Anti-Racism Books For Teens

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Harlem sophomore Xiomara Batista isn't saintly like her virtuous twin brother. And her tough exterior - she's always ready to fend off unwelcome advances and unkind words - hides questions and insecurities. As her confirmation nears (after two failed attempts), Xiomara begins to voice her uncertainties about the Catholic faith and patriarchal piety pressed on her by her mother and the church.

Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the Michael L. Printz Award

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds

When sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend.

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend - but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

A New York Times Bestseller and a William C. Morris Award Finalist

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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.

#1 New York Times Bestseller, Printz Honor Book, and Coretta Scott King Honor Book

Black Enough Edited by Ibi Aanu Zoboi

An essential collection of captivating stories about what it's like to be young and Black in America.

"A breath of fresh air...nuanced and necessary." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham

Some bodies won't stay buried. Some stories need to be told. When seventeen-year-old Rowan Chase finds a skeleton on her family's property, she has no idea that investigating the brutal century-old murder will lead to a summer of painful discoveries about the past...and the present.

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of the Year Pick and a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson

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 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 to heard.

2018 Newbery Honor Book and 2018 Coretta Scott King Author Award

How I Resist by Maureen Johnson

A collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews about activism and hope.

"[Maureen Johnson] has done an exceptional job calling on different voices to share their wisdom and thoughts on making a difference." -- School Library Journal

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.

An American Library Association Notable Book and Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction

Stamped by Jason Reynolds

A history of racist and anti-racist ideas in America, from their roots in Europe until today.

#1 New York Times Bestseller and a USA Today Bestseller