Black by Popular Demand
Books by Black authors releasing each week!
Hope you all had a good long weekend! Find your next read at Olive Trees Books-n-Voices of Springfield, MA.
Happy Reading!
If My Hair Had a Voice
An ode to loving your hair and your culture, If My Hair Had a Voice follows a young Black girl as she grows from being disappointed in her natural hair to developing an amazed appreciation for the long history of Black hair. From blossoming floral motifs in celebration of spring to intricate braided codes for spreading revolutionary messages, she discovers that Black hair goes beyond simple adornment--it tells the story of a rich cultural history filled with diversity, resistance, artistry, and, of course, beauty. Backmatter explores the history of each hairstyle featured in the book.
(Children’s)'
I See Color
For fans of The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Little Leaders by Vashti Harrison, I See Color is a picture book that affirms people of color--of all shades--by celebrating their achievements and contributions to society.
Highlighting people such as Madonna Thunder Hawk, Basemah Atweh, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., incredible leaders are honored, seen, and heard on every page.
Part ode to an array of beautiful skin tones and part introduction to change-makers in history, this book is a perfect conversation starter for readers everywhere.
(Children’s)
Let Us March On!: James Weldon Johnson and the Silent Protest Parade
James Weldon Johnson was a man of words. He wrote "Lift Every Voice and Sing," a poem so uplifting and inspiring it became known as the Black national anthem. James was also a leader of the NAACP, and many people turned to him for advice in troubling times. And then was one of those times. White people were hurting Black people in scary and shocking ways.
(Children’s)
Summer on Highland Beach
In this awakening, spirited novel, Sunny Hostin celebrates family, friendship, and community and reminds us of the importance of the legacies of our collective past and finding one's way in the world.
Founded in the late 1800s by the son of Frederick Douglass, Highland Beach along the Chesapeake Bay is the oldest Black resort community in America. Inside this proud and secluded beach community of about 100 private homes is Olivia Jones's legacy.
But Oliva's legacy comes with thorns--intertwined are secrets of her aunt's death; a controlling grandmother who is determined to crush anyone or anything that will interfere with her son's political career; and a father who wants to rebuild the family he rejected decades ago.
In the midst of tense family drama, Olivia must decide if she wants to return to the beautiful life she's created in Sag Harbor--with the neighbors and wonderful man who've become central to her happiness--or finally achieve her dream of having a family and home to call her own in Highland Beach.
(Fiction)
Allow Me to Introduce Myself (Original)
Anuri Chinasa has had enough. And really, who can blame her? She was the unwilling star of her stepmother's social media empire before "momfluencers" were even a thing. For years, Ophelia documented every birthday, every skinned knee, every milestone and meltdown for millions of strangers to fawn over and pick apart.
Now, at twenty-five, Anuri is desperate to put her way-too-public past behind her and start living on her own terms. But it's not going so great. She can barely walk down the street without someone recognizing her, and the fraught relationship with her father has fallen apart. Then there's her PhD application (still unfinished) and her drinking problem (still going strong). When every detail of her childhood was so intensely scrutinized, how can she tell what she really wants?
Still, Ophelia is never far away and has made it clear she won't go down without a fight. With Noelle, Anuri's five-year-old half sister now being forced down the same path, Anuri discovers she has a new mission in life...
To take back control of the family narrative.
Through biting wit and heartfelt introspection, this darkly humorous story dives deep into the deceptive allure of a picture-perfect existence, the overexposure of children in social media and the excitement of self-discovery.
(Fiction)
