Spring is the perfect time to curl up with a good book and get lost in its pages, and these choices are full of captivating stories, powerful messages and thought-provoking ideas. They allow us to delve deeper into the Black experience with books that empower the minds of young children, help serve up traditional dishes from the motherland and share the life journies of CEO Debra Lee and athlete activist Colin Kaepernick. So grab your favorite reading spot and dive into these amazing books by Black authors this spring!
I am Debra Lee
Debra Lee (Legacy Lit, March 7)
The former BET CEO and current advocate for women leaders shares her story of how she landed a top seat at the executive’s table and defined her voice along the way.
Price: $26
Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game
Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing (Graphix, March 7)
Athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick shares how, as a teenager, he had to choose between a garaunteed career in minor league baseball or going after what he really wanted, a football career, in this graphic novel memoir.
Price: $15
The Unfolding: An Invitation to Come Home to Yourself
Arielle Estoria (HarperOne, March 7)
The gorgeous gathering of essays, poems and meditations come with beautiful earth tones illustrations. Poer Estoria creates a world for readers to dive into the most basic emotion: to feel and give love.
Price: $25
Stella and the Missing Tooth
Clothilde Ewing (Denene Millner/Simon & Schuster Books, March 7)
Spunky Stella is on the case when best friend Owen loses a tooth. Ewing’s second “Stella” book wraps up two lessons, the history of dinosaurs and how our teeth grow, in one adorable caper.
Price: $19
Africana: More than 100 Recipes and Flavors Inspired by a Rich Continent
Lerato Umah-Shaylor (HarperOne, March 7)
Umah-Shaylor’s cookbook is a culinary adventure and celebration of African cooking throughout the generations, filled with recipes that have been given a modern twist while maintaing their cultural roots.
Price: $30
Jamel Shabazz: Albums
Jamel Shabazz (Steidl/The Gordon Parks Foundation, March 14)
Brooklyn-based photographer Jamel Shabazz shares portraits of New Yorkers in this collection of photos that capture rap, hip-hop and Black culture from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Price: $50
The Body Liberation Project
Chrissy King (Tiny Reparations Books, March 14)
The former fitness coach teaches all to say “no” to excessive weight loss gimmicks by explaining the historic connection of shape, size and cultural identity. She redefines how we can love our existing bodies in positive ways.
Price: $26
Everyday Grand: Soulful Recipes for Celebrating Life’s Big and Small Moments: A Cookbook
Jocelyn Delk Adams (Clarkson Potter, March 14)
Food influencer Delk continues to share her family’s cooking traditions and incredible flavor-packed recipes with her secret ingredients: joy, love, gratitude and positivity to celebrate all moments in life.
Price: $30
You Will Do Great Things
Amerie (Roaring Brook Press, March 28)
In her new book, singer Amerie encourages children to dream big dreams for the future and know that the loved ones will always be by their side. The story is told through lyrical phrasing, accompanied by gorgeous saturated artwork.
Price: $19
Above Ground
Clint Smith (Little, Brown and Company, March 28)
“The New York Times” bestselling and National Book Critics Circle award-winning author of “How the Word Is Passed” shares a collection of poems that explores the parameters of fatherhood and how becoming a parent changed his own life.