Diverse books can help young people develop positive beliefs about cultures, races, and social identities that differ from their own. Additionally, research shows that diverse books are often more enjoyable reading experiences. People like to read about other people who are different from them and have different lived experiences. Intuitively, I think this makes a lot of sense. I don't want to read about a life just like mine, I live that every day.
Today, I'm sharing three of my favorite diverse books for adolescent readers. These books are each told through the lens of someone with a different life experience than my own. They also tackle big issues in accessible ways, so are great for starting difficult conversations with teenagers. Best of all, each of these books is written by a person of color, who can speak on the topic from their own experiences.
Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
One of the book clubs I'm a member of read this book as our YA pick last spring. I hadn't heard of this book at that point, and just wasn't too sure about it. However, I LOVE YA, and I love my book club so I gave it a try. It was one of the best surprises and one of the best YA books I've read this year.
First of all, let's talk about that cover. I'm not usually one to choose a book based on the cover. In fact, I actually prefer books that are simply one solid color; however, I think this is such a cool, artistic cover. I like seeing this book on my shelf.
In this book, we meet Jade, a teenager who lives in two worlds. She is one of only a handful of Black students to attend a private school outside of her neighborhood. Jade attends on a scholarship and must constantly walk the line between her home life and her school life. One thing I appreciated about this book is the discussion of providing opportunities based on "false empathy". Jade gets annoyed that she receives different programs and is expected to be overly grateful for them, just because is Black. In particular, Jade is selected to be part of a women's mentoring program, in which she will be mentored by a former female student who graduated and is now successful. Jade isn't too sure about this program and finds her mentor to be very distracted and self-absorbed with her own life concerns.
This book is so good because the characters engage in tough conversations about race, class, and being a woman in the 21st century. All topics I think should be discussed more and should be discussed with teenagers. The book is bold when it needs to be and quiet when it needs to be, and provides enough information to let the reader make up his or her mind about the topics. I highly recommend this book for teenagers and adults.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Alright, the only way you haven't heard of this book is if you've been living under a rock during 2017. Undoubtedly, this is THE YA book of 2017. I pre-ordered this one and could not wait to get my hands on it. Angie Thomas tackles hot-button issues in such a real and fascinating way. Similar to Piecing Me Together, we have a high school student, Starr, who lives in multiple worlds. She attends a school outside of her home neighborhood and constantly straddles the line between her two worlds.
One night, Starr is at a party with some of her neighborhood friends, and she bumps into an old friend, Khalil. When Starr is ready to leave the party, Khalil gives her a ride home. They are pulled over by a cop, who says Khalil was speeding, which he wasn't. The cop forces Khalil to get out of the car and when Khalil turns to ask Starr if she is okay, the cop shoots Khalil. He does not survive. This act becomes a major news story and Starr becomes the sole witness of the account. The communities erupt and take sides on the issue, and Starr is stalked by the media. Fake news, race issues, police use of deadly force, and freedom of speech are all tackled in the story that follows.
This is a bold book, and I recommend teenagers be encouraged to have the tough discussions that will certainly follow. There is a lot to chew on in this book and Thomas provides multiple perspectives. Once again, I highly recommend this book for teenagers and adults alike and think it would greatly help our society have some of the discussions we desperately need right now.
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
I have loved Saenz every since reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. First, I want to talk about that title. I'm obsessed with Saenz's titles - they are always powerful and make me want to dig right in. The book is just as good as the title.
We meet Sal, a Mexican-American teenager with a single father who is openly gay. Sal's father is an amazing character; he is thoughtful, caring, compassionate, and presents choices in a way that help his son make the right choice. However, he is deeply sympathetic when Sal messes up and helps him work to be a better person. Sal has a pretty great life, but everything begins to change as he enters his senior year of high school. Sal's best friend is Samantha, and they are mostly inseparable. However, as they begin to think about their futures, they become uncertain of how to remain friends. Their relationship is completely plutonic, which I appreciate for showing teenagers that friendships with the opposite sex are valuable.
Over the course of the book, Sal struggles with applying to college, discovering his beloved grandmother is dying of cancer, helping Samantha deal with her complicated relationship with her drug-addicted mother, and assisting a friend who he discovers is homeless. Big issues! Sal also has to reconcile his feelings toward his father's old friend (and he discovers former boyfriend) who mysteriously comes back into their lives.
Once again, I love this book because it tackles so many issues. Sal's father is the parent I hope to be someday - he's that good of a person. The book discusses lots of perspectives on parents; Sal's father is single and gay, Samantha's mother is a drug-addict who is always in a domestically abusive relationship, and another classmate is in a home stricken by deep, systemic poverty. These are all issues that teenagers deal with, either personally or through friends. At the same time, all of the teenagers are working to figure out who they are, who they want to be, and what they want to do once they graduate high school.
This book was so good, I could not stop reading. Saenz's writing is so good, and I was so sad when I finished reading. Saenz also knows how to pull the emotions, so there were definitely tears involved.
It's important to help teenagers and young adults learn about the world around them, and diverse books can help accomplish that goal. Each of these books are perfect for starting those conversations, but are equally important for adults to read.
Happy Reading!
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