With many social justice issues in the news over the past several years, you may be looking for books to help you start a conversation. Here are a few recent teen books written about social justice issues that will definitely get teens (and the adults who care about them) talking.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017; 464 pages) has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for 47 weeks running. When prep school student Starr witnesses her best friend Khalil fatally shot by a police officer, she gets caught up in a war between her worlds. Starr is the only witness and everyone wants to know exactly what happened that night. Start a conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement and how people’s perceptions affect their actions.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (2017; 306 pages). Author Jason Reynolds uses just a few words to convey a ton of emotion in his novel-in-verse about a teen deciding what to do after his brother is shot and killed. Will knows the rules – when someone you love is killed, you don’t cry, you don’t snitch, but you do get revenge – and he knows who did it. But can he bring himself to avenge his family? One elevator ride to the street with a gun in his pocket will prove to be a long way down as he tries to decide what his next steps will be. Start a conversation about “the rules” in your family or your community and what you would do if you were in Will’s place.
Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson (2017; 272 pages) is maybe the lightest touch on social justice issues, but it still deals with a lot of issues that teens face without ever feeling like an “issues” book. Jade knows she needs to get out of her neighborhood if she’s going to succeed in life. She’s on the right path, accepting a scholarship to a prestigious and mostly white private school, but she doesn’t want to be seen as anyone’s charity case. As Jade pieces together what it means to be her, she deals with body image and hearing about police brutality on the news, issues that her white friends have very different feelings on. Start a conversation about pieces of your identity and how we decide who we are and who we’re going to be.
In How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon (2014; 326 pages), an African American teen Tariq has been shot by a white man, but everyone seems to have a different idea of how it went down. Told from multiple viewpoints, this novel tries to piece it all together, but whose voice can you trust? How do you figure out How It Went Down? Start a conversation about the many voices we hear from when violent events happen and how you sort through the news to get to the truth.
Any of these books will get you thinking about issues happening in our country today and they can be a great way to start a conversation. Incidentally, these are all books written by African American authors. Join us at our second annual African American Read-In on Saturday, February 24 at 2:00pm at the Carnegie Center for Art and History to continue the conversation by focusing on books written by African Americans. All are welcome to read a short excerpt or just come to listen. Click here for more information about our 2018 African American Read-In.
— Abby Johnson, Collection Development Leader
