Adults | Children
Adults
Information Services Librarian Nancy B. highlights four incredible novels about diverse characters written by diverse authors. There's even a bonus Spotify playlist this month!
Another Brooklyn
by Jacqueline Woodson
In Another Brooklyn, Woodson’s first adult novel, she explores black girlhood from the perspective of 35-year-old August who remembers her childhood in 1970s Bushwick, Brooklyn after seeing a childhood friend on the bus. August’s story touches on serious issues of loss, racism, religion, and tradition with a constant outlook of optimism and hope for her future. I listened to the audiobook on Libby and couldn’t believe I had already reached the end! The narration felt conversational and the two-and-a-half hour listening time flew by. In 2019, Woodson wrote her second adult novel, Red at the Bone, that is also #ownvoices and has gotten great reviews.
Mexican Gothic
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
NoemÍ Taboada, a fickle, but clever socialite in 1950s Mexico City, receives a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin: “…he is trying to poison me. This house is sick with rot, stinks of decay, brims with every single evil and cruel sentiment. I have tried to hold on to my wits, to keep this foulness away but I cannot and I find myself losing track of time and thoughts.”
A beautifully written atmospheric Gothic horror about race, colonialism, and eugenics, and set in the Mexican countryside, it’s cerebrally gory and made my skin crawl (trigger warning: sexual assault, murder, and cannibalism). It begins like a traditional haunted house story and slowly unravels into an H.P. Lovecraft horror that had me screaming at the characters, but I was too fascinated to stop reading.
***For extra chills, Silvia Moreno-Garcia curated a playlist on Spotify to accompany the novel.
The Night Watchman
by Louise Erdrich (2020)
The Night Watchman is about the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa community’s ongoing immediate struggle for survival and tradition, while fighting Congress’s House Concurrent Resolution 108, also known as the 1953 Indian Termination Act. Based on Erdrich’s grandfather’s letters from his time as a night watchman and a tribal advisory council member, it’s a slow, meandering story told from multiple residents’ perspectives. I was absorbed in the array of characters that Erdrich created, and the authenticity of Indian storytelling and spirituality. I wish that there were more information about the 1953 Indian Termination Act, and the legislation and policy of the time in the novel, but now I have some nonfiction reading to do!
Written in the Stars
by Alexandria Bellefleur
An LGBTQ romance with witty dialogue, steamy scenes, and nods to Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones’s Diary? I had to read it! Plus, it has two of my favorite romance tropes: opposites attract and a fake relationship. Darcy is a by-the-numbers actuary and she doesn’t believe in love. Elle is a social media astrologer who has recently partnered with Darcy’s brother’s dating app company. After a horrible first date, they pretend their blind date setup was a success to stop well-meaning people from playing matchmaker, at least for a little while. The secondary characters were the icing on the cake and I’m excited to keep reading about them—Hang the Moon, a sequel about Darcy’s brother Brendon is coming in May 2021!
Children
Librarians Matthew and Marie have selected several titles that allow kids to experience life from different perspectives.
Picture Books
Drawn Together
by Minh Le and Dan Santat
When the barriers between an Asian-American boy and his Thai-speaking grandfather seem insurmountable, the two find a connection through art. The engaging illustrations capture high-octane action as well as emotional depth in this must-read book.
Mommy’s Khimar
by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Ebony Glenn
Love and joy burst off the page when a little girl plays dress-up with her mother’s head scarves. The illustrations are as colorful as the closet full of khimars, and the lyrical text depicts a family full of love and acceptance.
Bowwow Powwow
by Brenda J. Child, Gordon Jourdain, and Jonathan Thunder
Windy Girl and her dog, Itchy Boy, love spending time with Uncle – especially when they go to the powwow together. When one powwow stretches late into the summer evening, Windy Girl dreams of a bowwow powwow, where all the dancers are dogs. Told both in English and Ojibwe, this fun and energetic story celebrates the wonder of the powwow.
Chapter Books
(Ages 8 - 12)
When Stars are Scattered
by Victoria Jamieson, co-authored with Omar Mohamed
Kids are very curious about experiences of other kids their own age in very different circumstances. This well-written graphic novel is based on the experience of co-author, Omar Mohamad, growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya, Africa with his brother. It is extremely interesting and inspiring due to the honest portrayal of their situation and perseverance in finding joy, meaning and humor in their everyday life and hope for their future.
Front Desk
by Kelly Yang
Ten-year-old Mia Yang works the front desk of a hotel. Mia is a smart, resourceful, brave girl that readers will root for all the way! The members of her family are immigrants from China and have a hard life while working at service jobs. Kids will be engaged by individual immigrant characters and stories throughout the book. The story is based on the author's childhood. Yang went on to graduate from Harvard Law School.
The Jumbies
by Tracie Baptiste
Spooky fantasy fiction that takes place on a Caribbean island. Author, Tracie Babtiste, grew up in Trinidad steeped in tales about the Jumbies. Kids will enjoy following the human characters who encounter them in forests. To readers’ delight, there are two more in this series!
