In celebration of the National Day of Racial Healing, here are some recommended book lists from your Greene County Public Library staff!
From Kim in Admin at Xenia
Undefeated - Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson
One Crazy Summer - Rita Williams Garcia
Esperanza Rising - Pam Munzo Ryan
From Velma at Jamestown
Inside Out and Back Again - Thanhha Lai
The Bridge Home - Padma Venkatraman
Prairie Lotus - Linda Sue Park
From Nacim at Yellow Springs
March (books 1, 2, and 3) - John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell
The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo
All American Boys - Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
This Book is Anti-Racist - Tiffany Jewell and Aurelia Durand
"I love the way the author spoke from her perspective of being a black biracial cisgender female. She starts the book with helping us identify who we are and gives us the exercise of creating our own identity map. She continues by explaining and giving exercises that help us to understand how we fit into the system of racism within our culture. She ends the book with examples of ways to stop cycles of racism and how we can use our super powers to stand up against racism. This is all done in a way that is accessible and beautiful. The illustrations that accompany the text are uplifting and vibrant. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a guide to becoming anti-racist."
From Janet at Yellow Springs
"I read several other books this year on racial and social justice that I liked but I picked Amina’s Voice as my pick because the story resonated with me partly because I have a daughter who has lived and taught in the middle east for a number of years. Amina is a Muslim American and struggles with the same things most kids struggle with as they grow up. She is shy and lacks confidence and now she is wondering why her Asian childhood friend is changing – wanting to appear ‘more American’ though they both have live here all their lives. When the local mosque is terribly vandalized Amina’s world is really shaken but she sees the community come together and help each other. This helps her find her confidence to be who she is and let her talents shine."
From Amanda at Winters-Bellbrook
The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
“Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, The Hate U Give does an outstanding job explaining what the movement stands for & what it doesn’t. While The Hate U Give is a very serious book with very serious content, Thomas mixes in just the right amount of light-hearted moments to balance out the seriousness. This book will appeal to a wide audience from teens to adults, and could definitely be utilized by parents and teachers to open a dialogue with teens about racial issues.”
From Joanne at Winters-Bellbrook
I Will Be Fierce - Bea Birdsong
The Other Side - Jacqueline Woodson
The Day You Begin - Jacqueline Woodson
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