This list contains fiction titles for teens that speak to the headlines, hashtags, demonstrations and ongoing dialogue about race in America. There are also titles that focus on positive everyday experiences of teens of color.
You can sign up for a free library card here. If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started.
If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org.
Going beyond the story of America as a country “discovered” by a few brave men in the “New World,” Indigenous human rights advocate Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz reveals the roles that settler colonialism and policies of American Indian genocide played in forming our national identity. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby.
Six years ago, Moss Jefferies’ father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Now, Moss and his fellow classmates find themselves increasingly treated like criminals in their own school. 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. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Overdrive/Libby, as eBook on Overdrive/Libby or as eAudio on Hoopla.
Presents the life of the Alabama teenager who played an integral role in the Montgomery bus strike, once by refusing to give up a bus seat, and again, by becoming a plaintiff in the landmark civil rights case against the bus company. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby.
Examines the events and forces leading up to 1919 race riots in Chicago. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby or as eAudio on Hoopla.
Lena knows she’s going to make it big. Campbell is just trying to get through the year at her new school. One is black, one is white. When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, neither expects everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together. When the city is up in flames, they only have each other to rely on if they’re going to survive the night. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby or as eBook on Hoopla.
Told from multiple viewpoints, Shae Tatum, an unarmed, thirteen-year-old black girl, is shot by a white police officer, throwing their community into upheaval and making it a target of demonstrators. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby.
Upon arriving at the prestigious Wooddale University, seventeen-year-old Savannah Howard comes face-to-face with microaggressions and outright racism — but if she stands up for justice, will she endanger her future?
You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby.
A history of racist and antiracist ideas in America, from their roots in Europe until today, adapted from the National Book Award winner Stamped from the Beginning. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.
A young adult anthology featuring fictional stories and poems that reflect a slice of the varied and limitless ways that young people resist every day. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby.