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  Zawadi’s Unofficial List of Great YA by or About Women of Color

  Not too long ago, I completed a fun exercise about YA literature. I think it said something about being well-read. Well, the list was light on writers of color so I’m offering a list of my own. Put an ‘X’ by what you’ve read, “#” by what books are on your tbr and “!” by books you loved. This list in very short and focused on women writers of color. Feel free to add titles in your comments. The list sorely needs works by Native Americans and Latinas for example.

  
  
  

  1. When Kambia Elaine Flew In From Neptune by Lori A. Williams
  2. Every Time A Rainbow Dies by Rita Williams-Garcia
  3. No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia
  4. Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia
  5. If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
  6. The House You Pass On The Way by Jacqueline Woodson
  7. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
  8. From The Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson
  9. Sold by Patricia McCormick
  10. Heaven by An Na
  11. The Parable of The Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  12. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  13. Persepolis by Majane Satrapi
  14. The Rock and The River by Kekla Magoon
  15. Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
  16. Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
  17. A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott
  18. Down To The Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole
  19. Don’t Get It Twisted by Paula Chase
  20. Jason & Kyra by Dana Davidson
  21. Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper
  22. Kendra by Coe Booth
  23. Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
  24. Does My Head Look Big In This? By Randa Abdel-Fattah
  25. Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
  26. Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim
  27. The Meaning of Conseulo by Judith Ortiz Cofer
  28. In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
  29. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
  30. First Part Last by Angela Johnson
  31. Pemba’s Song by Marilyn Nelson
  32. Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
  33. M + O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin
  34. Lucy The Giant by Sherri L. Smith
  35. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
  36. Throwaway Piece by Jo Ann Hernandez
  37. White Bread Competition by Jo Ann Hernandez
  38. Across A Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande
  39. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
  40. Ash by Malinda Lo
  41. The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

  zawadi started this discussion 5 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  Frieda T 

  Hmmmm, and I thought I was pretty good at this. I have a lot yet to read.

  posted 4 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  cpauley929 

  1. When Kambia Elaine Flew In From Neptune by Lori A. Williams
  2. Every Time A Rainbow Dies by Rita Williams-Garcia
  3. No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia X !
  4. Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia #
  5. If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
  6. The House You Pass On The Way by Jacqueline Woodson
  7. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
  8. From The Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson
  9. Sold by Patricia McCormick
  10. Heaven by An Na
  11. The Parable of The Sower by Octavia E. Butler #
  12. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie X !
  13. Persepolis by Majane Satrapi X !
  14. The Rock and The River by Kekla Magoon
  15. Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
  16. Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
  17. A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott
  18. Down To The Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole
  19. Don’t Get It Twisted by Paula Chase
  20. Jason & Kyra by Dana Davidson
  21. Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper
  22. Kendra by Coe Booth
  23. Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
  24. Does My Head Look Big In This? By Randa Abdel-Fattah
  25. Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
  26. Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim
  27. The Meaning of Conseulo by Judith Ortiz Cofer #
  28. In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez #
  29. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler X !
  30. First Part Last by Angela Johnson
  31. Pemba’s Song by Marilyn Nelson
  32. Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
  33. M + O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin
  34. Lucy The Giant by Sherri L. Smith
  35. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros X !
  36. Throwaway Piece by Jo Ann Hernandez
  37. White Bread Competition by Jo Ann Hernandez
  38. Across A Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande
  39. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
  40. Ash by Malinda Lo
  41. The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

  I definitely plan to look into a lot of these now. Thanks for the list. I was surprised to see the Butler stuff on here as YA. I wouldn't have classified them as such, but I can't see a reason why they would be inappropriate for young adults.

  posted 4 months ago. ( reply )

  show 1 reply

  • 

    zawadi 

    Candice,

    Butler is not classified as YA but I listed her work that is appropriate for the audience.

    posted 4 months ago. ( reply )

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  annapi (edited)

  I would add Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata. Haven't read any of her other stuff yet, but that was a good one. Also Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. His sequel Zia is not as good, though.

  I would also add A Single Shard but that does not have a female protagonist. Have to think about others for the list but don't have the time now.

  posted 4 months ago. ( reply )

  show 1 reply

  • 

    zawadi 

    Anna,

    I could not list all books and the idea was to present a representative list. Also this list says books by and about women of color. Scott O'Dell is a man and Single Shard doesn't have a female lead.

    posted 4 months ago. ( reply )

• 

  sweetafton 

  Not a single one of these titles is in the YA section at either of our local chain bookstores. They do stock Butler, the Persepolis series, Cisneros, Alvarez, and Adichie, though... The majority of the YA section seems to be derivative vampire fiction and stories about badly behaved rich adolescents. Ugh.

  posted 4 months ago. ( reply )

  show 3 replies

  • 

    zawadi 

    Sweet,

    I spend so much time on blogs now and ordering online that I always go into shock when I go into a bookstore. What I am exposed to online and what is available in shops are different worlds.

    In the blogosphere there's a lot of talk of how book bloggers are impacting the publishing industry but it will take awhile for we see change at all levels.

    Miss chatting with you. I need to drop you a a line.

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    sweetafton (edited)

    I picked up Coe Booth's Kendra and Neesha Meminger's Shine, Coconut Moon after reading through the fuss over the cover of Liar (thanks for the info, and I know I'm crossing threads here...). I'm looking forward to diving into them as soon as I finish ZZ Packer's Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. Have you read it? She has a very keen way of writing the perspective of the odd-woman-out (and at least one odd-man) or the two-fer. Worth a look.

    Please do drop me a line!

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

  • 

    cpauley929 

    I was able to go see ZZ Packer read from the book. She has a beautiful voice, and it lends an even smoother flow to her stories. A very nice woman, and very down to earth.

    posted 1 month ago. ( reply )

• 

  Ju-Dith 

  1. When Kambia Elaine Flew In From Neptune by Lori A. Williams
  2. Every Time A Rainbow Dies by Rita Williams-Garcia
  3. No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia
  4. Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia
  5. If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
  6. The House You Pass On The Way by Jacqueline Woodson
  7. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
  8. From The Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson
  9. Sold by Patricia McCormick
  10. Heaven by An Na
  11. The Parable of The Sower by Octavia E. Butler * #
  12. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  13. Persepolis by Majane Satrapi X
  14. The Rock and The River by Kekla Magoon
  15. Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
  16. Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
  17. A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott
  18. Down To The Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole
  19. Don’t Get It Twisted by Paula Chase
  20. Jason & Kyra by Dana Davidson
  21. Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper
  22. Kendra by Coe Booth
  23. Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
  24. Does My Head Look Big In This? By Randa Abdel-Fattah
  25. Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
  26. Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim
  27. The Meaning of Conseulo by Judith Ortiz Cofer
  28. In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez X
  29. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler * #
  30. First Part Last by Angela Johnson
  31. Pemba’s Song by Marilyn Nelson
  32. Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
  33. M + O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin
  34. Lucy The Giant by Sherri L. Smith
  35. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros X
  36. Throwaway Piece by Jo Ann Hernandez
  37. White Bread Competition by Jo Ann Hernandez
  38. Across A Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande
  39. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
  40. Ash by Malinda Lo
  41. The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

  
  

  i feel so silly here....besides that my * rating, regarding Octavia Butler..i have read WILD SEED, WILD FLOWER (and love the CD of the same title, by Dionne Farris)...but the ones listed here are TBR

  posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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