18 Feb: Gathered and Collected

I see these collections as mini communities; sites where voices collectively tell their stories. These print-based gatherings remind us that communities are essential to our survival. Imagine an evening on the porch with cousins and neighbors and all the storytelling! People with shared interests gather in one space, like the stories in these books and we soon realize they’re the same but different. So, very different!

Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nicola Yoon, Ashley Woodfok, Nic Stone, and Angie Thomas. (Quill Tree Books, 2022)
As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm?  No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.

Black Enough ed. by Ibi Zoboi. (Versify, 2019)
Black is…sisters navigating their relationship at summer camp in Portland, Oregon, as written by Renée WatsonBlack is…three friends walking back from the community pool talking about nothing and everything, in a story by Jason Reynolds.

Black is…Nic Stone’s high-class beauty dating a boy her momma would never approve of.
Black is…two girls kissing in Justina Ireland’s story set in Maryland.
Black is urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more—because there are countless ways to be Black enough.

Recognize: An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Hudson. (Crown Books, 2021)
Prominent Black creators lend their voice, their insight, and their talent to an inspiring anthology that celebrates Black culture and Black life. Essays, poems, short stories, and historical excerpts blend with a full-color eight-page insert of spellbinding art to capture the pride, prestige, and jubilation that is being Black in America. In these pages, find the stories of the past, the journeys of the present, and the light guiding the future.

Changing the Equation 50+ US Black Women in STEM by Tonya Bolden. (Abrams, 2020)
Coretta Scott King Honor author Tonya Bolden explores Black women who have changed the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in America. Including groundbreaking computer scientists, doctors, inventors, physicists, pharmacists, mathematicians, aviators, and many more, this book celebrates more than 50 women who have shattered the glass ceiling, defied racial discrimination, and pioneered in their fields. In these profiles, young readers will find role models, inspirations, and maybe even reasons to be the STEM leaders of tomorrow. These stories help young readers to dream big and stay curious.

Through My Anacostia Eyes: Environmental Problems and Possibilities by Anacostia High School Students and Caroline Brewer. (Conservation Nation, 2023)
Anacostia Through My Eyes tells a story of love, loss, history, mystery, hope, reclamation, and anticipation in the natural world, through the lens of Anacostia High School students in Washington, D.C. Student reflections on the natural world were inspired by reading children’s literature on the environment, outdoor excursions, visits to local and federal environmental agencies, and talks with environmental professionals and activists. The book boasts 72 pages, 56 photos, and 44 essays, poems, and reports. It is the product of partnerships between Conservation Nation, author Caroline Brewer, the University of the District of Columbia, the Department of the Interior, and the Justice 40 Summer Internship Initiative at Anacostia High School.

Cool. Awkward. Black. ed by Karen Strong. (Viking, 2023)
A girl who believes in UFOs; a boy who might have finally found his Prince Charming; a hopeful performer who dreams of being cast in her school’s production of The Sound of Music; a misunderstood magician of sorts with a power she doesn’t quite understand.

These plotlines and many more compose the eclectic stories found within the pages of this dynamic, exciting, and expansive collection featuring exclusively Black characters. From contemporary to historical, fantasy to sci-fi, magical to realistic, and with contributions from a powerhouse list of self-proclaimed geeks and bestselling, award-winning authors, this life-affirming anthology celebrates and redefines the many facets of Blackness and geekiness—both in the real world and those imagined.

Black Girl Power: 15 Stories Celebrating Black Girlhood ed. by Leah Johnson. (Freedom Fire, 2024)
Black girl power is…Bringing your favorite stuffed animal to your first real sleepover. . .Escaping an eerie dollhouse that’s got you trapped inside. . .
Making new friends one magical baked good at a time. . .
Finding the courage to dance to the beat of your own drum. . .
And more! From 15 legendary Black women authors comes a dazzling collection of stories and poems about the power we find in the everyday and the beauty of Black girlhood.  

The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories by ed. by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell. (Flatiron Books, 2024)
Be warned, dear reader: The Black girls survive in this one. Celebrating a new generation of bestselling and acclaimed Black writers, The Black Girl Survives in This One makes space for Black girls in horror. Fifteen chilling and thought-provoking stories place Black girls front and center as heroes and survivors who slay monsters, battle spirits, and face down death. Prepare to be terrified and left breathless by the pieces in this anthology.

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope ed. by Patrice Caldwell. (Viking, 2020)
Evoking Beyoncé’s Lemonade for a teen audience, these authors who are truly Octavia Butler’s heirs, have woven worlds to create a stunning narrative that centers Black women and gender nonconforming individuals. A Phoenix First Must Burn will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and everything in between. Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels: the heroines of A Phoenix First Must Burn shine brightly. You will never forget them.

Black Boy Joy ed. by Kwame Mbalia (Delacorte Press, 2021)
Black boy joy is…Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.
Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.
Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times.
Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching.
And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.

Joyful, Joyful: 20 Stories by BRILLIANT Black Creators from Around the World ed. by Dapo Adeola. (Two Hoots/Macmillan, 2024)
A hugely entertaining, fully color-illustrated collection celebrating joy, perfect for children age 8 to 12 (and beyond!). Curated by Laugh Out Loud Awards winner Dapo Adeola, with a foreword by the acclaimed Patrice Lawrence. Joyful, Joyful is a book to sing about!

A large hardback packed full of colourful illustrations, Joyful, Joyful: Stories Celebrating Black Voices is the perfect gift to spread joy.Featuring both exciting new talents and globally renowned creators – every poem and story is individually illustrated by an amazing artist. With stories featuring a mythical whale, a message from the future, a Halloween dance competition, a talking book, a miraculous discovery in a moment of lost hope, the joy of jollof rice and so much more. The creators hail from around the world, from the UK and US, to Uganda, the Netherlands, Nigeria and more.

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds. (Atheneum, 2020)
Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

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