Lea’s Top 5 New Releases, in no particular order
1. Of One Blood by Pauline Hopkins
The Description:
A mixed-race Harvard medical student stumbles upon a hidden Ethiopian city, the inhabitants of which possess both advanced technologies and mystical powers.
Long before Marvel Comics gave us Wakanda, a high-tech African country that has never been colonized, this 1903 novel gave readers Reuel Briggs—a mixed-race Harvard medical student, passing as white, who stumbles upon Telassar. In this long-hidden Ethiopian city, the wise, peaceful inhabitants of which possess both advanced technologies and mystical powers, Reuel discovers the incredible secret of his own birth. Now, he must decide whether to return to the life he’s built, and the woman he loves, back in America—or play a role in helping Telassar take its rightful place on the world stage. Considered one of the earliest articulations of Black internationalism, Of One Blood takes as its theme the notion that race is a social construct perpetuated by racists.
Lea Says:
“I think this qualifies as a classic. It’s been overlooked by the mainstream. Y’all probably shouldn’t repeat that mistake.”
2. Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America by Jason Reid
The Description:
A compulsively readable sports narrative by senior NFL writer for ESPN’s The Undefeated (now Andscape), Jason Reid, chronicling both the history of Black players in the NFL, such as Warren Moon, and the recent careers of groundbreaking Black quarterbacks, including Colin Kaepernick.
In September 2019, ESPN’s The Undefeated website (now Andscape) began a season-long series of articles on the emergence of Black quarterbacks in the NFL. The first article in the series was Jason Reid’s enormously popular, “Welcome to the Year of the Black Quarterback.” The series culminated with an hour-long television program in February 2020, hosted by Reid himself. The Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America will expand on Reid’s piece—as well as the entire series—and chronicle the shameful history of the treatment of Black players in the NFL and the breakout careers of a thrilling new generation of Black quarterbacks. Intimate portraits of Colin Kaepernick, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray feature prominently in the book, as well as the careers and legacy of beloved NFL players such as Doug Williams and trailblazing pioneers Marlin Briscoe and Eldridge Dickey. Reid delves deeply into the culture war ignited by Kaepernick’s peaceful protest that shone a light on systemic oppression and police brutality. Fascinating and timely, this page-turning account will rivet fans of sports, cultural commentary, and Black history in America.
Lea Says:
“I would have been suspicious of that whole Kyler Murray independent study clause regardless of whether I’d read this book first. The NFL has come a long way since the days when Warren Moon had to take that rocket-launcher he had for a throwing arm (and his football IQ, which was similar to Peyton Manning‘s) to Canada because the NFL was biased. It still has a ways to go.”
3. Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak
The Description:
“A powerful, engrossing story of a biracial heiress who escapes to Paris when the Haitian Revolution burns across her island home. But as she works her way into the inner circle of Robespierre and his mistress, she learns that not even oceans can stop the flames of revolution.
Sylvie de Rosiers, as the daughter of a rich planter and an enslaved woman, enjoys the comforts of a lady in 1791 Saint-Domingue society. But while she was born to privilege, she is never fully accepted by island elites. After a violent rebellion begins the Haitian Revolution, Sylvie and her brother leave their family and old lives behind to flee unwittingly into another uprising—in austere and radical Paris. Sylvie quickly becomes enamored with the aims of the Revolution, as well as with the revolutionaries themselves—most notably Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress, Cornélie Duplay.
As a rising leader and abolitionist, Robespierre sees an opportunity to exploit Sylvie’s race and abandonment of her aristocratic roots as an example of his ideals, while the strong-willed Cornélie offers Sylvie safe harbor and guidance in free thought. Sylvie battles with her past complicity in a slave society and her future within this new world order as she finds herself increasingly torn between Robespierre’s ideology and Cornélie’s love.
When the Reign of Terror descends, Sylvie must decide whether to become an accomplice while a new empire rises on the bones of innocents…or risk losing her head.”
Lea says:
“I’m selective about historical fiction, but I’ve really been on a roll with them this summer. This is one of a set of Haiti-related books I’ve really liked this year.”
4. Truth Has a Power of Its Own: Conversations About A People’s History by Howard Zinn with Ray Suarez
The Description:
“American history told from the bottom up by Howard Zinn himself—and the perfect all-ages introduction to his eye-opening viewpoint, published on Zinn’s hundredth birthday
Truth Has a Power of Its Own is an engrossing collection of conversations with the late Howard Zinn and “an eloquently hopeful introduction for those who haven’t yet encountered Zinn’s work” (Booklist). Here is an unvarnished, yet ultimately optimistic, tour of American history—told by someone who was often an active participant in it.”
Lea Says:
“It’s always good to get more insight into the perspective and life experiences of the authors of the books we read. I know that everyone is fed up with buzzwords like ‘lens’….well, I’m fed up with it….My point is that reading about the life experiences of an author helps you understand the context and motivation for what they’re writing. ‘A People’s History’ is a modern-day history classic and I think this book helps provide the context and maybe a healthy amount of debunking about Howard Zinn.”
5. How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez
The Description:
With humor and heart, debut author Cristina Fernandez tells a wholly original origin story, proving that you don’t need a superpower to be the hero in this romantic coming-of-age story about growing up, falling in love, and surviving life—all set in the world of superheroes.
Falling for a superhero is dangerous. You have to trust that they’ll catch you.
Astrid isn’t a superhero, not like the ones she sees on the news, but she has something she thinks of as a small superpower: she has a perfect sense of time. And she’s not going to waste a single second.
Her plan for college is clear—friends, classes, and extracurriculars all carefully selected to get her into medical school.
Until Max Martin, a nerdy boy from her high school, crashes back into her life. Things with Max were never simple, and he doesn’t keep to her schedule. He disappears in the middle of dates and cancels at the last minute with stupid excuses.
When a supervillain breaks into her bedroom one night, Astrid has to face the facts: her boyfriend, Max Martin, is a superhero. Double-majoring as a premed was hard, but now Astrid will have to balance a double life. This wasn’t part of her plan.
Lea Says:
“This is a fun, romantic book. I do a lot of serious reading, so I look forward to books that are as entertaining as the Harlequin novels I read when I was younger but with a more modern approach. The part of me that grew up reading comic books approves, too.”
Honorable Mentions:
Booked: The Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dawud Anyanwile
Lea Says:
“The chapter book version of ‘Booked’ is great. The graphic novel is also great. If you read this next to the original, you can really see how a graphic novel is its own artform and is a great way to bring out nuance in storytelling.”
I Want to Be Mad for a While! by Barney Saltzberg
Lea Says:
“This is a great way to teach kids that anger is a natural emotion and how to work through their feelings appropriately.”
Stand Up!: 10 Mighty Women Who Made a Change by Brittney Cooper, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson
Lea Says:
“Kids need to read about role models regardless of gender. The history books haven’t quite gotten to the point where we can say that the representation is equal or fair. This book gets us one step closer.”
