top of page

BOOKS TO READ

Learn about the American experience  from multiple lenses and celebrate diversity through these novels.

theireyeswerewatchinggod.jpg

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Written by the renowned Zora Neale Hurston, this classic piece of Harlem Renaissance literature follows Janie Crawford as she faces discrimination and inequality as a black woman in the US.

girlintranslation.jpg

Girl in Translation

Jean Kwok’s novel describes the experience of a young immigrant from Hong Kong as she strives to achieve her mother’s concept of the American Dream.

childrenoftheland.jpg

Children of the

Land: A Memoir

Marcelo Hernandez Castillo’s memoir follows his story as a young undocumented immigrant trying to thrive in a country that denies his existence. 

tylerjohnsonwashere.jpg

Tyler Johnson

Was Here

This debut piece from Jay Coles is about Marvin Johnson, a black teenager in a poor neighborhood, who learns the realities of police brutality after his brother’s death.

burquasbaseballandapplepie.jpg

Burqas, Baseball,

and Apple Pie

Ranya Tabari Idliby’s memoir tells the story of how she teaches her children what it means to be Muslim in a white man’s world and how to remain religious while living in a society in which they are rejected. 

beloved.jpeg

Beloved

Based on a true story, Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of Sethe, a woman living with her daughter after escaping slavery. 

ifiwasyourgirl.jpg

If I Was Your Girl

Meredith Russo’s novel tells the heartbreak story of Amanda Hardy, a transgender girl living in the Deep South who struggles with her identity after a brutal attack. 

41faDNiUSeL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Sundown

Written by John Joseph Matthews, this novel tells the story of Challenge Windzer, an Osage Native American, as he learns how his people were exploited and discovers what matters most to him.

22450859.jpg

The Boston Girl

Bestselling author Anita Diamant follows Addie Baum, the daughter of Jewish immigrants, in the hyper-sexualized world of being a teenager in the United States. Addie learns what it means to be a Jewish woman in a world turned against her.

41QP0oKVa5L.jpg

Fiebre Tropical

This debut novel from Juli Delago Lopera tells the story of Francisca, a Colombian immigrant, as she struggles with her sexuality and living in a low-income home in Miami.

9780307455925_p0_v2_s1200x630.jpg

Americanah 

This novel, written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, traces the life of Ifemelu, a Nigerian woman who comes to America to attend university. She learns there what it means to be a black person in a racist society. 

unnamed.jpg

The Silence

Between Us

Alison Gervais traces the life of  Maya Harris, a deaf girl, as she adjusts to being in a hearing school for her senior year. She soon learns the disparity between the deaf community and those not a part of it. 

71pU4uXW4ZL.jpg

House Made

of Dawn

N. Scott Momaday’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel displays the nature of systemic discrimination against indigenous people through the story of Abel, a soldier returning to New Mexico after fighting in WWII.

718yF6fvkcL.jpg

The Fold

An Na tells the story of Joyce Park, a Korean-American high school junior learning to love her appearance and feel comfortable in her own skin. 

395040.jpg

The Bell Jar

This novel, written by Sylvia Plath, follows the breakdown of Esther Greenwood, a mentally ill college student striving to become a poet while battling societal norms.

9781974959303_400.jpg

All-American

Muslim Girl

This novel by Nadine Jolie Courtney traces the life of Alia “Allie” Abraham as she learns to be proud of her identity as a Muslim-American girl and to live in her two worlds together in harmony. 

9780545057332_p0_v1_s1200x630.jpg

Pinned

Award-winning author Sharon G. Flake tells the story of Autumn, who struggles with a learning disability, and wheelchair-bound Adonis. The two discover that their weaknesses can become vital assets that will change their lives for the better.

51c8g6tl36L.jpg

Color Me In

Natasha Díaz's novel tells the story of Nevaeh Levitz, a sixteen-year-old who must learn about her roots and her identity as half-Jewish, half-black woman.

bottom of page