African American Teen

Fifteen-year-old Amari witnesses the murder of her family and the destruction of her remote African village. She endures countless humiliations as she is beaten, branded, and forced to board a slave ship. The atrocities continue as she struggles through endless days of backbreaking work and daily degradation on a plantation.

It's Time to Tell My Secret is the story of a young woman who has her innocence stolen in the most unimaginable way, and has to learn how to put the pieces of her life back together again because of it. This coming of age drama touches on an issue that so many young women are silent about; abuse at the hands of someone they love.

Ya'll, let me tell you my story!Glad you could find your way here, and I welcome you to the Sellers Plantation here in the deep south of Mobile, Alabama. I'm anxious to get started with my story tellin,' so, I'm sharin' a little bout the story that I be tellin' to ya'll down below. When I wuz born, I be given the name Gertrude Ida Rollins, but as I be growin' folks just be callin' me Ms. Gertie. I wuz born in Mobile, Alabama in the year eighteen and eighty-eight. Yes, that be a long time ago for most of ya'll, but I thinks it be good to be learnin' bout the history that be comin' before you...

If Cotton Could Talk," is a civil war era historical fiction novel about 19th-century slave life in the South. You will be introduced to a cast of characters; Black mothers and fathers who are fearless, smart, and devoted to family and justice. Heroes and heroines whose leadership gave enslaved people hope. But before freedom comes, they must survive other slaves who prove to be untrustworthy. At the same time ruthless, hostile, hateful men are determined to keep the status quo. Pre-Civil War, 1850, enslaved people could sense that their lives were going to change. Slaves reasoned that they...

Who is the father of Shaneece's baby, and what's going to happen when the results are revealed? Hype is consumed with shock and guilt over his recently murdered cousin. He desperately needs to escape. If the results confirm he’s the father, it might push him over the edge. Twon's future is riding on these results too. He feels like he’s ready to move forward with Shaneece, but if he's not the father, do they have what it takes to make it? Shaneece wants to be a good mother, but underlying issues are threatening her focus. Can Shaneece push past her pain, or will her problems overtake ...

An unexpected friendship changes everything. Anita Baum has never been one to make friends. She navigates her high school halls like a mine field; because for her they might as well be. Any misstep means that she risks being teased and humiliated. However, when new student Tina takes an instant liking to Anita, things start to change. Outrageously bold and determined, Tina is the exact opposite of Anita. The duo quickly becomes friends and their unlikely friendship places Anita in the limelight. As the duo maneuver through the toxic culture of Greenwich, they are forced to face the trials ...

"Savage love. Ruthless secrets. In this game, your heart ain’t the only thing on the line." Summer at Westbrook ain’t no beach vacation — it’s a battlefield. Amber’s spiraling after Patrón leaves her on read and out in the cold. But this girl’s done crying. She’s out to snatch her power back, one reckless choice at a time. Who needs love when you can be the one breaking hearts instead of having yours shattered? Willow? She’s playing puppet master, and Symphony’s her favorite toy to break. Symphony’s tired, broken, and out of options — until Roman swoops in with ...

Westbrook High was already messy… but the end of this school year? It’s about to explode. Secrets are no longer whispers in the hallway — they’re front-page news. Amber is desperate to hold her world together, even if it means fighting for a love that was never really hers. Symphony wants to keep her crown, but she might lose everything (and everyone) she thought she could control. Hunter? She’s spiraling deeper into her own lies and has no idea who’s really in her corner. And Roman… well, he’s realizing too late that love can’t fix everything. Friendships are cracking. ...

During the civil rights movement, the state of Mississippi created an elaborate spy network. Its mission was to preserve segregation by any means necessary—including voter interference, sponsorship of white supremacy groups, and even murder.

The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it's 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they’re not supposed to.

In this fascinating tale set in 1919, the Thomas family leaves New Orleans for Chicago as part of the Great Migration, seeking equality denied in the South. They are confident and optimistic. But hope is extinguished when they are met by 6,000 National Guard troops deployed to quell an earlier race riot. Linda and Ben prepare their nephew Trey to lead the family through the treacherous landscape of a big city plagued by segregation, police violence, and corruption. Is he ready? They devise a risky plan to challenge real estate covenants banning Blacks from buying homes in white ...

Maleeka Madison is a dark skinned African-American girl. She feels uncomfortable and wishes she had lighter skin. When her teacher, Miss Saunders, who suffers from a rare skin condition, shows that there is more to people than the color of their skin, Maleeka learns to appreciate and accept who she truly is.

Jade believes she must get out of her neighborhood if she's ever going to succeed. Her mother says she has to take every opportunity. She has. She accepted a scholarship to a mostly-white private school and even Saturday morning test prep opportunities. But some opportunities feel more demeaning than helpful. Like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for "at-risk" girls. Except really, it's for black girls. From "bad" neighborhoods. But maybe there are some things Jade could show these successful women about the real world and finding ways to make a real difference.

The Westbrook Squad’s Summer Meltdown Summer was supposed to be a vibe — but for the Westbrook Squad, it’s turning into a full-blown disaster. Amber is tired of being the good girl and the loyal friend. She’s done playing it safe — until a family secret drags her deeper into her own chaos, forcing her to question everything and everyone. Roman is trying to keep his game tight on and off the field, but old injuries, deeper scars, and a shocking family betrayal push him to the edge. When he gets caught up with the wrong girl, he might lose way more than his spot on the team. ...

Set in New York City in the ’90s, Angela Shanté’s poems and stories paint a mosaic of childhood that is shaped by the past and reverberates into the present. As Shanté navigates the city through memory, this timeless book illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or boxed in, through stories and poems about expectations, exploitation, love, loss, and self-realization.

Since Shelbi enrolled at Windward Academy as a senior and won’t be there very long, she hasn’t bothered making friends. What her classmates don’t know about her can’t be used to hurt her—you know, like it did at her last school. Andy Criddle’s had far too much to drink. Again. Which is bad. And things are about to get worse. When Shelbi sees Andy at his lowest, she can relate. So she doesn’t resist reaching out. And there’s no doubt their connection has them both seeing stars . . . but the closer they get, the more the past threatens to pull their universes apart.

The Valentine Adventures of the Clever Black Kids Detective ClubIntroducing the newest collection of short stories for kids ages 8-12, "The Clever Black Kids Detective Club Valentine Adventures"! These engaging and captivating stories are written especially for children aged 8-12 and are full of relatable, inspiring, and empowering tales that can help shape young minds. Join the Clever Black Kids Detective Club on new exciting adventures as they learn valuable lessons about understanding identity, building self-esteem, and helping others. INSIDE THE BOOK Engaging and captivating stories ...

There is a saying: knowledge is power. The secret is this. Knowledge, applied at the right time and place, is more than power. It’s magic. That’s what the Black Panther Party did. They called up this magic and launched a revolution. In the beginning, it was a story like any other. It could have been yours and it could have been mine. But once it got going, it became more than any one person could have imagined.

He plays by the rules. She thinks rules are made to be broken. Lucy Sanyu's arrival stirs up everything in our village—there's trouble brewing around her that I can't seem to avoid. Bound by tradition, my path is simple: work the farm, marry a local girl, and keep up the family legacy. But Lucy? She’s different—free-spirited, daring and full of life. Straight out of boarding school, her dreams are too big for our small village. We're worlds apart. Our families have been enemies for ages, and Lucy’s bold, unconventional ways quickly stir up old feuds and set village tongues wagging. ...

Inspired by the #SayHerName campaign launched by the African American Policy Forum, these poems pay tribute to victims of police brutality as well as the activists insisting that Black Lives Matter. Elliott engages poets from the past two centuries to create a chorus of voices celebrating the creativity, resilience, and courage of Black women and girls.