Celebrating History

"Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.

When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.

But as Tessa checks each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?"

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Ms. Lester's Thoughts: This debut novel by Elise Bryant is so cute and sweet. Tessa's journey to find confidence in herself and to be okay with being vulnerable is so relatable, and I love that she learns to do that through being a Creative Writing student--a class I teach at DHS.

Elise Bryant wrote this novel for Black girls looking to see themselves in classic love stories, and this novel certainly delivers on this promise. This is a quick read that is immediately engaging, and the story will leave you wanting more (but you'll have to wait for 2022 for that)!

"Set against the stunning photographs of a talented young photographer from the projects, Our America evokes the unforgiving world of these two amazing young men, and their struggle to survive unrelenting tragedy. With a gift for clear-eyed journalism, they tell their own stories and others, including that of the death of Eric Morse, a five-year-old who was dropped to his death from the fourteenth floor of an Ida B. Wells apartment building by two other little boys.

Sometimes funny, often painful, but always charged with their dream of Our America, LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman reach out to grab your attention and break your heart."

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Kinslee's Thoughts: This books gives us a look into a life that some people could never imagine. It helps the readers comprehend how different life is based on race, gender, and social class. This book is a necessity to read if you are trying to understand human rights and the cycles of poverty.