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From heartfelt poems to bold spoken word, these collections express the emotions, dreams, and challenges of life. Check out these inspiring titles and let the words resonate with you. |
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Grade Level: 7 - 9 Non-Fiction; Poetry/Civil Rights A powerful journey exploring the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s-1960s America through simple, evocative verse and historical photos. Erica Martin's debut poetry collection uses stunning verse and white space to guide readers through key events and lesser-known figures of the Movement. This poignant collection serves as both a history lesson and conversation starter, complete with historical photographs, an author's note, event chronology, and sources. |
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Grade Level: 7+ Non-Fiction; Biographical Poetry A powerful biography in poems about Augusta Savage, the trailblazing artist and pillar of the Harlem Renaissance-with an afterword by the curator of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. |
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Grade Level: 9+ Non-Fiction; Memoir When Walela is diagnosed at twenty-three with advanced stage blood cancer, they're suddenly thrust into the unsympathetic world of tubes and pills, doctors who don't use their correct pronouns, and hordes of well-meaning but patronizing people offering unsolicited advice as they navigate rocky personal relationships and share their story online. But this experience also deepens their relationship to their ancestors, providing added support from another realm. Walela's diagnosis becomes a catalyst for their self-realization. As they fill out forms in the insurance office in downtown Los Angeles or travel to therapy in wealthier neighborhoods, they begin to understand that cancer is where all forms of their oppression intersect: Disabled. Fat. Black. Queer. Nonbinary-- |
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Grade Level: 7 - 9 Fiction; Novel-in-Verse/Realistic Fiction Bad girl. No matter how hard Samira tries, she can't shake her reputation. She's never gotten the benefit of the doubt-not from her mother or the aunties who watch her like a hawk. Samira is determined to have a perfect summer filled with fun parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet-until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she catches the eye of an older, charismatic poet named Horus. For the first time, Samira feels wanted. But soon she's keeping a bigger secret than ever before-one that that could prove her reputation and jeopardize her place in her community-- |
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Grade Level: 9+ Fiction; Novel-in-Verse/Historical Fiction Living under the Salazar dictatorship in 1960s Portugal, Sâonia must find her voice as a poet and an activist after the government arrests her boyfriend and shuts down her family's business-- |
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Grade Level: 7 - 9 Fiction; Activism/Magical Realism Nida has always been known as Mamou Abdul-Hafeedh's niece--the poet who will fill her uncle's shoes after he was wrongfully incarcerated during the war on terror. But for Nida, her poetry letters are her heart and sharing so much of herself with a world that stereotypes her faith and her hijab is not an option. When Nida is illegally frisked at a Democratic Senatorial candidate's political rally, she writes a scathing poem about the politician, never expecting the letter to go viral weeks before Election Day. Nida discovers her poem has won first place in a national contest, a contest she never entered, and her quiet life is toppled. But worst of all, Nida loses her ability to write poetry. In the aftermath of her win, Nida struggles to balance the expectations of her mother, her uncle, and her vibrant Muslim community with the person she truly wants to be-- |
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Grade Level: 9+ Fiction; Romance/LGBTQ+ Two best friends, bonded by their shared love of poetry, uncover all the different meanings if I love you once they begin dating their senior year of high school. |
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Grade Level: 7 - 9 Fiction; Poetry Featuring contributions from an award-winning, bestselling group of Black voices, past and present, this poetry anthology elicits conversations about race, belonging, history, and faith to highlight Black joy and pain. |
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Grade Level: 10 - 12 Non-Fiction; Music An entertaining and informative exploration of the literary influences and references in Taylor Swift's song lyrics.-- |
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