My Month of More "Colorful" Reading

29 days ago, I challenged myself to read only books written by or about people of color. This challenge was partly inspired by Black History Month, and partly due to a realization that since leaving my classroom in Baltimore, I had pretty much stopped looking for books that reflected the faces of "my" students.

I can almost guarantee that I would not have read most of these books without taking on this challenge, and boy-oh-boy would I have been missing out! In an effort to summarize this month of reading, here are a few awards and a few "similar interest groups" for quick reference.

Favorite YA Read of the Month: Tie between Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis and Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena (these two couldn't be more different, but I'll remember them both for a long, long time)

Favorite MG Read of the Month: The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani (love, love, love this book)

Favorite New-to-Me Author: Ashley Hope Perez - I thoroughly enjoyed What Can't Wait and am eagerly awaiting The Knife and the Butterfly. I can't help but feel a TFA bond with Ms. Perez and I'm so thankful that teachers like her exist!

Favorite Blast from the Past: American Girl - Cecile's New Orleans series

Favorite Illustrations: Heart and Soul - The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson (Abigail Halpin is pretty fabulous too, but Kadir Nelson's paintings were just breathtaking)


Favorite Book that Brad Pitt Should Turn into a Movie: Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams

Novels in Verse:
- Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
- The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle
- Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Contemporary Urban Fiction:
- Pull by B. A. Binns
- Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri (technically nonfiction)
- Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena
- What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez
- Carmen: An Urban Adaptation of the Opera by Walter Dean Myers
- 8th Grade Super-Zero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Books Featuring the Joe Lewis - Max Schmeling Fight:
- The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
- Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
- And I just got A Nation's Hope by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Kadir Nelson from the library yesterday. Wooooooo!

Good Conversations:
- C'mon Now: Is This Really Historical Fiction?
- C'Mon Now: Are Girls in Pretty Dresses Really the Problem?

Thank you all for joining me throughout this month's reading adventures! I love hearing your reactions and recommendations. Now let's all psych up for March and SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books!