Grades 9 – 12
Moderated by Lauren Odom, librarian at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center.
Christina Hammonds Reed’s The Black Kids explores issues of race, class, and violence through the eyes of a wealthy Black teenager in L.A. whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots. Tiffany D. Jackson‘s Grown, a riveting, ripped-from-the-headlines mystery, explores some of the horrific secrets hiding behind the limelight and embraces the power of a young woman’s voice. When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields?
Note: Grown explores mature and explicit themes in examining an abusive, age-inappropriate relationship.