Voices of Change: YA Books Featuring Diverse Authors

Voices of Change: YA Books Featuring Diverse Authors

In recognition of Black History Month in February, Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) is showcasing books written by black Young Adult (YA) authors. The YA literary world is riding a wave of change as more diverse authors are being published. FBCL carries a wide array of titles by black authors that will appeal to many reading tastes.

In the February 3, 2020, issue of Elle Magazine, Roxanne Fequiere features five of the most accomplished new voices -- Tomi Adeyemi, Akwaeke Emezi, Elizabeth Acevedo, Angie Thomas, and Nic Stone – who are rewriting the rules of YA fiction. Many of their books can be found in the FBCL collection.

The Coretta Scott King Award is an award given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults. These award-winning books demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.

The Walter Dean Myers Award recognizes diverse authors (or co-authors) whose works feature diverse main characters and address diversity in a meaningful way. “Diversity” is defined as: a person of color, Native American, LGBTQUI, a person with a disability, and/or a member of a marginalized religious or cultural minority in the U.S.

Jason Reynolds, recently named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2020, wants young adults and children to know that every voice matters. He encourages them to speak up and tell their story. Read more about him here.

The following list includes a sampling of the many outstanding YA books in the FBCL collection.