Diverse Book List: 9-12

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Author: Sherman Alexie

Description: A coming-of-age-tale set on the Spokane Native American Reservation.

City of the Beasts

Author: Isabel Allende

Description: The first book in a trilogy. The characters embark on an expedition to the Amazon to search for the legendary creature known as the Beast.

Fences

Author: August Wilson

Description: A play centering on the strong, but hard man, Troy Maxson. Set during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s, this play deals with the theme of race in America.

The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas

Description: Starr Carter, a teenage Black girl, navigates two worlds: the urban neighborhood where she lives and the suburban prep school she attends, while also dealing with the trauma of witnessing the fatal police shooting of her unarmed childhood best friend, Khalil.

The House of the Spirits

Author: Isabel Allende

Description: Weaving personal and political stories together, this book details the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family.

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents

Author: Julia Alvarez

Description: After the García family flees their home in the Dominican Republic in 1960, the García sisters must navigate living their lives according to their parents’ values and the new ways of the American culture.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Author: Maya Angelou

Description: An autobiography describing the early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou. It is a coming-of-age story, illustrating how strength of character and a love of literature help to overcome racism and trauma.

On the Come Up

Author: Angie Thomas

Description: A story about fighting for your dreams, even when the odds are stacked against you. Themes of freedom of speech, media portrayal of young Black people, and hip-hop literary voice are highlighted.

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates

Author: Wes Moore

Description: A non-fiction book documenting two African-American men of the same name who had very different life trajectories.

The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream

Authors: Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. George Jenkins, and Dr. Rameck Hunt

Description: A book that covers the lives of three young Black men who made a pact to graduate from college and become doctors.

The River Niger

Author: Joseph A. Walker

Description: A play about a Harlem family whose son returns from the Air Force. Themes highlighted include: the struggles of Black men in a racist society, the camaraderie between Black men, and the role of men in the Black family.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

Author: Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Description: This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes readers on a race journey from then to now, shows us why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.

When I Was Puerto Rican

Author: Esmeralda Santiago

Description: An autobiography of Esmeralda Santiago’s life. Santiago begins with her young life in Puerto Rico and describes the circumstances that led to her mother moving the family to New York, and then details her adjustment to life in America.