In Crush, three of today's hottest romance authors offer tempting tales about crushes that compel women to risk it all for love. "Wanted: You" by Lutishia Lovely features a man receiving erotic letters at his place of employment that shock his assistant. In "White Mocha" by Michele Grant, a woman who's normally conservative about romance gets all fired up after enjoying an eyeful of a handsome coffee shop owner. And Cydney Rax's "From One Lover to Another" stars a woman who shows her bad-g...

Best Children's Books of the Year—Bank Street College of EducationCCBC Choices—Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)The inspiring biography of Ira Aldridge, a Black actor who overcame racism to become one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the nineteenth century.Ira Aldridge dreamed of being on stage one day and performing the great works of William Shakespeare. He spent every chance he had at the local the...

When two outlaw lovers from opposite sides of the war face off, their second chance at happily ever after will come at a cost only one crime king and queen pin are willing to pay.Empress reigns as 1930’s Chicago’s cunning Queen Pin, yet sultry Dulce Ella Monroe still longs for freedom from oppression her criminal empire provides. But when rivals threaten all that the influential and glamorous Empress built, her last hope of defense walks through the door in sharp-s...

PEN/Jean Stein AwardCarnegie MedalA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe acclaimed debut collection from the author of Chain Gang All Stars; a piercingly raw and, at times, heartbreakingly satirical look at what it’s like to be young and Black in America.From the start of this extraordinary debut, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s writing will grab you, haunt you, enrage and invigorate you. By placing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations, Adjei-Brenyah reveals the...

In an unforgettable portrait of Southern scheming, greed, and brutality a high-end criminal turned suburban mom in hiding must fight against the dangerous fallout from her corrupt past and escape a calculated enemy hell-bent on revenge.She was once the best luxury car thief in the game. But Ava Frost paid a high price when her children were stolen. Forced to confront her ruthless ex-boss, Nick, she uncovered his devious silent partner in the kidnapping: her seeming...

★ Publishers Weekly**, starred review**★ Booklist**, starred review**This riveting found poem for kids based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Street Sweeper” speech is creatively interpreted in this nonfiction book written by acclaimed author Alice Faye Duncan.In a speech delivered in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provided his young audience with life lessons:• You count.• Black is b...

What happens to fraternal love when identical twins stop being identical? To romantic love when indiscretions done in the dark have a secret witness? What happens to a family when the love that binds also strangles? Inspired by Egyptian mythology and young America’s coming-of-age story, AMERICUS follows the lives of rambunctious identical twins Asar and Set Americus. After Set contracts vitiligo (a skin disease that fades body pigmentation in patches), he goes from family favorite...

A singular and powerful debut novel about a young black American learning the difficulties of forming your own identity when society has already assigned you one.Like most recent college graduates, Jonah Winters is unsure of what’s next. A young black American raised in France and living in New York City, he tries on a couple of careers only to find that nothing feels right. And as Jonah struggles toenvision his future, he feels pressured by his friends and family to put the...

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor BookJust when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this “vivid, satisfying, and ultimately upbeat tale of grief, redemption, and grace” (Kirkus Reviews) from the Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe A...

Now a BET+ Original Movie directed by Robin Givens!Do family, faith—and fame—go together? In this captivating novel from award-winning author Tiffany L. Warren, two brothers reach for the stars, but are they prepared for a fall?They’re handsome, smart, and musically gifted. Brothers Camden and Blaine Wilson have put their talents together and founded a gospel group. The quieter one, Camden, is the songwriter, while charismatic Blaine is the performer. At first, their Revere...

The barbershop is where the magic happens. Boys go in as lumps of clay and, with princely robes draped around their shoulders, a dab of cool shaving cream on their foreheads, and a slow, steady cut, they become royalty. That crisp yet subtle line makes boys sharper, more visible, more aware of every great thing that could happen to them when they look good: lesser grades turn into As; girls take notice; even a mother's hug gets a little tighter. Everyone notices. A fresh cut makes boys fly...

A cursed immortal battles his demons and the nefarious beings of the living dead once his whereabouts are discovered, igniting a war against all of mankind in this spine-tingling, supernatural thriller.Born with a gift that is more of a curse than a blessing, Jefferarri is an immortal who battles his internal demons and the external forces around him. At a tender age, the orphaned youth is adopted by his grandparents, with the blessings of the government, for his protection and a b...