and YA books for October 2024! Our favourite books this month are Awake, Asleep (Babies & Toddlers), An Anishinaabe Christmas (Preschool), The Home We Make (Elementary School), Onyx & Beyond (Middle School), and Solis (High School). Enjoy browsing!

You can buy the books on this list from Amazon USA by clicking on the book titles or images or from my Bookshop page.

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NEW Multicultural Children’s & YA Books October 2024

Babies & Toddlers

Awake, Asleep
by Kyle Lukoff

“A kiss, a blink, a dawn, a break. / A yawn, a peep, a stretch, awake!” From sunup to sundown, a young child’s day is bursting with discovery and wonder-filled moments. Follow a day in the life of three diverse families and their little ones, as everyday moments like sharing breakfast and exploring the park are rendered full of love, exploration, joy, and wonder. With sparse, beautiful rhyming text, Awake, Asleep is a poetic read-aloud perfect for any time of day, paired against luminous, tender illustrations. ~ Diverse – Babies & Toddlers

My Hair Is Like Yours
by St. Clair Detrick-Jules

Cornrows, curls, fros, and swirls! How do you wear your hair? Featuring photographs of real kids whose hairstyles match those of family and friends, little ones will love seeing themselves mirrored in these pages and in the world around them. With beautiful photographs and joyous, flowing text, My Hair Is Like Yours is a playful rhyming board book that celebrates the joy of seeing yourself in the ones you love and embracing your unique self.

Also available: My Hair Is Like the Sun

Preschool

We Celebrate the Light
by J. Yolen & H. Stemple

Diwali, Solstice, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, and Lunar New Year are visually depicted in turn, accompanying a stunning, read-aloud text that speaks of the traditions that link them all together. The warm yet accurate imagery is explained in simple secondary text on each spread, and further in the backmatter. We Celebrate The Light is a loving and poignant story with true reverence for our shared traditions of celebrating light, love, food, and family. An empowering, informative, and inclusive holiday book for families of all traditions. ~ Diverse – Preschool

Our Joyful Noise
by Gabriele Davis

For this loving family, each moment of the day is filled with music, from the moment they wake to the sound of Mama humming them into a happy day as she plop plop plops berries into oatmeal, to bedtime when Daddy soothes them to sleep, strong hands smoothing brows, warm and slow, sweet chariots swinging low. Our Joyful Noise is a jazzy picture book that follows a Black family through a week of shared moments and simple pleasures, woven through with hidden musical jewels from spirituals and songs. ~ African – Preschool

Papa’s Butter Chicken: A celebration of family and community
by Monica Saigal

Monica loves the Butter Chicken that her father makes. She spends the day helping him in the kitchen as he prepares the dish, stirring the sauce and adding the spices. And while the chicken bakes, the two dance around the kitchen. When the chicken is done, they get ready to sit down and enjoy the meal together. But then the doorbell rings, and Grandma, Monica’s uncles, and even the neighbors arrive to share in the feast! Papa’s Butter Chicken is a warm and inspiring story of food, family, community, and sharing that includes a foreword by renowned chef José Andrés, and one of the author’s own recipes. ~ Asian – Preschool

Goodnight, Starry Night: Bedtime poems inspired by works of art
by Joseph Coelho

Written by award-winning performance poet Joseph Coelho, Goodnight, Starry Night is a collection of fourteen poems that takes readers on a gentle journey into dreamland. Each poem is inspired by a calming work of art, reproduced in the book alongside the heartwarming illustrations of Allison Colpoys. This unique volume features poems inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry, Starry Night, David Hockney’s Sleeping Dogs, Vivian Maier’s Woman with Baby, and Faith Ringgold’s quilted artwork of Cassie Lightfoot flying against a night sky. ~ Diverse – Preschool

An Anishinaabe Christmas
by Wab Kinew

One winter solstice, Mommy says, “Baby, we’re going home to the Rez. We’re going to have an Anishinaabe Christmas.” But this is Baby’s first Christmas away from the city, and they’re worried! They have a lot of questions: How will Santa know where to find them? Why do we have presents on Christmas? How come they’re going home to the Rez but don’t live there? On the long trip to Mooshom’s and Kookom’s, Baby learns about animals being part of their family, about the North Star leading them home and even the meanings of some Anishinaabe words. An Anishinaabe Christmas is a festive, joyful Indigenous picture book that explores both Christmas traditions and Anishinaabe culture. ~ Diverse – Preschool

Sari Sisters
by Anoosha Syed

Ruhi is ready for her weekend tradition: a dance party with her older sister, Kayra! But Kayra is getting ready for the weekly family gathering and carefully tying a sari for the first time. Ruhi fears that she’s missing out on all the fun that her older sister and the aunties are having upstairs while she’s in the basement with the other kids, so she comes up with an idea to loosen the adults up and bring everyone together: have a sari dance party! Ruhi spends all week learning to tie and pleat with her mom’s saris so that she can show everyone the following weekend, and reignite her dance party tradition with her sister. Sari Sisters is a warm-hearted story about the tight-knit bond between sisters as they navigate adolescent milestones and the beauty of updating traditional customs for a modern audience. ~ Asian – Preschool

How to Sing a Song
by Kwame Alexander

“Hush. / Now, turn up your ears / and listen / to the concert happening / all around you.” Surrounded by nature’s chorus and guided by words that vibrate like thunder, let the groove lead you on, until you can’t help but sing out from your soul! The third book by the team that created the New York Times bestselling How to Read a Book and How to Write a Poem, How To Sing A Song celebrates the magic of listening to the song that echoes inside you, and letting your music ring out. ~ Diverse – Preschool

What Lolo Wants
by Cristina Oxtra

Every night, Maria and Lolo draw together. Though she tries, Maria isn’t nearly as good as her grandfather. Lolo can draw anything: Lola cooking, sampaguita blooming, maya birds perching. One day, though, things start to change. Lolo does not feel well. And when Maria asks him to draw, he says he needs to rest. Not long after, Lolo begins to forget people’s names, and soon he cannot find the words for what he wants. Maria tries to find some way to help Lolo communicate – could their shared love of drawing be the answer? With rich illustrations full of evocative details of the setting in the Philippines, What Lolo Wants is a moving picture book about how to navigate through family changes by continuing to care and connect. ~ Asian – Preschool

Amy Wu and the Lantern Festival
by Kat Zhang

Lunar New Year is Amy’s favorite holiday! Her family celebrates for two whole weeks, and she loves everything about it—the food, the decorations, and, most of all, the traditions! Amy’s favorite tradition is carrying her family’s lantern on Lantern Festival Day. Their lantern is special because every time Amy’s dad lights it, he’s reminded of his mother. But when Amy accidentally crushes their family lantern, is her favorite tradition ruined for good? Amy Wu and the Lantern Festival is a sweet book about the Chinese New Year. ~ Asian – Preschool

Also available: Amy Wu Adventures (Boxed Set)

When Love Is More Than Words
by Jocelyn Chung

There are so many ways to say “I love you” without saying a word! One little girl sees the love shown in her family by the way they nurture one another through stories, food, and spending time together. With great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings around, there are so many ways for love to shine through. With lyrical text and vibrant illustrations, When Love Is More Than Words celebrates a family whose caring actions speak louder than words. ~ Asian – Preschool

My Friend LeVar
by Ezra Edmont

Ezra’s friend LeVar always has a book to share. From playing in the snow, to decorating eggs, to eating pancakes with Paul Bunyan–Ezra and LeVar explore all different kinds of stories. Through imaginative play they discover new worlds, learn to be curious, and revel in reading. One day young Ezra meets LeVar Burton in real life! Soon afterward, Ezra discovers that his friends know LeVar from TV, too. My Friend LeVar is a joyous celebration of the impact LeVar Burton had on kids during his years on television. ~ African – Preschool

At Our Table
by Patrick Hulse

At our table there is room to share a seat… room for old traditions and new ones… room to remember where our food comes from… and room to give thanks. There are countless ways we celebrate and give to others on Thanksgiving. The goodness we share lasts the rest of the year—and sometimes for a lifetime. From joyful preparation of food, to quiet reflection honoring farmers and Native communities, to cherished moments of laughter with friends or family…there is always room for making more memories together. At Our Table is a fresh and inclusive portrayal of Thanksgiving that celebrates sharing, community, family, food, and respect for America’s first inhabitants. ~ Diverse – Preschool

Hair Like Obama’s, Hands Like Lebron’s: A Picture Book
by Carole Boston Weatherford

Inspired by the famous White House photograph of five-year-old Jacob Philadelphia touching then-president Barack Obama’s hair, Hair Like Obama’s, Hands Like Lebron’s is an ode to all the things that make Black and brown boys beautiful. Young readers will learn about many inspiring male figures in Black history up to the present day, gaining confidence in their abilities and their cultural legacy as they learn. The back matter includes an author’s note and biographies of each of the featured figures: Guion Bluford, Usain “Lightning” Bolt, “Bootsy” Collins, John Coltrane, Benjamin Crump, LeBron James, Lonnie Johnson, Michael Jordan, Colin Kaepernick, Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Elijah McCoy, Kenrick “Ice” McDonald, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, and Tommie Smith. ~ African – Preschool

Life Is Beautiful
by Winsome Bingham

Every week, Granny Dee takes three trains and one bus to have a weekend full of TV-watching, bubble-bathing, nail-painting, day-tripping, and living LIFE with her granddaughter. Granny Dee always says, “Everybody should enjoy life. Life is beautiful.” Until one weekend Granny Dee doesn’t come, and Momma says she’s getting too old for trains and buses. So week after week, the little girl and her momma go to her instead. Then, one Sunday morning, Granny Dee dies. Life Is Beautiful is a touching story about finding beauty in life while missing someone you loved. ~ African – Preschool

Getting Us to Grandma’s (The Malaika)
by Nadia L. Hohn

Nikki’s family is preparing for a long road trip from Toronto to the Bronx to attend Uncle Travis’s wedding. Nikki loves tracing the routes in the map book to all the places her relatives live ― her Grandpa in Florida, her cousins in Atlanta, DC, and Boston. She daydreams of England, where other family lives, and Jamaica and Africa, where her roots run deep. Her attention comes back to the road trip when it’s clear that Daddy’s taken a wrong turn. “I can help!” says Nikki, who proves to be an excellent navigator. She guides them back to the Bronx Expressway, under the elevated subway tracks, onto a street of brown row houses and safely to Grandma’s. Getting Us to Grandma’s is full of fun historic details and authentic cultural moments shared by diasporic families, whose stories can be traced across continents. ~ African – Preschool

Elementary School

Into the Uncut Grass
by Trevor Noah

“But sooner or later your mother will find us,” Walter said, looking back at the house. “She always does.” / The boy’s eyes lit up again. He had an idea. / “Then this time we need to go where we’ve never gone before,” he said. “Into the uncut grass!” Into The Uncut Grass is a gorgeously illustrated fable about a young child’s journey into the world beyond the shadow of home, a magical landscape where he discovers the secrets of sharing, connection, and finding peace with the people we love. Infused with the Trevor Noah’s signature wit and imagination, it’s a tale for readers of all ages—to be read aloud or read alone. ~ African – Elementary School

Abuela’s Letter
by Debbie Zapata

Alma’s favourite days are when her big family gathers at Abuela’s house. Tíos take siestas while tías tell their stories, and primos play dominoes while Abuela stirs the frijoles. Always at the center is the love of Abuela! Alma’s beloved grandmother and her number one fan! When Abuela dies, all of this is suddenly gone. Alma is filled with sadness and grief, until she finds a letter that Abuela left for her. Could Abuela’s words be what fills her heart again with love and sweet memories? Abuela’s Letter is a beautiful story that addresses loss and grief within a Latin family where a young girl discovers letter-writing as a way to cope and connect with her loved one’s passing. ~ Hispanic – Elementary School

The Home We Make
by Maham Khwaja

“One day someone asks me, / Where is home? / And I don’t know what to say. / Is home here or there?” Told from the perspective of a young refugee girl, The Home We Make tells the moving story of a family forced to flee their home due to violence. Emotive illustrations balance the family’s love for one another and hope for the future with the harrowing journey to escape on foot, travel by boat, and then finally resettle in a safe place. Through it all, the young girl tries to hold on to all the pieces of her life before and find a way to rebuild a sense of home. ~ Asian – Elementary School

A Map for Falasteen: A Palestinian Child’s Search for Home
by Maysa Odeh

At school, Falasteen and her classmates are tasked with finding their families’ home countries on a map, but no matter how hard she looks, Falasteen can’t find Palestine. Can a place exist if it’s not on a map? Confused, Falasteen turns to her family for answers. Her grandfather, grandmother, and Mama encourage her to see their homeland from a different perspective, and each of their stories helps her understand her people’s history and her own place in the world. With beautiful illustrations and thoughtful back matter that outlines key terms and historical moments, A Map For Falasteen is a story of family, resilience and home always being where the heart is. ~ Asian – Elementary School

Beti and the Little Round House
by Atinuke

Beti lives in a little round house in the green woods under the mountains with Mam, Tad, baby Jac, and her very own tiny goat named Naughty. Beti loves the little round house, where there is always the promise of adventure with Naughty, Jac, and her friends—whatever the season! With charming black-and-white and color illustrations throughout, Beti and the Little Round House is a warm and lyrical collection, alive with themes of endurance, friendship, and the power of self-belief. It celebrates the gift of the seasons and the art of living simply and joyfully in nature. ~ African – Elementary School

Stokes: The Brief Career of the NBA’s First Black Superstar
by T. Chapman & J. Coy

In a 1958 game against the Minneapolis Lakers, Maurice Stokes went down hard and hit his head, losing consciousness. At the time, there was no concussion protocol, and Stokes went back into the game. A few days later, he went into a coma and woke up unable to move his body from the neck down. Players did not have any sort of financial support in situations like this, and Stokes’s teammate Jack Twyman worked with other players and Milton Kutsher to put on a benefit game during the summer at Kutsher’s hotel in the Catskills. This game became an annual tradition, and Stokes was eventually able to travel and watch the game. Stokes tells the story of the NBA’s first Black superstar who is not as well known as he should be because of a career-ending injury. ~ African – Elementary School

Middle School

Melanin Magic
by Dosse-Via Trenou

Welcome to Forest Magic School, where young mystics learn the basics of African spiritualty through astrology, plant magic, cowrie divination, breathwork, and the magic within melanin! There’s a portal you can enter that will you help you remember your magic. Join Yawa and Kossi as a forest scholar and begin your journey to discovering what African spirituality is all about. With the help of these almost-twins, their classmates, and their professors, you will learn about your magically melanated skin and how to harness the power within you to become more connected to your ancestors and to the universe. Through a beautifully woven narrative and with easy-to-digest prompts and thought questions throughout, Melanin Magic is the guide for any juvenile mystic seeking deeper knowledge about their heritage and the principles of African spirituality. ~ African – Middle School

The Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew
by Kalynn Bayron

San Antonio is on lockdown, taken over by the new hive. No one can deny that the undead are back now, but the Vanquishers found out the hard way: when they learned that an old friend is behind the latest string of attacks. As the Squad hide out at an abandoned combat training facility, honing their vampire-butt-kicking skills, they begin to suspect that they’re not alone. And when a vial of Dracula’s blood–able to give unrivaled power to the vampire that consumes it–is stolen from the bunker, the Vanquishers race to recover it before it falls into the wrong hands. The Vanquishers have always been Boog’s family, the ones she trusts the most. But what does it mean when a former Vanquisher, one of her heroes, is now the enemy? The Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew is the heart-stopping conclusion to the bestselling Vanquishers series. ~ African – Middle School

Also available: The Vanquishers // The Vanquishers: Secret of the Reaping

The Fairy Tale Fan Club
by Richard Ayoade

Once upon a time . . . as only the irreverently witty Richard Ayoade can tell it. In this series of letters organized by C. C. Cecily, Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club, the fairest of them all (and a few bitter foes) correspond with curious—and opinionated—fans. So if you’ve ever wondered how a less-than-genius emperor fell for a certain con, how the Big Bad Wolf is handling meatless Mondays, or whether Rapunzel recommends going for the big chop, no need to look far, far away. The author hilariously imagines what questions modern children would have for characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, and Little Red Riding Hood—and what they might have to say in return. With spoof-gothic illustrations, The Fairy Tale Fan Club is a wry storybook that may have even the Brothers Grimm cackling in their graves. ~ Diverse – Middle School

Freedom Fire: Jax Freeman and the Phantom Shriek
by Kwame Mbalia

On his twelfth birthday, Jackson “Jax” Freeman arrives at Chicago’s Union Station alone, carrying nothing but the baggage of a scandal back in Raleigh. At his new school, Jax is assigned to a special class for “summoners,” even though he has no idea what those are . . . until he accidentally unleashes an angry spirit on school grounds. Soon Jax is embroiled in all kinds of trouble, from the disappearance of a new friend to full-out war between summoning families. When Jax learns that he isn’t the first Freeman to be blamed for a tragedy he didn’t create, he resolves to clear his own name and that of his great-grandfather, who was a porter back in the 1920’s. By following clues, Jax and his schoolmates unlock the secrets of a powerful Praise House, evade vengeful ghosts, and discover that Jax may just be the most talented summoner of all. Jax Freeman and the Phantom Shriek is a unique magic-school fantasy from the best-selling and award-winning author of the Tristan Strong trilogy. ~ African – Middle School

The Best Friend Bracelet
by Nicole D. Collier

At Hurston Middle School, best friendship is a big deal. And Zariah Brown makes the best best friendship bracelets in town. Business is booming; Zariah can hardly keep up with orders. The problem is, Zariah doesn’t have a best friend of her own. As the entire seventh grade gears up for their big Pajama Jam weekend, it seems as if everyone else is paired up except her. So Zariah pours her heart and soul into making the ultimate friendship bracelet, using a set of beads gifted to her by a mysterious woman. But the bracelet turns out to be a tiny bit . . . magical. In fact, anyone who puts it on instantly becomes Zariah’s best friend. Now all she has to do is find the perfect best friend and get the bracelet on them. Easy, right? The Best Friend Bracelet is a tender, funny story about making—and keeping—friends. ~ African – Middle School

Boy 2.0
by Tracey Baptiste

Win “Coal” Keegan has just landed in his latest foster home, with a big, noisy, slightly nosy family named the McKays. They seem eager to welcome Coal, but he’s wary of trusting them. So, he doesn’t tell them that he went for a walk with chalk in his pocket to cover a nearby street with his art. He doesn’t tell them that a neighbor found Coal drawing, pulled a gun on him, and fired it. He doesn’t tell them the police chased him. And he definitely doesn’t tell them that when everything went down, Coal somehow turned invisible. Now he has to figure out how. Is he a superhero? Some kind of mutant? A science experiment? Is that why he has no family of his own? As Coal searches for answers and slowly learns to control his invisibility, he turns to the McKay kids and friends both new and old for help. But they soon discover they’re not the only ones looking for a Black boy with superpowers, and the situation is far stranger–and more dangerous–than they ever could have expected. Boy 2.0 is an action-packed superhero story that tweens will love. ~ African – Middle School

Leon: Worst Friends Forever
by Jamar Nicholas

After saving his classmates from The Monocle, and now that he has access to tons of cool crime-fighting gadgets, Leon is the superhero his school needs. Or at least… he thinks he is. Leon’s vigil-antics make Mom and Principal Principle angry, but even worse, they cause a conflict with his best friend, Carlos, who starts to draw mean comics about Leon. Meanwhile, Leon struggles to keep his mom’s superhero identity a secret. Can Leon dig deep and rediscover his heart and common sense? Or will his bad behavior reach a point of no return? Leon: Worst Friends Forever is the second graphic novel in this action-packed, heartfelt, and joyously funny graphic novel series. ~ African – Middle School

Also available: Leon the Extraordinary

Pied
by Avione Lee

Rim Wickford has never ridden in a flying ferry boat, had a tornado clean his room, or gotten in mounds of trouble by a mischievous weasel, because Rim is the kind of kid who always does what he is told and never gets into trouble. Until one day when he plays a musical pipe and his entire school falls to the ground, like their souls were snatched from their bodies. With one note, the secret his uncle kept from him for years is out, and Rim is quickly swept into the quirky and colorful hidden world of Pipers, persons who can turn melody into magic. But Rim soon learns he is different, even among Pipers, because he is a Pied Piper, the kind of Piper that’s vilified and targeted in the Piper world. His best chance of blending in is acceptance into an exclusive Piper Association where all members are protected from harm. Forced to hide his Pied identity while mastering his new powers, Rim must pass a series of magical, musical trials. But what he is hiding just might be the very thing he needs to succeed. Join Rim on a musical adventure, inspired by the Pied Piper fairy tale, as he discovers his lost magical culture and finds his place in a new world! ~ African – Middle School

A Split Second
by Janae Marks

That clock can’t be right. When Elise wakes up the morning after her birthday celebration, she’s surprised to find herself in her bedroom. Last she can remember, she had fallen asleep next to her best friends at her slumber party in her basement, and it was October. But now she’s alone, and her phone says it’s April 8. Elise doesn’t understand. How could she have woken up six months later? No one else is acting like anything strange has happened, yet Elise can’t remember the last half year. To make matters worse, her friends refuse to talk to her and Elise doesn’t know why. She also has no idea how she got signed up for photography club or why her former best friend, Cora, is talking to her again. Is it a memory problem? Could it be magic? Every day that passes takes Elise further from the world she knew. Thankfully, Elise has Cora to lean on in this new reality, and the two come together to investigate why Elise woke up in the future—and, more important, how to get her back to her past and away from this nightmare. A Split Second is a stunningly crafted and twisty mystery about the tests of friendships that examines what matters most. ~ African – Middle School

Onyx & Beyond
by Amber McBride

Onyx lives with his mother, who is showing signs of early-onset dementia. He doesn’t want to bring attention to his home — if Child Protective Services finds out, they’ll put him into foster care. As he’s trying to keep his life together, the Civil Rights Movement is accelerating. Is there anywhere that’s safe for a young Black boy? Maybe, if only Onyx can fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut and exploring space, where none of these challenges will follow him. In the meantime, Onyx can dream. And try to get his mom the help she needs. Based on the author’s father’s story of growing up in the 1960s and facing the same challenge with his own mother, Onyx & Beyond delivers an affecting depiction of being young and Black in America. ~ African – Middle School

Bird Nerd
by Jennifer A. Richter

Nyla Braun has always been called a nerd at her Philadelphia school. But that hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her nerdy hobbies, especially when she has best friend Tasha by her side. When a birding tournament between Nyla’s class and a class from a suburban school is announced, Nyla sees her chance to get the respect she deserves. If they win, that is. The Burb Birders will be tough competition. With the contest underway, Nyla soon catches the attention of the most popular girl in class, who also wants to win, setting off a chain of small disasters as Nyla tries to balance old friends and new and the pressure to be cool when you really just want to be yourself. Told with warmth and gentle humor, Bird Nerd combines a deep love of nature and birding with the story of a young girl learning to discover her own confidence and values. ~ African – Middle School

High School

Halfway There: A Graphic Memoir of Self-Discovery
by Christine Mari

Christine has always felt she is just half: Half American, half Japanese. As a biracial Japanese American who was born in Tokyo but raised in the US, she knows all too well what it’s like to be a part of two different worlds but never feeling as though you belong to either. Now on the brink of adulthood, Christine decides it’s time to return to the place she once called home. So she sets forth on a year abroad in Tokyo, believing that this is where she truly belongs. But Tokyo isn’t the answer she thought it would be. Instead of fitting in, Christine finds herself a fish out of water, as being half of two cultures isolates her in ways she’d never imagined. All she can do is try to stay afloat for the rest of the year—still figuring out who she is, what she wants in life, and whether she’ll ever truly be more than halfway there. Halfway There is a poignant young adult graphic memoir that explores what it means to lose and find yourself in this moving narrative of belonging and home. ~ Asian – High School

Tangleroot
by Kalela Williams

Noni Reid has grown up in the shadow of her mother, Dr. Radiance Castine, renowned scholar of Black literature, who is perfect at just about everything. When Dr. Castine takes a job as the president of the prestigious Stonepost College in rural Virginia, Noni is forced to leave her New England home, a prime internship and her friends. She and her mother move into the “big house” on Tangleroot Plantation. Noni hates everything about her new home, but finds herself morbidly fascinated by the white, slaveholding family who once lived in it. Slowly, she begins to unpeel the layers of sinister history that envelop her Virginia town, her mother’s workplace, her ancestry―and her life story as she knew it. Through it all, she must navigate the ancient prejudices of the citizens in her small town, and ultimately, she finds herself both affirming her mother’s position and her own―but also discovering a secret that changes everything. Tangleroot is a debut YA novel about blood and family that is both history and mystery. ~ African – High School

Solis
by Paola Mendoza & Abby Sher

The year is 2033, and in this near-future America where undocumented people are forced into labor camps, life is bleak. Especially so for seventeen-year-old Rania, a Lebanese teenager from Chicago. When she and her mother were rounded up by the Deportation Force, they were given the brutal job of digging in the labor camp’s mine searching for the destructive and toxic, but potentially world-changing chemical, aqualinium. With this chemical the corrupt and xenophobic government of the New American Republic could actually control the weather—ending devastating droughts sweeping the planet due to climate change. If the government succeeds, other countries would be at their mercy. Solidifying this power comes at the expense of the undocumented immigrants forced to endure horrendous conditions to mine the chemical or used in cruel experiments to test it, leaving their bodies wracked in extreme pain to the point of death. As the experiments ramp up, things only get worse. Rania and her fellow prisoners decide to start a revolution; if they don’t, they know they will die. Told by four narrators, Solis is about the courage and sacrifice it takes to stand and fight for freedom. ~ Hispanic – High School

Also available: Sanctuary

Legend of the White Snake
by Sher Lee

When Prince Xian was a boy, a white snake bit his mother and condemned her to a slow, painful death. The only known cure is an elusive spirit pearl—or an antidote created from the rare white snake itself. Desperate and determined, Xian travels to the city of Changle, where an oracle predicted he would find and capture a white snake. Seven years ago, Zhen, a white snake in the West Lake, consumed a coveted spirit pearl, which gave him special powers—including the ability to change into human form. In Changle, Xian encounters an enigmatic but beautiful stable boy named Zhen. The two are immediately drawn to each other, but Zhen soon realizes that he is the white snake Xian is hunting. As their feelings grow deeper, will the truth about Zhen’s identity tear them apart? Legend of the White Snake A snake is a lush, romantic retelling of the traditional Chinese folktale. ~ Asian – High School

I Was Told There Would Be Romance
by Marie Arnold

Fifteen-year-old Fancy Augustine is a Haitian American girl with simple desires. She’d like to trade in her floppy, oversize boobs for cute, perky ones. She’d love a boyfriend. And she’s desperate for an invite to the biggest event of the school Imani Park’s birthday party. When Fancy learns her BFF, Tilly, has received an invite and has a secret boyfriend, she is determined to do whatever it takes to get her own happily ever after. So what if she makes a deal with the devil (Imani) that guarantees her an invite—but only if she can bring a boyfriend? And what’s so bad about letting her crush, Rahim, believe that she can create a voodoo potion for him in exchange for him posing as her boyfriend? And, yeah, maybe she’s destroying her friendship with Tilly and falling hopelessly behind in her schoolwork, but Fancy knows it’ll all be worth it in the end. Plus, it’s not like Fancy’s parents would really make good on their threats of sending her back to Haiti…right? I Was Told There Would Be Romance is a hilarious and heartfelt novel about a young Haitian girl navigating high school, friendship, and crushes. ~ African – High School