Teen fiction in the 21st century should feature diverse casts of characters to reflect modern culture. Whether you want your readers to see themselves reflected in the stories or experience life through another’s eyes, these African-American YA fiction books for kids may fit the bill.
1. Goals and Dreams
What are your adolescents aiming for? If they have their sights set on high-powered careers, they may latch onto a book like Make Something of It by Stephanie Perry Moore or Going to Press by D.M. Paige.
Recruited by Suzanne Weyn centers around high school football and the dream of a college scholarship. It’s part of the Surviving Southside series, which is designed for reluctant readers. Of course, there’s also the age-old teenage goal of landing a date. That’s the focus of Certain Signals by Elizabeth Karre.
2. Historical Stories
Some stories take place in real times and places. While entertaining and engaging, such stories are also powerfully educational. Ashley Hope Pérez’s Out of Darkness, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, tells the story of the New London School explosion in the 1930s. One of the main characters, Wash Fuller, is an African-American teen who faces intense discrimination. Teenagers may also enjoy Denise Lewis Patrick’s A Matter of Souls, a collection of short stories about Black people during various eras. The anthology was named one of the Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year in 2014.
3. Relatable Situations
Kids who are dealing with confusing emotions or hard situations may appreciate novels that reflect their experiences. See No Color, an award-winning book, wrestles with the ins and outs of transracial adoption. In Sit on Top and Back That Thing by Stephanie Perry Moore, teens grapple with how to respond when others try to trash their reputations.
Patrick Jones writes stories about teens whose parents are in prison or the military. Examples include Collateral Damage from the Support and Defend series and Returning to Normal from the Locked Out series. Jones is also the author of Heart or Mind, a tale of love across racial and cultural barriers.
4. Graphic Novels
Do graphic novels count as reading? Yes, they certainly do! Teens who are into supernatural stories will dig right into Artie and the Wolf Moon by Black author Olivia Stephens. Those who’d prefer sci-fi stories with a fantasy twist should check out Topside by J.N. Monk. It was nominated for a YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens award in 2021. First Man: Reimagining Matthew Henson by Simon Schwartz takes a fictionalized look at a real Arctic explorer.
5. Additional LightSail Titles
The books included in LightSail’s library are enough to keep your teens busy for a long time. If you’re in search of something more, though, check out our Buy Books feature. You can add a variety of popular titles to your teens’ digital shelves, including recent releases. Top African-American YA fiction books to read from this section include A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée, Trace by Pat Cummings, and Black Boy White School by Brian F. Walker.
As your teens check out these YA novels, they’ll come across other LightSail African-American YA fiction books online, too. LightSail is also their destination for African-American biographies, nonfiction, poetry, and more.
Posted on 2.Feb.22 in Book Recommendations
