Fridays Featuring Flintridge – Stories With Heart
Catherine Linka share her picks for …
BOOKS BY MINORITY AUTHORS WITH UNIVERSAL APPEAL
I once heard black author Rita Williams Garcia say that some of the fans who connected most closely to her characters were Asian. Apparently, the story Rita wrote held truth for many families.
The authors of these books have all won major literary awards, but don’t save these books for Black History Month. These are terrific human stories that show that even though our experiences may be different, we all feel longing, heartbreak, injustice, and self-consciousness.
These books can all prompt great discussions about how the characters feel, what they have to deal with and what choices they make. I especially recommend them for book reports or Mother/Daughter book clubs.
THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE ($15.99 – Hardcover, $7.99 – Trade Paperback, Random House/Wendy Lamb Books) by Christopher Paul Curtis
I love eleven-year-old Deza Malone, a smart, sassy girl who loves to read and write. Like many during the Depression, her family is surviving on the edge until an accident forces them apart. Getting the family back together is the heart of this story. Great themes of love, family loyalty, and hard work. Historical Fiction (8+)
THE OTHER HALF OF MY HEART ($16.99, Delacorte Books for Young Readers) by Sundee Frazier
Twins Minerva and Kiera are like their parents, one is black and one is white. When their Southern grandmother invites them to visit and insists they enter the Miss Black Pearl Contest, the two sisters’ bond is tested. Grandmother clearly prefers one girl over the other. Kids will respond to this injustice. (8+)
CAMO GIRL ($16.99, Aladdin) by Kekla Magoon
Ella’s always been on the outside. The only black student in a white school, she also has a large birthmark on her face. When a cool new black boy arrives, Ella has to choose between staying loyal to her only friend or being popular. It’s a dilemma that kids will easily identify with. Contemporary Fiction (9+)
ONE CRAZY SUMMER ($15.99, Harper Collins) by Rita Williams Garcia
Three sisters are sent to spend the summer with the mother who walked out on them seven years before. Their mother is distant and resentful of their presence, and eleven-year-old Delphine must keep her sisters fed and busy at the Black Panther’s youth program. Readers will cheer these three girls as they speak up for themselves and try to form a bond with their mom. Historical Fiction (9+)
Please visit the Flintridge Bookstore today to pick up your copy of these great books, buy gifts, enjoy their extensive selection of other great reads and relax over a great cup of coffee. Also visit the website at www.flintridgebooks.com to keep up-to-date with story times, author events and other exciting special events.