Books with Black characters for DD12

[Queenie04]

Hello really running out out of ideas for books with Black characters. My daughter is an avid reader reads anything. But representation matters to her and she lights up when there is a book with Black characters. Any ideas will be much appreciated

Have a look at Letterbox Library, they've been great for us in the past for finding more diverse titles (both explicit and casually diverse, if that makes sense!)

I have a lovely Cynthia Voight book called Come A Stranger which I loved as a teen. It's quite old though, I don't know how easy it would be to get a copy. In fact, I loved the whole Tillerman set of books.

The Friends by Rosa Guy.

It's kind of epic.

I think Mouse in the Ruby Redfort series is black, sorry only going off memory here.

Has she read the Naughts and Crosses series? It's recommended for those 12 and over but you might want to consider them now. I loved them at her age.

Also:
Full Cicada Moon
Scarlett Undercover
Shadowshaper
The Chaos

'The Girl with all the Gifts' has a strong black woman in it- not the protagonist though and it's very scary!

Ooh look what I found when googling Black Girls in Books!
Schoolgirl project to find a 1000 books with black girls

Ursula le guin's Earthsea is a fantasy series where most of the main characters are olive or dark skinned. Set in another world though so not culturally Black.

Great this is fab, yes she has read all the Malorie Blackman other than the new older fiction books. Including Boys Don't Cry

Foldedtshirt thank you that looks great

I think there is a list on the Mighty Girl website.

I a lot of these I hadn't heard off, I have to be careful regarding content just to make sure its ok for her

Might girl is really good. However need light hearted books too

Ruby Redfort is very light hearted and no content issues. Ruby is a teenager recruited by a government spy agency.

Thanks for suggestion Randondent but Ruby Redford is definitely not a character of colour

Nicecuppandasitdown thank you for all the suggestions

I know, I said Mouse was.

What's her reading age? If older than 12, start giving her eg classic adult books written by people of other nations. No time like the present to start her on writers like Chinua Achebe, Maya Angelou, though yes, check content.

Hi, yes she has read when the caged bird sings and a few others. I would say her reading age is about 14 however it doesn't match her level of maturity. Thank you all for the suggestion, will have a thorough look at all the sources .

Has she read Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley? It's a YA novel set in Virginia during the fight to desegregate the school system.

The Skin I'm In (Sharon G Flake). DD (12) read this last year and thought it was good.

When she is a little older, I'd recommend The Fifth Season (N K Jemisin) which is the first of a trilogy.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo

I read these as part of my dissertation in children's literature and both are great.

Dorothy Koomson books are fab.