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- PRE-ORDER: American Nightmare: A Novel
PRE-ORDER: American Nightmare: A Novel
$29.00In this haunting historical novel, a light-skinned Black man goes undercover to investigate lynchings in the Jim Crow South, only to be confronted by the very evil that has pursued him since childhood.
Clark Wendell White first encountered the Nightmare as a child during the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906, when he and his father stood guard over their family home. In the eyes of the mob surging through his neighborhood, Clark sensed this malevolent presence. It was then that the Nightmare took shape, burrowing deep into his mind and feeding on his fear.
Years later, the same evil presence drives Clark to the NAACP's headquarters in New York City, where he answers an ad seeking light-skinned Black men for dangerous undercover work. As a spy for the NAACP, Clark investigates lynchings, impersonating the very Nightmare that once tormented him.
As Clark descends deeper into this double life, another force rises: a new chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, finding a foothold in the storied streets of New York City. Among its eager recruits is Sam Cahill—the one man who can see past his disguise. Now Clark must outwit both the living and the dead, as he confronts a past that refuses to stay buried and a future where the act of passing exacts a soul-deep price.
Inspired by the life of civil rights activist Walter White, who passed as a white man to expose the brutality of lynchings from the South to the Midwest, American Nightmare is a gripping historical thriller that reveals the most terrifying monsters aren't those that go bump in the night but those that walk among us.
- PRE-ORDER: Jesse Jackson: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations (The Last Interview Series)
PRE-ORDER: Jesse Jackson: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations (The Last Interview Series)
$20.99"My clothes are different, my face is different, my hair is different, but I am somebody. I am black, brown, white. I speak a different language. But I must be respected, protected, never rejected. I am God’s child. I am somebody.” —Jesse Jackson
Few figures loom as large as Reverend Jesse Jackson in the history of American civil rights. From marching in the 1960s with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to forming the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, to his historic presidential campaigns, Jesse Jackson spent his life at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and NAACP Spingarn Medal, Jackson is undoubtedly one of the most consequential figures in the nation's history.
Collected here are rare and previously uncollected interviews with magazines, newspapers, and television broadcasts. In them, Jackson talks of his work with Dr. King, and the tragic night when he was killed. He addresses the economic deregulation of the 1970s, how it translated to tax cuts for the wealthy but few benefits for the poor and underrepresented. He tells of his own presidential campaigns and, with the political rise of Barack Obama, anticipates the election of the country's first Black president. From these brief glimpses emerges a picture of a man of moral purpose, who taught us that the only justification to look down on someone is to stop and pick them up.
- PRE-ORDER: David's Diary #3: The Big Bully
PRE-ORDER: David's Diary #3: The Big Bully
$8.99Precocious nine-year-old David Jesse King confronts a new kid in school who turns out to be a bully in this hilarious, highly illustrated chapter book series from bestselling author Bunmi Laditan.
David can't wait to show everyone at school what he got for Christmas! It’s the iRobotic 3005—a calculator, digital video and voice recorder, and electronic encyclopedia packed with more than 50,000 fun facts!
But things take a turn when the new kid, Greg Putnam, sets his eyes on David’s cherished new gift. Will David find a way to deal with Greg's bullying on his own? Or will being Greg's number-one target keep David trembling in fear?
With its engaging narrative, told through delightful diary entries and charming illustrations, The Big Bully explores ways young readers can stand up against bullying with courage while leaving room for forgiveness.
And don't miss the first two books in the series: The Summer Camp Disaster and The Science Fair Sabotage.
- PRE-ORDER: Jackson Alone
PRE-ORDER: Jackson Alone
$18.99Four Black Japanese gay men team up against a culture where discrimination is deep-seated and revenge is just a click away. A searing, darkly funny debut from the Akutagawa Prize–winning author.
Nobody at the corporate offices of Athletius Japan knows much about the massage therapist Jackson—but rumors abound. He used to work as a model. He likes to party. He’s mixed race—half-Japanese, half-somewhere-in-Africa-n. He might be gay. Fueling the gossip is the sudden appearance of a violent pornographic video featuring a man who looks a lot like Jackson.
When Jackson serendipitously meets three other queer mixed-race guys, he learns he’s not the only one being targeted. Together they concoct a plan: find out who’s responsible and, in the meantime, switch identities and play tricks on people—a boyfriend, a boss—who’ve wronged them, exploiting the fact that nobody can seem to tell them apart.
A short, blistering gut punch of a novel, Jackson Alone is at turns satirical and deadpan, angry and tender—a frank exploration of identity, race, queerness, and discrimination in contemporary Japan that announces Jose Ando as a singular new talent in the global literary scene.
- PRE-ORDER: Friends and Family: A Novel
PRE-ORDER: Friends and Family: A Novel
$30.00From the author of Queen Sugar, a piercing examination of friendship and loyalty as two best friends find themselves at odds over their beliefs on race, identity and allyship, especially when it comes to their teenage children
Babs and Nora became friends thanks to their kids. Now, the desire to protect their children might tear them apart.
Babs and Nora have spent a decade’s worth of morning walks sharing family secrets, local drama, and advice—everything from tips on lingerie choices to Babs’s suggestions to Nora, a white woman, on how to raise Nathan, her adopted Black son.
But their worlds are turned upside down when the cops are called on their kids while they’re home alone, leading to a traumatic police encounter for Nathan. In the aftermath, Babs and Nora find themselves divided as never before, and Nathan looks for refuge with Babs and her family, where, unlike in his own home, race, identity, and culture are always up for discussion. Babs can see that Nathan is a young Black man without community trying to find himself. Torn between respecting Nora’s boundaries and embodying the values so important to her own family, Babs will make a choice that will shape their lives forever.
Set in a tight-knit enclave in the Bay Area, Friends and Family is an eye-opening exploration of friendship and privilege, race and community, and what it means to truly be a good friend and ally.
- PRE-ORDER: Jax Freeman and the Graveyard Forest
PRE-ORDER: Jax Freeman and the Graveyard Forest
$18.99Don't miss the epic conclusion to the Jax Freeman trilogy!
From the award-winning author of the best-selling Tristan Strong trilogy comes a unique magic-school fantasy series packed with Black history, ghosts, friendship, non-stop action, and a lot of heart.
In his first adventure in this series, seventh grader Jackson "Jax" Freeman learned that he's a summoner—someone who can call on the magical powers of his ancestors—and tries to clear his great-great grandfather’s name of a tragedy he didn’t cause. In his second adventure, Jax tests his newfound skills in a tournament against the most skilled summoners in the world while facing a mysterious foe and dangerous cryptids.
In his final adventure, Jax sets out on a secret journey into the spirit realm to rescue his friend Two-Saint. But he unknowingly plays into the hands of the dreaded Wraith Queen who uses this event to escape the spirit world in an effort to defeat Jax for good.
Follow Jax as he discovers what it truly means to form a community and that home is where you choose to plant roots.
- PRE-ORDER: Violet Goes Voting (Step into Reading, Step 2)
PRE-ORDER: Violet Goes Voting (Step into Reading, Step 2)
$5.99Come along with young Violet as she accompanies her parents as they go to vote in this Step 2 leveled reader, perfect for kids ages 4-6!
Violet is excited to go on a big adventure with her parents. They are walking to her school to vote and make their voices heard. On the walk there, they see friends and neighbors from their community. Violet learns more about Black History and Civil Rights. She is proud when the time comes for her parents to vote, and she gets to come in the voting booth for the very first time! Violet can't wait to vote one day, too.
Step 2 readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. They are perfect for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.
- PRE-ORDER: May a Divine Awaken (The Divine Awakens Series)
PRE-ORDER: May a Divine Awaken (The Divine Awakens Series)
$21.99In the first book of a heart-pounding new YA fantasy series, an orphaned teen is thrust into a divine war—and must decide whether awakening his true powers is worth risking his soul.
For sixteen-year-old Marcus Azure, the unusual blemishes on his skin have always made him feel insecure and unwanted. Orphaned at a young age, stares and whispers incite rumors of him being cursed. But all Marcus wants is to gain respect as a worthy soldier and a protector for his land.
Hoping to gain acceptance and silence the rumors, Marcus competes for a coveted spot in the Land of Aypha’s elite military. Before Marcus can earn his place, a mysterious group of assassins incinerate his village, destroying all he knew. On his own once again, Marcus’s quest for answers takes him on a journey across new lands where he discovers his world is ruled by Divines—powerful warriors with abilities to manipulate metals, harness the wind, and control the shape of water. As Marcus plunges deeper into the Divine world, he encounters the former Queen of the Aminas, Sinclair Bonet. She reveals the attack on his land is tied to something far worse. A war across the eight Divine Lands of Pyris is coming. If Marcus and others are to survive, he’ll need to awaken a secret yet volatile power within him.
As the battle rages closer and secrets unravel, Marcus must confront the truth of whether the blemishes he was shunned for are truly a curse or a sign of something greater.
- PRE-ORDER: Roots of Madness
PRE-ORDER: Roots of Madness
$19.99When traditional remedies meet a new frontier of science — can long kept family secrets help the world, or doom us all to cosmic oblivion?
In a terrifying body horror reimagining of Madam CJ Walker’s life, Etta Knight must break a generational curse or succumb to the maw of madness!
At the turn of the 20th century, a young Black woman named Etta Knight picks up the tradition of her late mother for creating special medicines using natural ingredients and secrets passed down from generation to generation. Her mother has passed on a book of recipes and formulas, but it’s also full of strange symbols and dark musings that she doesn’t quite understand. Within her community, one of the problems she hopes to fix is counteracting the poisonous and abrasive solutions women of color are sold for straightening her hair.
So, when the Meridian Fellowship reaches out and offers her a spot at their institute in Savannah, GA, to use their facilities to do her research, Etta jumps at the chance. She packs up her mother’s book and heads to the school, but what she finds there is a secret society and a campus surrounded by natural wonders that may point the way to understanding the more mysterious parts of her mother’s work…if dark forces don’t claim her first.
Inspired by the life of Madame CJ Walker, this alternate history combines tradition with the supernatural for something truly modern and unique.
This volume collects issues 1-6 of Roots of Madness.
- PRE-ORDER: Blackness Thirteen Ways: Art, Life, & the Revisions of a Mulatta Lesbian
PRE-ORDER: Blackness Thirteen Ways: Art, Life, & the Revisions of a Mulatta Lesbian
$32.00The art historian, poet, and novelist close-reads images, moving and still, canonical and lesser known, that have shaped her evolving identity as an American “Mulatta” lesbian born at the end of the Civil Rights Movement in this singular blend of life-writing and cultural studies.
The daughter of the WASP mother who raised her and a Black father she has never known, J. Vanessa Lyon delivers a candid memoir across thirteen uniquely structured chapters in conversation with enduring, often damaging, mis/representations of so-called race mixing in fine art and popular media. Reflecting on a lifetime of being “dis-read,” she examines insidious cultural tropes of White passing beginning with art from the era of transatlantic slavery—from Rembrandt and Rubens, Gentileschi and Stubbs, to Manet—before moving on to Br’er Rabbit, Louise Nevelson, 1950s melodrama, and Adrian Piper. Original analysis of a broad chronological range of visual art parallels the unfolding of Lyon’s sense of self as animated by the interiors and geographies—not to mention the challenging and remarkable women—that have figured in her life. Through her investigations, she comes to terms with long-withheld information and the seemingly unalterable reality of being an out lesbian who, legally Black, may never be viewed by Whites or other African Americans in the ways she experiences her own raced and gendered personhood.
By turns scholarly and intimate, Blackness Thirteen Ways reveals surprising connections between the art Lyon teaches and the woman she has become, challenging history to accommodate an unapologetic image of herself and other “impassably” Black women.
- PRE-ORDER: The Turning of Sally-Mae
PRE-ORDER: The Turning of Sally-Mae
$18.99A historical African-Wild West horror story of supernatural vengeance and terrifying occultic magic from the winner of the Bram Stoker Award® for Lifetime Achievement. Two fearsome deities battle each other for the souls of white twins destined to either bring vengeful devastation or salvation to their community in Texas, USA, for a great injustice done to their mother.
When Sally-Mae Jenkins is violated and impregnated by the twin scions of a wealthy rancher, she’s sent to join the African missionary ship as a widow. Pregnant and terrified, Sally-Mae vows vengeance on all those who abused her and her family.
Amara is a young woman with the body and face of an old hag. The village outcast, Amara can ‘eat’ the diseases ravaging the villagers and cure the most deadly ailments. But her powers drain her youth and her strength and the only help she has is the fearsome entity that claimed her soul, the spirit known as Aja-Mmọ, the death-giver and physician of the dead.
When Sally-Mae arrives in Amara’s village, her unborn twins become the focus of both the Python-Goddess, Asata, who wants the twins dead, and Aja-Mmọ, who wants the twins alive in her service, just like Amara. And suddenly, Sally-Mae finds the boys, with their unearthly and fearsome powers, have become the weapons of her vengeance against the unsuspecting citizens of her home town back in Texas….
A gripping tale of supernatural horror, bitter revenge and battling deities, suffused with Onoh’s trademark thrilling storytelling, wit and dark humor.
- PRE-ORDER: Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave
PRE-ORDER: Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave
$8.99Abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, a girl who can see and smell the supernatural must solve the mystery of a priceless heirloom stolen from her family's business. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Wednesday and Beetlejuice!
"A new middle grade heroine you’re going to love."—BookRiot
AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE • A BRAM STOKER AWARD NOMINEE
13-year-old Mystery—who was abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home—is plagued by sleep paralysis and the smell of ghosts, but she's used to that. Even though her life might seem "strange" on the outside, she loves it.
That is until a priceless heirloom goes missing and her family's funeral home is in danger of being shut down. To clear her Tia's good name, Mystery embarks on an adventure to figure out what really happened to the misplaced necklace.
But to do so, she must contend with the angry patriarch of the town’s wealthiest family, a sleep paralysis demon, a graverobber, and the ghastly half-vampire, half-ghost that’s lurking in the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery.
- PRE-ORDER: My Neighborhood
PRE-ORDER: My Neighborhood
$18.99A vibrant and lyrical picture book that follows two brothers on a journey through their inner-city neighborhood, showing off the beauty and life lessons to be found within.
My neighborhood ain't perfect, but it’s more than flashing lights seen on the six o’clock news.
Follow a young boy as he explores his neighborhood hand-in-hand with his older brother, Trevor. They share handshakes on the sidewalk, laughter at the skate park, wisdom at the chess tables, rhythm in the dance circle, and kindness at the corner store. With each step, this lyrical picture book radiates the sounds, gestures, and bonds that make a neighborhood more than just a place to live--that make it a home.
Pulsing with rhythm and swagger, Delano Brown’s rich text and Briana Mukodiri Uchendu’s beautiful illustrations capture the heart of an urban neighborhood and the relationships that bring it to life.
- PRE-ORDER: A Princess Is a Princess
PRE-ORDER: A Princess Is a Princess
$18.99Created by Anika Noni Rose, award-winning singer, actress, and voice of Disney Princess Tiana, this heartwarming picture book celebrates princesses of all identities, abilities, and dreams—because what makes a princess is staying true to being royally you.
A princess is a princess no matter the time of day.
A princess is a princess no matter what they say.Her worth isn’t measured by the size of her crown.
Even if she's acting silly or her smile is upside down.Whether feeling grumpy or joyful, playful or peaceful—this story, with its empowering text and stunning illustrations—is here to assure readers and princesses of all ages, sizes, colors, and abilities that they deserve to feel seen, celebrated, and royally loved.
- PRE-ORDER: Two Can Play That Game
PRE-ORDER: Two Can Play That Game
$20.00After a chance courtside encounter, a fake relationship between a rising influencer and a WNBA star gets a little too real in this swoony sapphic romance.
Chelsea has never cared about sports. But when she’s invited to sit courtside at a New York WNBA game, she welcomes the break from her usual routine. What she doesn’t expect is a basketball nearly colliding with her face—or the six-foot-four hottie who jogs over, flashing a heart-stopping grin, to retrieve it.
Adrienne “AD” Daniels is a player on and off the court, notorious for their inability to stay in a relationship. Still, something about Chelsea sticks with them—even though their instant connection can’t bring AD to offer more than one night.
But AD’s agent makes a pitch: Chelsea should pretend to be AD’s girlfriend. It’s a strategic move. AD, hoping to retire after this season, needs to lock down some brand deals—but their identity as a Black, nonbinary lesbian with a messy dating history makes sponsors wary. Chelsea, a sex-positive influencer, is ready to pivot her platform, and this feels like the perfect next step. With Chelsea’s network and AD’s star power, they could both strengthen their public images. Once the season ends, they’ll go their separate ways.
As the ruse starts to work and their connection deepens, Chelsea finds herself on unsteady ground. Falling for AD wasn’t part of the plan, and if she lets herself get too close, she might lose the future she’s finally starting to build.
- PRE-ORDER: Habila: A Novel
PRE-ORDER: Habila: A Novel
$30.00From the acclaimed author of She Would Be King, a dazzling and daring work of magical realism that weaves through the lives of a Liberian immigrant family and the water goddess who haunts them
In this ambitious new novel, the bestselling and prize-winning writer Way�tu Moore delivers us into the lives of a young girl, Melanctha, and her family amid the loss of their patriarch, Tokpa. They relocate from Liberia to the backwater town of Hunt, Texas, a land that proves hostile to them—until one day, a school bully pushes Melanctha into a lake, and she finds that she can breathe underwater. Melanctha discovers that her newfound ability comes from Habila, a gorgeous, beguiling half woman, half sea deity who bestows on her a gift: a comb that, if touched, can lure people into the water and make them disappear for good.
But Melanctha’s power has not come without a price. Habila has languished alone for millennia, blaming men for her loneliness. She harbors a hatred so potent that she has committed her existence to ridding the world of them. As Melanctha’s ties to Habila deepen, a family mystery unravels, and Melanctha learns that the siren may have secrets, too.
Inspired by the African legend of Mami Wata, Habila is a kaleidoscopic tale tracing a family and a woman through the years as they navigate supernatural forces and long-buried truths. In lush, lyrical prose, Moore crafts an elegant story that probes the corners of womanhood and motherhood, immigrant identity, and the legacies wrought by men who take but never give back.
- PRE-ORDER: Fearless Freedom: A Manifesto for Unlocking Wealth and Equality for All
PRE-ORDER: Fearless Freedom: A Manifesto for Unlocking Wealth and Equality for All
$31.00An upcoming book to be published by Penguin Random House.
- PRE-ORDER: That You Are Here Is No Small Thing
PRE-ORDER: That You Are Here Is No Small Thing
$18.99A stunning exploration of the history of Black Americans by award-winning picture book team Traci N. Todd and Vashti Harrison.
The world is forever changed because you are here.
At once honest and empowering, That You Are Here Is No Small Thing is a story about resilience. In these stunning pages, young descendants of enslaved Africans are guided through the history that led them to exist and thrive today. Through their eyes, we see how Black Americans have relied on one another to fight against oppression and the ways in which the strength of their ancestors is always with them.
Sibert Honor winner Traci N. Todd and Caldecott Medalist Vashti Harrison have created an unforgettable exploration of culture and history that records the important survival story Black children carry and celebrates their hope for a radiant future.
- PRE-ORDER: Every Story Is a Love Story: A Novel
PRE-ORDER: Every Story Is a Love Story: A Novel
$32.00From the New York Times bestselling author of Behold the Dreamers, a captivating novel about love lost—and the weight of regret
What if I’d never gotten into that car? What if I’d pulled out of the driveway five minutes earlier, or ten minutes later?
Three years ago, Wolo’s pregnant wife was killed in a tragic car accident. In an instant, the great love of his life was gone, and so was their beautiful future: the twins they were expecting, the PhD she was on the cusp of finishing, and the house they’d just bought in New Jersey. In the face of a loss that seemed insurmountable, Wolo has slowly rebuilt a semblance of a life: he goes to work, hangs out with a small circle of friends, and fends off the matchmaking efforts of the older women in his family. The grief that dogged him has, with time, become a little gentler.
Until a letter arrives one day, unbidden, threatening to upend his life once again. It is from Victoria, the woman who was behind the wheel that terrible day. Wolo’s family pastor tells him the letter is the work of the devil; his mother expressly forbids him from making further mention of it; his father’s second wife calls, from Cameroon, to tell him to destroy it. But Wolo ponders it for days, and ultimately agrees to meet with the woman who killed his wife. When he does, the compassion and deep remorse of the woman affects him in ways he had never imagined, and he begins to wonder if the long road to healing can be shared.
What do we owe to those who have hurt us? Are we defined by our worst moments and our deepest regrets? And, more than anything, can forgiveness ease our suffering? Moving and full of life, Every Story Is a Love Story charts the uneven path from heartbreak to healing.
- PRE-ORDER: There Used to Be People Here
PRE-ORDER: There Used to Be People Here
$30.00In 1970s Mississippi, a Black detective and his temporary partner are assigned to a case that shifts from murder to paranormal conspiracy with life-altering repercussions.
Wenton, Mississippi: A man enters the bathroom of a local gay bar and doesn't come back out. Instead he's found cold, on the floor, and facing the wall. And no one seems to know how this happened.
Samuel Barkley is Wenton's only Black detective. Assigned to the case, Samuel's one goal is to keep his head down with eyes on moving up in the police ranks. But it's not easy with Harvey, a new, temporary partner who Samuel can't seem to like...or hate. Nor with the cold, questioning eyes and fake smiles from those in town. Persistent. Judging. Wrong. Samuel is reaching his breaking point.
As his investigation leads him to a curious plane crash cover-up, Samuel's placid existence is turned on its head. Because what crashed in Wenton isn't a plane. There are others here. They like it here. And if Samuel can't stop them, they will find a way to stay.
With shades of The X-Files and S. A. Cosby, There Used to Be People Here deftly explores race, queerness, and existing as other in a society that demonizes everything different.
- PRE-ORDER: Everything's Not Lost
PRE-ORDER: Everything's Not Lost
$20.99A heart-wrenching yet vividly hopeful novel about a Black girl's struggle to find the quiet beauty in life and friendship amid the chaos of grief and mental illness by New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestselling author Frederick Joseph.
"Frederick is such a grounded and beautiful voice of not just this moment but all the moments. Everything's Not Lost cements him firmly as a much needed and stunning voice inside the world of YA literature." —Jacqueline Woodson, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award
As a sixteen-year-old Black girl with bipolar disorder, Ella Washington has plenty stacked against her. But following her beloved sister’s unexpected death and its turbulent aftermath, Ella is desperate to find any sense of normalcy. Worse still, someone at her school is determined to drive her deeper into despair.
It feels nearly impossible to find her way out of the fog of grief and loneliness, but through her love of art, some unlikely new friends, and the memory of her sister, Ella slowly learns that the pursuit of happiness and forgiveness is an endeavor that is more than worthwhile.
Told in Frederick Joseph’s perceptive and lyrical voice, Everything’s Not Lost is an achingly relatable story about finding points of light even in the darkest of times.
- PRE-ORDER: The People's House: The Power and Presence of African Americans in the White House
PRE-ORDER: The People's House: The Power and Presence of African Americans in the White House
$22.00A new anthology celebrating the African American voices that influenced and shaped the history of the White House
A Penguin Classic
The People’s House is an anthology comprised primarily of first-person accounts, from the eighteenth century to the present, detailing the Black experience in the White House — in turn illustrating how African Americans have influenced the presidency and policy over America’s 250-year history. The collection’s diversity of perspectives — from dressmakers and domestic staff members to abolitionists and civil rights activists, as well as cabinet members, candidates, and elected officials — charts not only a history of African Americans in the most recognizable U.S. institution, but how African Americans have used their power and presence in the White House to urge the nation toward its democratic ideals. Through the words of Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Thurgood Marshall, Shirley Chisholm, Colin M. Powell, Barack Obama, and dozens of other figures, both prominent and lesser-known, this anthology offers an expansive and intimate view of the White House as a key site in the struggle for Black freedom and equal citizenship. Each entry is accompanied by insight from editors Michelle D. Commander and Kathleen M. Kendrick, providing biographical information and historical context to help readers further understand how African Americans have shaped the story and meaning of the People’s House.
Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
- Fledgling
Fledgling
by Octavia E. Butler
Sold outFledgling, Octavia Butler’s last novel, is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly un-human needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: she is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted—and still wants—to destroy her and those she cares for, and how she can save herself. Fledgling is a captivating novel that tests the limits of “otherness” and questions what it means to be truly human.
- The South by Adolph L. Reed
The South by Adolph L. Reed
$24.95A historical account of growing up Black in the Jim Crow South
The last generation of Americans with a living memory of Jim Crow will soon disappear. They leave behind a collective memory of segregation shaped increasingly by its horrors and heroic defeat but not a nuanced understanding of everyday life in Jim Crow America. In The South, Adolph L. Reed Jr. — New Orleanian, political scientist, and according to Cornel West, “the greatest democratic theorist of his generation” — takes up the urgent task of recounting the granular realities of life in the last decades of the Jim Crow South.
Reed illuminates the multifaceted structures of the segregationist order. Through his personal history and political acumen, we see America’s apartheid system from the ground up, not just its legal framework or systems of power, but the way these systems structured the day-to-day interactions, lives, and ambitions of ordinary working people.
The South unravels the personal and political dimensions of the Jim Crow order, revealing the sources and objectives of this unstable regime, its contradictions and precarity, and the social order that would replace it. - Black Cake
Black Cake
by Charmaine Wilkerson
$18.00In this moving debut novel, two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with their mother’s death and her hidden past—a journey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake.
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking journey Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their family, and themselves.
Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right?” Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch. - Take My Hand
Take My Hand
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
$17.00A searing and compassionate new novel about a young Black nurse’s shocking discovery and burning quest for justice in post-segregation Alabama, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench.
Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies.
But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.
Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten.
Because history repeats what we don’t remember.
Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, Take My Hand is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption. - The Black Experience In Design
The Black Experience In Design
Anne H. Berry
$29.99The Black Experience in Design spotlights teaching practices, research, stories, and conversations from a Black/African diasporic lens.
Excluded from traditional design history and educational canons that heavily favor European modernist influences, the work and experiences of Black designers have been systematically overlooked in the profession for decades. However, given the national focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the aftermath of the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, educators, practitioners, and students now have the opportunity—as well as the social and political momentum—to make long-term, systemic changes in design education, research, and practice, reclaiming the contributions of Black designers in the process.
- Igbo Myths/Introduction To Igbo
Igbo Myths/Introduction To Igbo
by Chinelo Anyadiegwu
Sold outThe first definitive collection of Igbo legends and traditions for kids, this book explores the mythological origins of the Igbo people, the ancient Nri Kingdom, and Igbo cosmology before delving into the Alusi, or the core Igbo deities. Following this introduction to the pantheon of gods and goddesses, a collection of the most popular Igbo myths, folktales, and legends will immerse kids in exciting stories of tricksters, shapeshifters, and heroes, including:
- The Wrestler Whose Back Never Touched the Ground
- Ojiugo, the Rare Gem
- The Tortoise and the Birds, or The Origin Story of Sea Turtles
- Ngwele Aghuli, Why the Crocodile Lives Alone
- How Death Came to Be
- And more!
Chinelo Anyadiegwu is a writer and graduate student. When they aren't writing stories about fantasy realms or mythology, they are writing grants. In their free time, they play video games of all sorts, from Tabletops and MMOs to Sandbox RPGs.
- Amari and the Great Game
Amari and the Great Game
by B. B. Alston
$10.99Sequel to the New York Times bestseller Amari and the Night Brothers!
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this magical second book in the New York Times and Indie bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy—perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.
After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.
But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about!
But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind.
The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope—so how can Amari refuse?
- Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl
Joya Goffney
Sold outJoya Goffney, author of the acclaimed Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, delivers a powerful second novel about a preacher’s daughter in small-town Texas and her journey toward loving herself and her body, filled with heart, humor, family drama, and a dynamic love triangle. Perfect for fans of Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles and Calling My Name by Liara Tamani!
Monique is a preacher’s daughter who detests the impossible rules of her religion. Everyone expects her to wait until marriage, so she has no one to turn to when she discovers that she physically can’t have sex.
After two years of trying and failing, her boyfriend breaks up with her. To win him back, Monique teams up with straight-laced church girl Sasha—who is surprisingly knowledgeable about Monique’s condition—as well as Reggie, the misunderstood bad boy who always makes a ruckus at church, and together they embark upon a top-secret search for the cure.
While on their quest, Monique discovers the value of a true friend and the wonders of a love that accepts her for who she is. Despite everyone’s opinions about her virtue, she learns to live for herself, inspiring us all to reclaim our bodies and unapologetically love ourselves.
- Shady Baby Feels: A First Book of Emotions
Shady Baby Feels: A First Book of Emotions
by Gabrielle Union
$10.99Learn about feelings and emotions with Shady Baby in this board book created by the bestselling team of Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, and Tara Nicole Whitaker!
Shady Baby is baking cupcakes, and she has some feelings about the process. From excitement or boredom, Shady Baby expresses nine common emotions. Perfect for the youngest of readers, this book will inspire kids to discuss their multitude of feelings in a kid-friendly, accessible format.
Great for:
- Introducing emotional literacy, self-awareness, and empathy to toddlers!
- Reading sequential yet simple storylines!
- Early childhood development!
- Tiny hands, due to its sturdy pages!
Plus be sure to check out Shady Baby, the New York Times bestselling picture book from Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, and Tara Nicole Whitaker.
- Perish
Perish
by LaToya Watkins
$18.00Bear it or Perish. Those are the words Helen Jean hears that fateful night in her cousin’s outhouse that changes the trajectory of her life.
Spanning decades, PERISH tracks the choices Helen Jean—the matriarch of the Turner family—makes and the way those choices have ripped across generations, from her children, to her grandchildren and beyond.
Told in in alternate chapters that follows four members of the Turner clan: Julie B., a woman who regrets her wasted youth and the time spent under Helen Jean's thumb; Alex, a police officer grappling with a dark and twisted past; Jan, mother of two, who yearns to go to school and leave Jerusalem and all of its trauma behind for good; and Lydia, a woman whose marriage is falling apart because her body can't seem to stay pregnant; as they're called home to say goodbye to their mother and grandmother.
This family's "reunion" unearths long-kept secrets and forces each member to ask themselves important questions about who is deserving of forgiveness and who bears the cross of blame.
With stirring, evocative prose and a sense of place that is wholly immersive, offering a nuanced look into Black communities in Texas, and tackling themes like family, trauma, legacy, home, class, race and more, this beautiful yet heart-wrenching debut novel, will appeal to anyone who is interested in the intricacies of family and the ways bonds can be made, maintained or irrevocably broken.
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