8 Awesome Black Female Authors on the Books That Inspired Them
1/10It shouldn’t be as hard as it is to find a YA book written about black girls, by black girls, on the shelves. And 11-year-old Marley Dias shouldn't have to do all the work herself. Luckily, we’ve pulled together a list of black girl authors and their novels for you to check out. They’re sharing why what they do is so important, and the stories that made them believe they could grow up to become the authors they are today.
2/10Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
The story of a girl who’s allergic to everything and hasn’t left her house in 17 years. One day, a boy moves in next door that she’s certain she fall in love with…and even more certain that it’ll be a disaster when it happens.
"I think it is really important that people of color have a positive representation in media,” Nicola told us. “It’s crucial that everyone gets to see himself or herself as the hero of a story. How wonderful would it be if a book about, say, a young black girl magician — the ‘chosen one’ — became a huge bestseller? Imagine buying that action figure in Toys R Us. Imagine how it would make little black girls feel? There are so few representations of them as the heroine. It would also make non-black girls know that little black girls can be heroines too."
The Book That Inspired Her: "The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. That book holds an unshakeable place in my heart, not just because it’s brilliant, but also because I saw someone who looked like me for the first time. It made me know that girls like me had stories worth telling."
3/10The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
In this humorous collection of essays, Issa Rae recalls what life was like growing up as an awkward introvert in a world where Black people are regarded as cool or hip.
“I think it's important to understand that just because a black woman wrote it, doesn't mean you won't be able to relate to it if you're not black,” Issa said. “It's so easy to feel like your own experience is everyone's universal experience, but it's not. We come up through the educational system reading a canon of literature from lots of white men and some white women — and while some of these books are great, they're so limited in their view of America and the world. It wasn't until I got to college and started my own reading of the work of black women that I truly felt that my horizons had broadened
The Book That Inspired Her: “Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. I just remember wanting to uplift the main character, Pecola, and tell her so many of the words that I needed to tell myself at the time. It was such a tragic book and it made me realize how ridiculous trying to achieve European standards of beauty could be.”
P.S. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl releases in paperback next month!
4/10Tiny, Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton
In the novel described as Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars, the three main, diverse characters in this series will do anything to excel at their elite, private ballet school.
“It's important for readers to seek stories and characters that open up new experiences and perspectives because reading the same iterations of the world can keep it small and expected,” Dhonielle said.
The Book That Inspired Her: "Virginia Hamilton's Cousins. I loved seeing a family like mine on the page, hearing dialogue peppered with words and sayings honeyed by the south, and recognizing a kick ass heroine who looked like me."
5/10This Side of Home by Renee Watson
College-bound identical twins Nikki and Maya explore the effects of gentrification in their neighborhood. Nikki is thrilled, while Maya feels like their home is disappearing.
"Black girls are often misunderstood, underrepresented, or in a lot of cases invisible,” Renee told us. “Literature that tells stories from the perspective of young black girls gives an opportunity for our stories to be heard, for us to be seen in ways that hopefully create fuller, more nuanced pictures than the stereotypes we’re so often boxed in.”
The Book That Inspired Her: "Two books deeply resonated with me as a child: The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary because I was reading books with streets that were streets in my hometown, and the book that forever changed me was House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Both of these books gave me, as a writer, permission to write my truth, to write about the beauty and horror of places I love. They showed me that female characters can be unconventional, ask bold questions, and have bold dreams."
6/10Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
In this New York Times Bestseller, Amari goes from being engaged to the most handsome man in her tribe, to having her entire family murdered by slave traders and being sold to a plantation owner in the Carolinas as a birthday present.
“I love books with black characters because I can often identify with the glory or the drama or the social history of the story,” Sharon explained. “It wasn’t really until my senior year of college that I discovered and studied authors of color. Children today need to see themselves in the books they read.”
The Book That Inspired Her: “By the time I finished elementary school, I had read every single book on the children’s side of the library, so I doubt if one single book stands out. My favorite teen author is Jacqueline Woodson.”
7/10Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
In this National Book Award-winning book of poetry, Jacqueline shares what life was like growing up in the 1960s and 70s in South Carolina, with the remnants of Jim Crow still lingering.
"I think it’s so important for readers to see mirrors of themselves in books AND to see that the people who wrote the books look like them, so that they can understand their own power and ability,” she said. “Before discovering Mildred Taylor, Virginia Hamilton, and Rose Guy, I read too many books about people of color written by white people. I got the message that I’d have to find a white person to tell my story to in order to get it out into the world. That’s a very dangerous message for a young kid of color — that who you are and what you want to be is not legitimized through your story out in the world."
The Book that Inspired Her: “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I was asked to write the forward to the anniversary edition and it makes it feel as though Ms. Tayor’s gift has come full circle. She gave me the roadmap for writing stories about Black Experiences through the eyes of black and brown girls and now, here I am, writing the forward in the book that pointed me on this journey!"
8/10Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
Zephyr is content with living life as a normal human and not the half-god assassin that she is. That is, until her sister is killed and she is forced to use a forbidden dark power.
"It is so, so, so important for black girls to see themselves as more than a maid or a hooker or a sexy rival or a supportive best friend,” Justina points out. “Books that are written by black women and feature black girls as main characters demonstrate that black women are capable, that we can be heroes. The more stories there are that feature black girls taking center stage, the more likely girls are to grow up knowing they can do more, regardless of what a few in society may believe."
The Book that Inspired Her: "Brandy Colbert's Pointe. It was the first time I read a book and thought 'This writer gets it!' Of course, there were other books I read with black girls featured, but this was the first time I'd read a book and saw a black girl as the star of the story, as someone more than either a rival for the white main character or as a sassy best friend."
9/10Pointe by Brandy Colbert
Theo is well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her friend Donovan comes home after years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction. Theo knows she didn't do anything wrong, but she knows talking about what happened might put herself at risk, and keeping quiet might make matters even worse.
"I had a lot of trouble finding books written about black girls when I was growing up,” Brandy says. “In fact, I can't think of any from that time, and black authors weren't so easy to find, either. I can't help but think that if there were more books written by black authors, we could squash the incorrect (but still widespread) assumption that there is only one way to 'be black.'"
The Book that Inspired Her: “I read Toni Morrison's Sula in a college literature class, and I've always had a strong love for that book. I don't know how much I identified with the characters themselves, but it was the first novel I remember reading that unapologetically explored the inner lives and friendships of black girls and women, and that made a large impact on me.”
