African American Main Characters

As Brave as You My Life as an Ice Cream by Jason Reynolds Sandwich When Genie and his older brother spend by Ibi Aanu Zoboi their summer in the country with their In the summer of 1984, Ebony-Grace of grandparents, he learns a secret about Huntsville, Alabama, visits her father in his grandfather and what it means to be Harlem, where her fascination with outer brave. space and science fiction interfere with J Fiction Reynolds, Jason her finding acceptance. J Fiction Zoboi, Ibi Trace by Pat Cummings The Long Ride When Trace sees a ghost wearing by Marina Tamar Budhos old-fashioned clothing in the basement of In in 1971, Jamila and Josie are the New York Public Library, he discovers bused across Queens where they try to fit that the boy has ties to Trace's own in at a new, integrated junior high school history, and that Trace may be the key to while their best friend, Francesca, tests setting the dead to rest. the limits at a private school. J Fiction Cummings, Pat J Fiction Budhos, Marina Tamar

Some Places More than Mia Mayhem is a Superhero! Others by Kara West by Renée Watson Eight-year-old Mia Macarooney is Amara visits her father's family in Harlem delighted to learn she is from a family of for her twelfth birthday, hoping to better superheroes, but her acceptance into the understand her family and herself, but Program for In Training Superheroes New York City is not what she expected. requires she take a placement exam. J Fiction Watson, Renée J Chapter West, Kara

Dragons in a Bag For Black Girls Like Me by Zetta Elliott by Mariama Lockington In , nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a A lyrical story inspired by the author’s curmudgeonly witch who lives in his own life finds an African American building, on a quest to deliver three baby adoptee into a white family exploring the dragons to a magical world, and along complexities of family, race, sisterhood the way discovers his true calling. and belonging. J Fiction Elliott, Zetta J Fiction Lockington. Mariama

Love Like Sky The Season of Styx Malone by Leslie C. Youngblood by Kekla Magoon G-baby struggles to adjust to life within a Caleb Franklin and his younger brother, newly blended family before a sibling's Bobby Gene, spend an extraordinary dangerous illness leads to powerful summer with their new, older neighbor, lessons about the limitless capacity of Styx Malone, a foster boy from the city. love. J Fiction Magoon, Kekla J Fiction Youngblood, Leslie C.

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The Stars Beneath Our Feet Love Double Dutch! by David Barclay Moore by Doreen Spicer-Dannelly In the wake of his brother's death in a Kayla must salvage her double Dutch gang-related shooting, Lolly struggles to dreams after her parents' rocky avoid being forced into a gang himself relationship takes her away from while constructing a LEGO city at the Brooklyn - and her beloved team - to Harlem community center. spend the summer in North Carolina. J Fiction Moore, David Barclay J Fiction Spicer-Dannelly, Doreen

Mystery on Museum Mile New Kid by Marcia Wells by Jerry Craft "Eddie Red" has a photographic memory Enrolled in a prestigious school where he and talent for drawing anything he sees, is one of only a few students of color, and when the NYPD is stumped by a talented artist Jordan finds himself torn mastermind art thief, Eddie becomes between the worlds of his Washington their secret weapon to solve the case. Heights apartment home and the J Fiction Wells, Marcia upscale circles of Riverdale Academy. Teen Graphic Novel Craft, Jerry Ghost by Jason Reynolds Bayou Magic A naturally talented runner with a by Jewell Parker Rhodes troubled background, Ghost is recruited Visiting her grandmother in the Louisiana for an elite track team where he must bayou, ten-year-old Maddy begins to prove to his coach that he can overcome realize that she may be the only sibling to his problems and become the fastest carry on the gift of her family's magical sprinter in the city. legacy. J Fiction Reynolds, Jason J Fiction Rhodes, Jewell Parker

Zoe in Wonderland Tight by Brenda Woods by Torrey Maldonado Introverted, daydream-prone Zoe is After his quick-tempered father gets in a afraid her real life will never be as exciting fight and is sent back to jail, sixth-grader as her imaginary one. Bryan, known for being quiet and J Fiction Woods, Brenda thoughtful, snaps and follows new friend Mike into trouble. J Fiction Maldonado, Torrey

Upside Down in the Middle Betty before X of Nowhere by Ilyasah Shabazz by Julie T Lamana Raised by her aunt until she is six, Betty, Armani is looking forward to her birthday who will later marry , joins her in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, but mother and stepfamily in 1940s Detroit, Hurricane Katrina is on the way, bringing where she learns about the civil rights destruction and tragedy in its wake. movement. J Fiction Lamana, Julie T. J Fiction Shabazz, Ilyasah

The Echo Park Castaways It All Comes Down to This by M. G. Hennessey by Karen English Struggling to endure respective In the summer of 1965, Sophie's family challenges as foster-care veterans, a becomes the first African Americans to diverse group of kids set aside their move into their neighborhood. When riots differences to help a newcomer on the erupt in nearby Watts, she learns that life autism spectrum to reconnect with his and her own place in it are a lot more mother. complicated than they had seemed. J Fiction Hennessey, M.G. J Fiction English, Karen