african americans

Seventeen-year-old Maverick "Mav" Carter begins dealing drugs for the King Lords as a way to help support his family while his father is in jail. When he learns that his girlfriend is pregnant, his focus shifts and he tries to make a clean break from drug dealing. However, a loved one's murder makes it difficult to forget his old ties, and he must figure out for himself the meaning of loyalty, manhood, and responsibility.

"Briseis races to save her family even as she discovers more about their ties to ancient goddesses and deadly curses"--Provided by publisher.

After meeting his mysterious aunt Pilate, whom his father warns is a bad influence, a young African-American man named Macon "Milkman" Dead III leaves his rich, cold home in 1950s Michigan in search of his roots.

Poet Maya Angelou chronicles her early life, focusing on her childhood in 1930s rural Arkansas, including her rape at the age of five, her subsequent years of muteness, and the strength she gained from her grandmother and Mrs. Bertha Flowers, a respected African-American woman in her town.

Before there was Mufasa...Before there was Darth Vader... There was a young boy names James Earl Jones, who spoke with a stutter and dreaded having to talk in class. Whenever James tried to voice his thoughts, his words got stuck in his throat. But James figured out a solution for his shame: if he didn't speak, he wouldn't stutter. And so he was silent...until he wrote his own poem, Ode to Grapefruit, and found a love for poetry. Lyrical text, stunning art, and compelling backmatter about stuttering pair together for a remarkable picture book about how a boy who refused to speak for eight years learned to manage his stutter through poetry--and grew up to become an EGOT-winning performer with a voice few could forget.

"Describes the life and work of Lonnie Johnson, the inventor of the Super Soaker squirt gun"--Provided by publisher.

Ryan, a cheerful fourth-grader from Portland, Oregon, tries to look on the bright side of every difficulty life throws at her, including having a name that's typically a boy's name. When her father loses his job, they have to move to a smaller house and sell their second car. Ryan is sometimes sad, especially when she botches a well-practiced speech, but with her family and friends supporting her, she finds ways to make sunshine in her life.

Looks at the life of professional basketball player Kevin Durant.

Simple text and photographs offer a brief biography of Olympic gymnast Simone biles.

An illustrated biography introducing students to the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., discussing his childhood, schooling, beliefs, role in the civil rights movement, and other related topics.