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SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Fiction for Grades 9-12

By:

sjpl_teenhq

San José Public Library

Staff-created list

A collection of teen and young adult fiction with themes of facing racism and own voices. Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.

By:

sjpl_teenhq

San José Public Library

16 items

16 items

We Are Not Free

We Are Not Free

by Chee, Traci

Book - 2020

Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Growing up together in the community of Japantown, San Francisco, four second-generation Jap...Show more Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Growing up together in the community of Japantown, San Francisco, four second-generation Japanese American teens find their bond tested by widespread discrimination and the mass incarcerations of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II." -- Novelist. Show less

Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Growing up together in the community of Japantown, San Francisco, four second-generation Jap...Show more Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Growing up together in the community of Japantown, San Francisco, four second-generation Japanese American teens find their bond tested by widespread discrimination and the mass incarcerations of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II." -- Novelist. Show less

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A Very Large Expanse of Sea

A Very Large Expanse of Sea

by Mafi, Tahereh

Book - 2018

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "A year after 9/11, Muslim teenager Shirin has completely withdrawn from social life, until s...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "A year after 9/11, Muslim teenager Shirin has completely withdrawn from social life, until she meets Ocean James in her biology class and is tempted to actually let her guard down." -- Novelist. Show less

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "A year after 9/11, Muslim teenager Shirin has completely withdrawn from social life, until s...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "A year after 9/11, Muslim teenager Shirin has completely withdrawn from social life, until she meets Ocean James in her biology class and is tempted to actually let her guard down." -- Novelist. Show less

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Dear Justyce

Dear Justyce

by Stone, Nic

Book - 2020

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. Related to "Dear Martin", also by Nic Stone. "Incarcerated teen Quan Banks writes l...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. Related to "Dear Martin", also by Nic Stone. "Incarcerated teen Quan Banks writes letters to Justyce McCallister, with whom he bonded years before over family issues, about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system." -- Novelist. Show less

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. Related to "Dear Martin", also by Nic Stone. "Incarcerated teen Quan Banks writes l...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. Related to "Dear Martin", also by Nic Stone. "Incarcerated teen Quan Banks writes letters to Justyce McCallister, with whom he bonded years before over family issues, about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system." -- Novelist. Show less

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On the Come up

On the Come up

by Thomas, Angie

Book - 2020

Grades 8-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Aspiring rapper Bri records "On the Come Up " to protest the racial profiling and ...Show more Grades 8-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Aspiring rapper Bri records "On the Come Up " to protest the racial profiling and assault she endured at the hands of white security guards at her high school. The song goes viral, and Bri seizes the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her late father and lift her family out of poverty, but her loved ones worry, especially when some listeners paint her as an angry black girl inciting violence. Tension mounts as Bri's mother loses her job, Bri's relationship with her beloved aunt and musical mentor splinters, and a new manager dangles the prospect of fame and wealth—at a price. Set in the same neighborhood as Thomas's electrifying The Hate U Give, this visceral novel makes cogent observations about the cycle of poverty and the inescapable effects of systemic racism." -- School Library Journal. Show less

Grades 8-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Aspiring rapper Bri records "On the Come Up " to protest the racial profiling and ...Show more Grades 8-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Aspiring rapper Bri records "On the Come Up " to protest the racial profiling and assault she endured at the hands of white security guards at her high school. The song goes viral, and Bri seizes the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her late father and lift her family out of poverty, but her loved ones worry, especially when some listeners paint her as an angry black girl inciting violence. Tension mounts as Bri's mother loses her job, Bri's relationship with her beloved aunt and musical mentor splinters, and a new manager dangles the prospect of fame and wealth—at a price. Set in the same neighborhood as Thomas's electrifying The Hate U Give, this visceral novel makes cogent observations about the cycle of poverty and the inescapable effects of systemic racism." -- School Library Journal. Show less

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Slay

Slay

by Morris, Brittney

Book - 2019

Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Seventeen-year-old gamer Kiera Johnson finds that being Black leaves her largely ostracized...Show more Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Seventeen-year-old gamer Kiera Johnson finds that being Black leaves her largely ostracized from the larger gaming community. As a result, she ingeniously creates SLAY , her own online virtual reality game that becomes more than a hobby—it becomes a community for thousands of Black gamers to embody Nubian personae in a role-playing game. The game functions as Kiera’s refuge from the racism and traumas of the outside world. But her precious, necessary safe space is threatened when a player is killed due to an in-game dispute. It creates a stir in the media and paints SLAY in a negative light. The game is stereotyped much like many Black people are; it’s being called violent and criminal; and it’s charged with being racist and exclusionary. Suddenly, Kiera is faced with the need to both protect her game and keep her identity as the developer secret." -- Booklist. Show less

Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Seventeen-year-old gamer Kiera Johnson finds that being Black leaves her largely ostracized...Show more Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Seventeen-year-old gamer Kiera Johnson finds that being Black leaves her largely ostracized from the larger gaming community. As a result, she ingeniously creates SLAY , her own online virtual reality game that becomes more than a hobby—it becomes a community for thousands of Black gamers to embody Nubian personae in a role-playing game. The game functions as Kiera’s refuge from the racism and traumas of the outside world. But her precious, necessary safe space is threatened when a player is killed due to an in-game dispute. It creates a stir in the media and paints SLAY in a negative light. The game is stereotyped much like many Black people are; it’s being called violent and criminal; and it’s charged with being racist and exclusionary. Suddenly, Kiera is faced with the need to both protect her game and keep her identity as the developer secret." -- Booklist. Show less

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Anger Is A Gift

Anger Is A Gift

by Oshiro, Mark

Book - 2018

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Six years ago, Moss Jefferies' father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Along with ...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Six years ago, Moss Jefferies' father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Along with losing a parent, the media's vilification of his father and lack of accountability has left Moss with near crippling panic attacks. Now, in his sophomore year of high school, Moss and his fellow classmates find themselves increasingly treated like criminals by their own school. New rules. Random locker searches. Constant intimidation and Oakland Police Department stationed in their halls. Despite their youth, the students decide to organize and push back against the administration. When tensions hit a fever pitch and tragedy strikes, Moss must face a difficult choice: give in to fear and hate or realize that anger can actually be a gift." -- Goodreads.com. Show less

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Six years ago, Moss Jefferies' father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Along with ...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. "Six years ago, Moss Jefferies' father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Along with losing a parent, the media's vilification of his father and lack of accountability has left Moss with near crippling panic attacks. Now, in his sophomore year of high school, Moss and his fellow classmates find themselves increasingly treated like criminals by their own school. New rules. Random locker searches. Constant intimidation and Oakland Police Department stationed in their halls. Despite their youth, the students decide to organize and push back against the administration. When tensions hit a fever pitch and tragedy strikes, Moss must face a difficult choice: give in to fear and hate or realize that anger can actually be a gift." -- Goodreads.com. Show less

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Out of Darkness

Out of Darkness

by Pérez, Ashley Hope

Book - 2015

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook. "Loosely based on a school explosion that took place in New London, Texas, in 1937, this is the story of two...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook. "Loosely based on a school explosion that took place in New London, Texas, in 1937, this is the story of two teenagers: Naomi, who is Mexican, and Wash, who is black, and their dealings with race, segregation, love, and the forces that destroy people." -- Novelist. Show less

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook. "Loosely based on a school explosion that took place in New London, Texas, in 1937, this is the story of two...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook. "Loosely based on a school explosion that took place in New London, Texas, in 1937, this is the story of two teenagers: Naomi, who is Mexican, and Wash, who is black, and their dealings with race, segregation, love, and the forces that destroy people." -- Novelist. Show less

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Don't Ask Me Where I'm From

Don't Ask Me Where I'm From

by De Leon, Jennifer

Book - 2020

Grades 7-10. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. 'Reinventing herself at a privileged white suburban high school to get by in the face of escalatin...Show more Grades 7-10. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. 'Reinventing herself at a privileged white suburban high school to get by in the face of escalating racial tensions, a first-generation American-LatinX teen is forced to take a stand when she discovers that her absent father cannot legally return home." -- Novelist. Show less

Grades 7-10. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. 'Reinventing herself at a privileged white suburban high school to get by in the face of escalatin...Show more Grades 7-10. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. 'Reinventing herself at a privileged white suburban high school to get by in the face of escalating racial tensions, a first-generation American-LatinX teen is forced to take a stand when she discovers that her absent father cannot legally return home." -- Novelist. Show less

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Displacement

Displacement

by Hughes, Kiku

Book - 2020

Grades 6-12. Also available as an eBook. "Kiku’s exploring San Francisco with her mother when she first travels back in time, but her longest displac...Show more Grades 6-12. Also available as an eBook. "Kiku’s exploring San Francisco with her mother when she first travels back in time, but her longest displacement occurs when her grandmother, Ernestine, is imprisoned first at Tanforan and then Topaz, in Utah. Kiku finds herself stuck there, too, observing her grandmother and experiencing first hand not only the struggle to survive but the undercurrent of fear, the difficult choices faced by the Nikkei in the camps, and the sense of community they cobbled together. Spare, fine-lined artwork in muted earth tones emphasizes the flat desert landscape and echoes the staid, somber tone of the narrative overall, which is dense with voice-overs reflecting on the reverberating impact of the camps on her family and the Japanese diaspora in general. " -- Booklist. Show less

Grades 6-12. Also available as an eBook. "Kiku’s exploring San Francisco with her mother when she first travels back in time, but her longest displac...Show more Grades 6-12. Also available as an eBook. "Kiku’s exploring San Francisco with her mother when she first travels back in time, but her longest displacement occurs when her grandmother, Ernestine, is imprisoned first at Tanforan and then Topaz, in Utah. Kiku finds herself stuck there, too, observing her grandmother and experiencing first hand not only the struggle to survive but the undercurrent of fear, the difficult choices faced by the Nikkei in the camps, and the sense of community they cobbled together. Spare, fine-lined artwork in muted earth tones emphasizes the flat desert landscape and echoes the staid, somber tone of the narrative overall, which is dense with voice-overs reflecting on the reverberating impact of the camps on her family and the Japanese diaspora in general. " -- Booklist. Show less

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Hearts Unbroken

Hearts Unbroken

by Smith, Cynthia Leitich

Book - 2018

Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook. "Breaking up with her first real boyfriend when he makes racist remarks about her Native American heritage, ...Show more Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook. "Breaking up with her first real boyfriend when he makes racist remarks about her Native American heritage, high school senior Louise Wolfe teams up with a fellow school newspaper editor to cover a multicultural casting of the school play and the racial hostilities it has exposed." -- Novelist. Show less

Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook. "Breaking up with her first real boyfriend when he makes racist remarks about her Native American heritage, ...Show more Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook. "Breaking up with her first real boyfriend when he makes racist remarks about her Native American heritage, high school senior Louise Wolfe teams up with a fellow school newspaper editor to cover a multicultural casting of the school play and the racial hostilities it has exposed." -- Novelist. Show less

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The Lines We Cross

The Lines We Cross

by Abdel-Fattah, Randa

Book - 2017

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook. "As a child, Mina came to Australia by boat, a Muslim refugee escaping turmoil in her native Afghanistan. No...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook. "As a child, Mina came to Australia by boat, a Muslim refugee escaping turmoil in her native Afghanistan. Now, as a teen, she enters an elite preparatory school on the other side of Sydney, on scholarship. Michael, a natural-born Australian citizen, hasn’t spent too much time second-guessing his parents’ involvement in a local anti-immigrant group, until he sees Mina, and his unquestioning trust in his parents begins to fray. Told in chapters alternating between Mina and Michael, this mature, nuanced novel explores the forces that feed anti-immigrant sentiment and the hypocrisy that festers in hateful beliefs. " -- Novelist. Show less

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook. "As a child, Mina came to Australia by boat, a Muslim refugee escaping turmoil in her native Afghanistan. No...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook. "As a child, Mina came to Australia by boat, a Muslim refugee escaping turmoil in her native Afghanistan. Now, as a teen, she enters an elite preparatory school on the other side of Sydney, on scholarship. Michael, a natural-born Australian citizen, hasn’t spent too much time second-guessing his parents’ involvement in a local anti-immigrant group, until he sees Mina, and his unquestioning trust in his parents begins to fray. Told in chapters alternating between Mina and Michael, this mature, nuanced novel explores the forces that feed anti-immigrant sentiment and the hypocrisy that festers in hateful beliefs. " -- Novelist. Show less

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The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give

by Thomas, Angie

Book - 2017

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. " Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two very different worlds: one is her home in a poor black ...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. " Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two very different worlds: one is her home in a poor black urban neighborhood; the other is the tony suburban prep school she attends and the white boy she dates there. Her bifurcated life changes dramatically when she is the only witness to the unprovoked police shooting of her unarmed friend Khalil and is challenged to speak out—though with trepidation—about the injustices being done in the event’s wake. As the case becomes national news, violence erupts in her neighborhood, and Starr finds herself and her family caught in the middle. Difficulties are exacerbated by their encounters with the local drug lord for whom Khalil was dealing to earn money for his impoverished family. If there is to be hope for change, Starr comes to realize, it must be through the exercise of her voice, even if it puts her and her family in harm’s way. " -- Booklist. Show less

Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. " Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two very different worlds: one is her home in a poor black ...Show more Grades 9-12. Also available as an eBook and eAudiobook. " Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two very different worlds: one is her home in a poor black urban neighborhood; the other is the tony suburban prep school she attends and the white boy she dates there. Her bifurcated life changes dramatically when she is the only witness to the unprovoked police shooting of her unarmed friend Khalil and is challenged to speak out—though with trepidation—about the injustices being done in the event’s wake. As the case becomes national news, violence erupts in her neighborhood, and Starr finds herself and her family caught in the middle. Difficulties are exacerbated by their encounters with the local drug lord for whom Khalil was dealing to earn money for his impoverished family. If there is to be hope for change, Starr comes to realize, it must be through the exercise of her voice, even if it puts her and her family in harm’s way. " -- Booklist. Show less

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Lucy and Linh

Lucy and Linh

by Pung, Alice

Book - 2016

Grades 8-12. Also available as an eBook. "In a letter to Linh, the constant friend she’s left behind, 15-year-old Lucy recounts her first year as an ...Show more Grades 8-12. Also available as an eBook. "In a letter to Linh, the constant friend she’s left behind, 15-year-old Lucy recounts her first year as an “Equal Access” scholarship student at Laurinda Ladies’ College. Once fearlessly outspoken and full of fun, Lucy has become withdrawn and unsure of herself. A small group of rich, spoiled, and casually racist girls, known as the Cabinet, dominates her class and play horrible pranks on students and teachers with impunity. With the help of a male teacher and a popular boy from a nearby private boys school who’s not ashamed of being lower-middle class, Lucy learns to stand up for herself and reject the Cabinet. Lucy’s biting comments about Laurinda and her struggle to reconcile her school and home life in the dilapidated and rundown town of Stanley effectively ring true as she realizes her family’s immigrant life there is precious." -- Booklist. Show less

Grades 8-12. Also available as an eBook. "In a letter to Linh, the constant friend she’s left behind, 15-year-old Lucy recounts her first year as an ...Show more Grades 8-12. Also available as an eBook. "In a letter to Linh, the constant friend she’s left behind, 15-year-old Lucy recounts her first year as an “Equal Access” scholarship student at Laurinda Ladies’ College. Once fearlessly outspoken and full of fun, Lucy has become withdrawn and unsure of herself. A small group of rich, spoiled, and casually racist girls, known as the Cabinet, dominates her class and play horrible pranks on students and teachers with impunity. With the help of a male teacher and a popular boy from a nearby private boys school who’s not ashamed of being lower-middle class, Lucy learns to stand up for herself and reject the Cabinet. Lucy’s biting comments about Laurinda and her struggle to reconcile her school and home life in the dilapidated and rundown town of Stanley effectively ring true as she realizes her family’s immigrant life there is precious." -- Booklist. Show less

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Say Her Name

Say Her Name

by Elliott, Zetta

Book - 2020

Grades 7-10. Also available as an eBook. "Inspired by the African American Policy Forum’s #SayHerName campaign and the work of such notables as Lucil...Show more Grades 7-10. Also available as an eBook. "Inspired by the African American Policy Forum’s #SayHerName campaign and the work of such notables as Lucille Clifton and Nikki Giovanni, a collection of poems stands as a tribute to Black Lives Matter activists and victims of police brutality." -- Novelist. Show less

Grades 7-10. Also available as an eBook. "Inspired by the African American Policy Forum’s #SayHerName campaign and the work of such notables as Lucil...Show more Grades 7-10. Also available as an eBook. "Inspired by the African American Policy Forum’s #SayHerName campaign and the work of such notables as Lucille Clifton and Nikki Giovanni, a collection of poems stands as a tribute to Black Lives Matter activists and victims of police brutality." -- Novelist. Show less

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Punching the Air

Punching the Air

by Zoboi, Ibi Aanu

Book - 2020

Grades 8-12. Also available as an eAudiobook, and as an eBook in a separate catalog entry under the same title. "A single punch leads to a fight betw...Show more Grades 8-12. Also available as an eAudiobook, and as an eBook in a separate catalog entry under the same title. "A single punch leads to a fight between Amal and his friends—all Black—and a group of white boys from a gentrifying part of his neighborhood. Amal is found guilty of assault while his friends are given plea deals. All are sent to prison, while the white boys involved are not charged at all. In prison, Amal gets a stark education on how unjust the justice system is as he witnesses guards abusing their power, administrators carelessly ignoring the welfare of the imprisoned as if their lives are disposable, and the avenues of “rehabilitation” proving to be decrepit and empty. Only Amal’s painting and poetry allow him to withstand the torture of physical beatings and solitary confinement." -- Booklist. Show less

Grades 8-12. Also available as an eAudiobook, and as an eBook in a separate catalog entry under the same title. "A single punch leads to a fight betw...Show more Grades 8-12. Also available as an eAudiobook, and as an eBook in a separate catalog entry under the same title. "A single punch leads to a fight between Amal and his friends—all Black—and a group of white boys from a gentrifying part of his neighborhood. Amal is found guilty of assault while his friends are given plea deals. All are sent to prison, while the white boys involved are not charged at all. In prison, Amal gets a stark education on how unjust the justice system is as he witnesses guards abusing their power, administrators carelessly ignoring the welfare of the imprisoned as if their lives are disposable, and the avenues of “rehabilitation” proving to be decrepit and empty. Only Amal’s painting and poetry allow him to withstand the torture of physical beatings and solitary confinement." -- Booklist. Show less

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Jazz Owls

Jazz Owls

A Novel of the Zoot Suit Riots

by Engle, Margarita

Book - 2018

Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook. "Marisela and Lorena are jazz owls who work all day and dance all night. They also dance during the day as t...Show more Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook. "Marisela and Lorena are jazz owls who work all day and dance all night. They also dance during the day as they twist and turn trying to navigate their place in Los Angeles during World War II. They face racism at home for their Latino heritage despite having family members serving overseas. Marisela falls in love with a musician, while Lorena dreams about saving enough money to go to school. Zoot suits—loose suits perfect for dancing to jazz and rumba music that has heavy Afro-Latino influences—are frowned upon. Tensions rise as newspapers print headlines that invoke fear. Sailors start pouring into the streets as they round up young Latino men, beat them, and burn their suits. This becomes a nightmare that repeats too many times, and while the forces that be ultimately end it, the Latino and African American communities are still raw from their physical and emotional abuses." -- School Library Journal. Show less

Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook. "Marisela and Lorena are jazz owls who work all day and dance all night. They also dance during the day as t...Show more Grades 7-12. Also available as an eBook. "Marisela and Lorena are jazz owls who work all day and dance all night. They also dance during the day as they twist and turn trying to navigate their place in Los Angeles during World War II. They face racism at home for their Latino heritage despite having family members serving overseas. Marisela falls in love with a musician, while Lorena dreams about saving enough money to go to school. Zoot suits—loose suits perfect for dancing to jazz and rumba music that has heavy Afro-Latino influences—are frowned upon. Tensions rise as newspapers print headlines that invoke fear. Sailors start pouring into the streets as they round up young Latino men, beat them, and burn their suits. This becomes a nightmare that repeats too many times, and while the forces that be ultimately end it, the Latino and African American communities are still raw from their physical and emotional abuses." -- School Library Journal. Show less

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