#OwnVoices is a term coined by the writer Corinne Duyvis, and refers to an author from an underrepresented group writing about their own experiences/from their own perspective, rather than someone from an outside perspective writing as a character from an underrepresented group.
Below is a selection of #OwnVoices books from our Learning Commons to read during Black History Month--and the rest of the year too. If you need help accessing any of the books on this page, we are here to help.
The Last Last-Day-Of-Summer by
Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have. That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town—and each other—before time stops for good.
Playing the Cards You're Dealt by
Ten-year-old Anthony "Ant" Joplin is now old enough to participate in the Oak Grove annual spades tournament, a tradition in his South Carolina family. Ant is feeling the pressure to get better and some day win the tournament, to make his father and brothers proud of him.
Anger Is a Gift by
Sixteen-year-old gay African-American student Moss Jeffries feels stuck in his run-down West Oakland High School. Still mourning the death of his father, shot by police years earlier, a violent incident at his school prompts Moss to channel his simmering anger into community activism against a corrupt authority system.
The Only Black Girls in Town by
Surfer Alberta has been the only black girl in her small California beach town for years. When she finds out that the new owners of the bed-and-breakfast across the street are black and that they have a daughter her age, Alberta is convinced that she and Edie will be best friends. But Edie misses her life in Brooklyn and is finding it hard to adapt to California life. When the girls find a box of old journals in Edie's attic, they team up to find out why they were left behind, uncovering painful secrets from the past.
Black Brother, Black Brother by
Twelve-year-old Donte is the darker-skinned brother of Trey, which in his racist, mostly-white school has earned him the nickname Black Brother. When the captain of the school fencing team successfully frames him for something he didn't do, Donte is arrested and suspended from school. Joining a local youth center, Donte meets former Olympic fencer Arden Jones and begins training to defeat his school bully and find courage to confront the racist system that got him arrested.
Blended by
Isabella is only eleven, but she is already so used to hearing about how "exotic" and unusual she is due to her black father and white mother that she is sick of her biracial identity. Now that her parents are divorced and fighting over her worse than ever, Isabella needs a way to define her identity so she can feel not like two halves, but a whole.
For Black Girls Like Me by
Eleven-year-old Makeda June Kirkland struggles to find her place in her new school after her family moves from Maryland to New Mexico. Makeda, who is of African American decent and has been adopted into an all white family, finds herself wondering how life might be different if she were part of a family that looks like her. In the midst of it all, she must deal with her mother's recent mental health diagnosis and mood swings that come with her being bipolar.
Take Back the Block by
Wes Henderson would much rather be playing video games than going protests with his parents. But when a real estate developer makes an offer to buy Kensington Oaks, the neighborhood Wes has grown up in, the anti-gentrification protests his mom makes him march in take on a whole new meaning. Now, all the adults seem to do is argue, and the residents of the neighborhood are divided. Even Wes's friends are fighting, and some of them may be moving away. Wes realizes he finally has a cause he can believe in, and he has to find a way to save the only home he's ever known before it's too late.
Solo by
Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback. Or to no longer be part of a family known most for lost potential, failure, and tragedy, including the loss of his mother. The one true light is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her parents have forbidden their relationship, assuming Blade will become just like his father.
In reality, the only thing Blade and Rutherford have in common is the music that lives inside them. And songwriting is all Blade has left after Rutherford, while drunk, crashes his high school graduation speech and effectively rips Chapel away forever. But when a long-held family secret comes to light, the music disappears. In its place is a letter, one that could bring Blade the freedom and love he’s been searching for, or leave him feeling even more adrift.
Camo Girl by
Sixth-grader Ella, the only black student in her class, has a skin discoloration that causes some of her classmates to call her “Camo-Face.” Her only friend at school, Zachary, sticks by her through thick and thin as they float along the edges of schoolyard society. But when a new black student arrives and instantly falls in with the popular group – and then reaches out to Ella for friendship – Zachary sees this new boy as a threat and causes Ella to become torn between her loyalty to him and a desire for some semblance of normalcy.
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by
On her birthday, twelve-year-old aspiring baker Zoe Washington receives a letter from her biological father, who is in prison for murder, telling her he is actually innocent. Determined to discover the truth, Zoe tries to investigate herself, perform well in her baking internship, and achieve her dream of auditioning for the Food Network's Kids Bake Challenge.
Ghost Boys by
Seventh-grader Jerome is mistakenly shot by a white police officer, and as a ghost, observes the turmoil in his community as a result of his death. He then meets the ghost of Emmett Till who helps Jerome understand how systemic racism led to his death, but also understand how far the effects of his death really go by introducing him to the grieving daughter of the police officer who struggles with her father's actions.
Punching the Air by
Even though Amal Shahid is an artist and poet, he's still viewed as disruptive and unmotivated at his diverse art school. One fateful night at a local park, a fight breaks out between Amal and his friends and a group of white boys from a nearby gentrified neighborhood, leaving one of the white boys in a coma. Amal is convicted of the attack and sent to prison, even though he's not the one who put the boy in a coma. His despair and rage at having his bright future destroyed threaten to overcome him until he discovers the refuge and hope that his words and art give him.
A Good Kind of Trouble by
All twelve-year-old Shayla wants to do is follow the rules, but when she starts seventh grade, the rules have changed. Her two best friends seem to be going their own ways and some people at school are saying that she's not black enough. After a ruling in a controversial court case involving the shooting of a black man by a white police officer, Shayla decides to join the Black Lives Matter movement and begins passing out black armbands at school. As the unrest in both Los Angeles and her school spreads, Shayla must figure out if some things are worth breaking the rules.
Hurricane Child by
On the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, twelve-year-old Caroline is known for her bad luck because she was born during a hurricane. A new student from Barbados named Kalinda arrives and becomes Caroline's only friend--and her first crush. As Caroline works through her feelings for Kalinda, the two set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother and are followed by a mysterious spirit.
Love Is a Revolution by
Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to go outside her comfort zone to an open mic night with her friend Imani for her birthday, but finds herself falling for the cute emcee Tye Brown. Unfortunately, Nala has almost nothing in common with Tye--where she loves watching movies and trying out fun new flavors of ice cream, Tye loves doing activist work over the summer.
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by
An obsessive, list-making high school senior named Quinn loses her journal with deeply personal lists and is being blackmailed by an anonymous Instagram poster to complete a list of fears or the whole journal will be made public. Quinn's crush Carter offers to help her complete the tasks and find the journal, and helps her gain the courage to be honest and take risks.
Blackout by
Presents a collection of six short romance stories about black teens by various authors that are all set in contemporary New York City during a summer blackout due to a heat wave. The characters are all either on their way or eventually heading to a block party in Brooklyn and confront a mix of feelings associated with varying stages of relationships, including instant connections, reconciling a past break-up, and friendships on the cusp of love.
The Hate U Give by
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does-or does not-say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Instructions for Dancing by
Swearing off love after her father's affair, high school senior Evie Thomas begins having visions of happy couples' breakups after seeing them together. Having given up her romance novels, she reads "Instructions for Dancing" and signs up for dance classes at a local studio. There she meets X, who becomes her dance partner, teaching her to forgive and open up her heart again.
The Season of Styx Malone by
Caleb Franklin and his big brother Bobby Gene are excited to have adventures in the woods behind their house. But Caleb dreams of venturing beyond their ordinary small town.
Then Caleb and Bobby Gene meet new neighbor Styx Malone. Styx is sixteen and oozes cool. Styx promises the brothers that together, the three of them can pull off the Great Escalator Trade--exchanging one small thing for something better until they achieve their wildest dream. But as the trades get bigger, the brothers soon find themselves in over their heads. Styx has secrets--secrets so big they could ruin everything.
Stuntboy, in the Meantime by
Portico Reeves has an alter ego he calls Stuntboy, whose superpower is keeping the people of Skylight Gardens apartment "castle" safe through any means necessary, like falling down the stairs to save an elderly resident from slipping. Like any superhero, Stuntboy has a nemesis named Herbert Singletary the Worst, a supportive ally, Zola, and a tough challenge he must solve, his parents constant fighting. When the fights start up, Stuntboy jumps into action, flopping down on the floor and blowing salt-and-vinegar chips if necessary. But lately, it seems his superpowers are failing on his parents and it's causing his worry wiggles to grow.
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by
Told in two voices, sixteen-year-old Audre is forced to move to Minneapolis from Trinidad after being caught with a secret girlfriend, and in Minneapolis, sixteen-year-old Mabel is trying to make sense of her relationships and the nagging illness plaguing her all summer. When the two girls meet, they instantly fall in love, with Mabel taking care of Audre as she navigates high school. Then Mabel is diagnosed with a fatal illness and it's Audre's turn to take care of Mabel.
Yesterday Is History by
After Andre Cobb survives cancer and gets a liver transplant, he suddenly finds himself traveling back in time to 1969, where he meets Michael Gray, the boy who lived in his house fifty years ago. He just as suddenly finds himself back in his own time. There the family of the organ donor tells him about the side effect of the liver--time travel.
Fast Pitch by
As captain of her school's all-black girls softball team, the Fulton Firebirds, twelve-year-old Shenice has her sights set on winning the Fastpitch World Series, until she becomes waylaid by the revelation that her grandpa JonJon may have been banned from playing Major League Baseball for a crime he didn't commit. As she investigates the truth, she tries to stay focused on both of her goals to bring back pride in her family name.
Amari and the Night Brothers by
Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into something illegal?
Piecing Me Together by
Tired of being singled out at her mostly-white private school as someone who needs support, high school junior Jade would rather participate in the school's amazing Study Abroad program than join Women to Women, a mentorship program for at-risk girls.
Kneel by
Monroe, Louisiana high school tight end Russell Boudreaux knows that football will be his only ticket out of his poverty-stricken neighborhood. He's also keenly aware of the racism that divides his town and their white rivals from Westmond. During their rival football game, a fight breaks out among Monroe's quarterback and Russell's friend Marion and white Westmond players in response to racial slurs.
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by
After his father's death, Isaiah feels that he is now the man of the house and it is his responsibility to take care of his Mama and little sister. When things get really tough at home, Isaiah depends on the stories in his daddy's journal in order to find his way out of the darkness.
Pride by
Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.
When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can't stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
Love Times Infinity by
Book-loving seventeen-year-old Michie Cooper is focused on getting into Brown University and studying English literature. Her college essays are triggering her anxiety, however, causing her to remember feelings of shame that she's the product of sexual assault and that she's been estranged from her mother since the age of seven.
Playing the Cards You're Dealt by
Ten-year-old Anthony "Ant" Joplin is now old enough to participate in the Oak Grove annual spades tournament, a tradition in his South Carolina family. Ant is feeling the pressure to get better and some day win the tournament, to make his father and brothers proud of him.
Garvey's Choice by
Garvey's father always hoped his son would be athletic, but Garvey is anything but. He'd much rather stick his nose in a science fiction book or stare at the stars than run or catch a football. Overweight and lonely, Garvey finds an unlikely refuge in the school choir, where he excels as their newest soloist. While finding his place in the world, Garvey might even find a new way of connecting with his father.
Dreamland Burning by
In the present, seventeen-year-old Rowan Chase discovers a skeleton on her family's property that dates back to the 1921 Tulsa race riots. In the past, a single violent encounter propels seventeen-year-old Will Tillman into a firestorm of violence against blacks chaffing under the Jim Crow laws. What Will does next affects Rowan's present.
Harlem by
A poem celebrating the people, sights, and sounds of Harlem.
Read in:
Me (Moth) by
Two years after the death of her family in a car accident, sole survivor Moth still feels adrift and lost, even though she's mostly comfortably cared for by her aunt. When she meets junior classmate Sani, whose ancestors are Navajo, she finds a kindred spirit who understands what it feels like to be disconnected from family.
Concrete Rose by
Seventeen-year-old Maverick "Mav" Carter begins dealing drugs for the King Lords as a way to help support his family while his father is in jail. When he learns that his girlfriend is pregnant, his focus shifts and he tries to make a clean break from drug dealing. However, a loved one's murder makes it difficult to forget his old ties, and he must figure out for himself the meaning of loyalty, manhood, and responsibility.
In the Key of Us by
Zora and Andi meet at a prestigious summer music camp where they're the only two black kids at camp. Andi is still grieving the loss of her mother and can't seem to find the magic she used to feel when playing her trumpet. Forced to attend the camp by her demanding parents, Zora plays the flute, but secretly wants to be a dancer.
The Skin I'm in by
Thirteen-year-old Maleeka Madison, insecure about her very dark skin, rejects the support of a new teacher, Miss Saunders, whose skin looks blotched because of a rare medical condition--but soon Maleeka begins to see that Miss Saunders could be a role model, and that she must learn to love herself and accept love from others.
Slay by
An honors student at Jefferson Academy and one of the only black kids there, seventeen-year-old Keira enjoys playing "Slay," a secret, multiplayer online role-playing game celebrating black culture that she secretly developed, until the two worlds collide after a Kansas City teen is murdered over a dispute in the game. Keira's previously safe space is now labeled racist, exclusionist, and violent. Now she sets out to defend her game while keeping her identity hidden.
Something to Say by
Eleven-year-old Jenae doesn't have any friends at school and she's happy about that, preferring to be out of the limelight. But when boisterous, red-headed Aubrey has an encounter with her and then won't leave her alone, he ends up as a friend by default. For a class assignment, Aubrey is paired with Jenae in a class debate about a school name change. Aubrey is excited, because he wants to join the debate team, but Jenae is terrified of speaking in front of others. Jenae will have to grapple with which scenario is worse, overcoming her fears or losing her only friend.
Take Back the Block by
Wes Henderson would much rather be playing video games than going protests with his parents. But when a real estate developer makes an offer to buy Kensington Oaks, the neighborhood Wes has grown up in, the anti-gentrification protests his mom makes him march in take on a whole new meaning. Now, all the adults seem to do is argue, and the residents of the neighborhood are divided. Even Wes's friends are fighting, and some of them may be moving away. Wes realizes he finally has a cause he can believe in, and he has to find a way to save the only home he's ever known before it's too late.
The Voting Booth by
Marva Sheridan is excited to vote in her first election; Duke Crenshaw just wants to get voting over so that he can get to his band's first paying gig. When Marva sees Duke turned away from their polling place, she's determined to see his vote counted. They cut school, rush from precinct to precinct, and wait in endless lines just to get Duke registered to vote. Over the course of one day, the two strangers find they have more in common than just a passion for democracy.
Watch Us Rise by
Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends on a mission--they're sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they decide to start a Women's Rights Club. They post their work online--poems, essays, videos of Chelsea performing her poetry, and Jasmine's response to the racial microaggressions she experiences--and soon they go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by trolls. When things escalate in real life, the principal shuts the club down. Not willing to be silenced, Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices--and those of other young women--to be heard.
You Should See Me in a Crown by
Liz Lightly has tried to stay out of the spotlight in high school, focusing on her plan to leave small-town Indiana to attend an elite private school on a music scholarship and become a doctor. When financial aid falls through, Liz's only shot is to compete for a scholarship offered to the prom queen. But to win, Liz will have to face her fears of being black, poor, and gay in a town of affluent whites.
Finding Langston by
After his mother's death in 1946, eleven-year-old Langston and his father leave behind their quiet life in Alabama and move to Chicago. Struggling to fit in and missing his mother, Langston finds refuge at the local library where, unlike his library in Alabama, blacks are just as welcome as whites to use. There he discovers the poetry of Langston Hughes and a secret--he was named after this very poet whose work his mother loved.
King and the Dragonflies by
Certain that his brother Khalid has transformed into a dragonfly after passing away, King often steals down to the bayou to search for him among the hundreds of dragonflies there. Khalid also visits King in his dreams, still, a secret King knows he has to keep--that, and the fact that he thinks he might be gay. Grief transforms King's family, but King learns how to use grief and pain to find beauty and redemption as his true self.
Legendborn by
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.
Rick Riordan Presents Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (a Tristan Strong Novel, Book 1) by
Reading his dead best friend's journal allows seventh-grader Tristan Strong to see folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit. Then, a character from the Anansi story steals the journal, and in his effort to retrieve it, Tristan accidentally rips open a chasm into Alke, where African American folk characters are gods. Tristan learns that the people of Alke are suffering partly due to Tristan's actions, and in order to get back home and save his friends, Tristan, John Henry, and Brer Rabbit must seek out the god Anansi the Weaver to fix the chasm.
Maya and the Rising Dark by
When strange beings begin to visit her dreams and her south side Chicago neighborhood, twelve-year-old Maya and her friends begin to wonder what is happening. They find out after Maya's father disappears, and they learn they are godlings of the Orisha and Maya's father is the Guardian of the Veil. The Dark Lord and his minions are plotting to breech the veil between the human world and the Dark and it's up to Maya and her friends to stop him.
Spin by
DJ ParSec, a local music legend, is found murdered over her turntables. Two girls find her, Kya--her pre-fame best friend--and current groupie Fuse. The investigation soon slows down as the police lose interest, so Kya and Fuse, despite their intense hatred of one another, join together to figure out who killed their friend.
