Magical Black Boys for Black History Month

Because the Federal Government don't run your house

I am always down to share a list, but I’m especially moved to share a list of fantasy books featuring Black boys because of the times. There are protests left and right in this country right now and notice how little coverage it is getting. Notice more how there hasn’t been any bloodshed or maiming by the police, even though major highways have been shut down. Even though, commerce has been interrupted. Even though the people are as righteously motivated and emotional as protesters were in 2020. What do you see? What is absent from this tableau?

Black people.

This country feels so bloodthirsty for our pain that when we remove it they are paralyzed with inaction.

What does this have to do with boys who wield wands or break curses? Everything. There is an image of the Black boy and man that is so irrationally violent that the mere presence of these boys’ bodies inspires homicidal fear in law enforcement, teachers, and judges. What do you do in response to that? You show them in their full humanity. You share them with the world as they are from their own perspective, not through the lens of people who never wanted to know them in the first place.

Here you go!

1. Alex Wise vs. the End of the World

Alex Wise feels like his world is ending. His best friend, Loren, is leaving town for the summer, his former friend and maybe sort of crush Sky hasn't spoken to him since he ditched Alex on first day of sixth grade, and now his mom is sending him and his annoying younger sister, Mags, on a cruise with the dad who abandoned them. And, as if things couldn't get worse, a creepy shadow monster may or may not be stalking him.

But none of this could prepare Alex for the actual end of the world. Too bad that is exactly what's coming, after the definitely-real Shadow Man kidnaps Mags and she is possessed by the ancient spirit of Death—one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Luckily (depending on who you ask), Alex is possessed as well by a powerful god who imbues Alex with their powers in an effort to stop the Horsemen…if he can figure out how to use them. So begins an epic battle between good and evil: Alex, Loren, a grumpy demi-god, and Alex's fourth grade teacher vs. Death, Pestilence, Famine, War, and the waves of chaos and destruction they bring to LA and soon the rest of the globe. Just your average summer vacation.

Alex is more used to being left behind than leading the way, but now he's the only one who can save his sister—and the world. That is, if he can unlock his new powers and see himself as the hero he is.

2. The Fall of the House of Tatterly

Twelve-year-old Theo Tatterly's ability to see ghosts is a useful skill in a house full of dead relatives, but it makes him a loner at school and everywhere else, where ghosts eternally pester him for help. For Theo, life is easier on the periphery. When his first failed exorcism portends an end to the Tatterly line, Theo must bring together his entire family--living and dead--to save the home they've lived in for generations . . . and maybe the world.

3. New Kid

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.

As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?

This middle grade graphic novel is an excellent choice for tween readers, including for summer reading.

4. The Usual Suspects

Thelonius Mitchell is tired of being labeled. He’s in special ed, separated from the “normal” kids at school who don’t have any “issues.” That’s enough to make all the teachers and students look at him and his friends with a constant side-eye. (Although his disruptive antics and pranks have given him a rep too.)

When a gun is found at a neighborhood hangout, Thelonius and his pals become instant suspects. Thelonius may be guilty of pulling crazy stunts at school, but a criminal? T isn’t about to let that label stick.

All of these books link to Bookshop.org where you can support independent bookstores. Our Black owned bookstore for today is Left on Read in Wichita, Kansas.

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