2011 African American YA & MG Novels

20 Nov 2011 news 0 Comments

Last year I joined forces with several book bloggers to compile a list of middle grade and young adult novels written by black authors in the US. I titled that post “The Grim Reality” since it seemed that most mainstream publishers only put out ONE black-authored teen title per year. And even though we reached almost 60 titles, there are about 3,000 MG/YA titles published in the US each year. So have things improved? Take a look at the list below and let me know if I’ve missed anything. Many thanks to Edi over at Crazy Quilts for sharing her list of 2011 releases. (You can find our 2012 list here.)

            

  1. All the Wrong Moves by Nikki Carter (Kensington; January/YA)
  2. Famous by Simone Bryant (Kimani TRU; January/YA)
  3. Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon (Simon & Schuster; January/MG)
  4. Joseph’s Grace by Shelia Moses (Simon & Schuster; January/YA)
  5. Eliza’s Freedom Road by Jerdine Nolen (Simon & Schuster; January/MG)
  6. Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves (Simon & Schuster; January/YA)
  7. Drama High: The Meltdown by L. Divine (Kensington; January/YA)
  8. Dear America: A Picture of Freedom by Patricia McKissack (Scholastic; January/YA)*
  9. Mystify (Mystyx #2) by Artist Arthur (Kimani TRU; February/YA)
  10. The Clone Codes 2: Cyborg by Patricia McKissack et al. (Scholastic; February/MG)
  11. Kick by Walter Dean Myers & Ross Workman (Harper Teen; February/MG)
  12. How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen (Harper Collins; February/MG)
  13. Glitz by Philana Marie Boles (Penguin; February/YA)
  14. Act of Grace by Karen Simpson (Plenary; February/YA)
  15. Upgrade U by Ni-Ni Simone (Kensington; March/YA)
  16. Playing for Keeps by Veronica Chambers (Hyperion; March/YA)
  17. Getting Played by Celeste Norfleet (Kimani Tru; March/YA)
  18. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (Penguin; April/YA) 
  19. Carmen by Walter Dean Myers (Egmont Books; April/YA) 
  20. The Break Up Diaries by NiNi Simone (Dafina; April/YA)
  21. Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pickney (Hatchette Group; April/MG)
  22. So, So hood (Drama High) by L. Divine (Dafina; May/YA)  
  23. Dork Diaries 3: Tales from a not so talented pop star  by Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin; June/MG)
  24. Doing My Own Thing (Fab Life #3) by Nikki Carter (Dafina; June/YA)
  25. Dear America: I thought my soul would rise and fly  by Joyce Hansen (Scholastic; July/MG)*
  26. Mayhem (Mystyx #3) by Artist Arthur (Kimani TRU; July/YA)
  27. Silhouetted By the Blue by Traci L. Jones (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; July/MG)
  28. Boyfriend Season by Kelli London (Kensington; July/YA)
  29. Putting Make-up on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright (Simon and Schuster; July/YA)
  30. Checkmate (Cruisers 2)  by Walter Dean Myers (Scholastic; August/MG)
  31. Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri (Candlewick; August/MG)
  32. Dreaming in Color  by Fiona Lewis (Bella Distribution, August/YA)
  33. Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes (Bloomsbury; September/MG)
  34. Shadow of Cesar’s Creek by Sharon Draper (Simon and Schuster; September/MG)
  35. Ambitious  by Monica McCayhan (Kimani Tru; September/YA)
  36. Bronxwood by Coe Booth (Push; September/YA)
  37. My Own Worst Frenemy  (Chanti on the Case series) by Kimberly Reid (Kensington; September/YA)
  38. Point Me to Tomorrow by Veronica Chambers (Hyperion; September/YA)
  39. Dear America: with the Might of Angels  by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Scholastic; September MG)
  40. Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods (Nancy Paulsen Books; September/MG)
  41. Break Up Diaries vol 2 by Nikki Carter and Kevin Elliott (Kensington; October/YA)
  42. Dork diaries 3 1/2: how to dork your diary by Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin; October/MG)
  43. Maya’s Choice by Earl Sewell (Kimani Tru; October/YA)
  44. On The Come Up by Travis Hunter (Dafina; October/YA)
  45. Playground  by FiftyCent (Razorbill; November/YA)
  46. Uptown Dreams by Kelli London (KTeen Dafina; November/YA)
  47. Download Drama  by Celeste O. Norfleet (Kimani Tru; December/YA)

*these two Scholastic titles are reissued books

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