Remember those summer reading challenges from our youth? Schools and local libraries tried to incentivize reading over the summer with prizes like ice cream, pizza, and toys. They should really bring that back. And while most of us have aged out of the now-defunct program, you can engage in a summer reading challenge of your own. Summer comes with pleasant weather, vacations, fewer responsibilities and hopefully a bit more freedom: all perfect conditions for reading. If you’re looking for some great books to add to your list and to give to the little ones in your life, check out these titles from Penguin Random House.
Pair of Aces
Who doesn’t love women uniting to take down a problematic man? In Pair of Aces authors Marie Benedict (Daughter of Egypt) and Victoria Christopher Murray (Harlem Rhapsody) join forces once again to share a historically fictive tale from 1930’s New York. In this criminal case from the archives, New York’s first Black woman prosecutor, Eunice Carter, plots with legendary Jewish madam, Polly Adler, to trap the infamous mob boss Lucky Luciano.
Simply Winnie
Supermodel Winnie Harlow is adding children’s book author to her resume. Inspired by her own life, the story follows a young artist and fashionista. Young Winnie has spent the whole summer crafting her first day of school fit. Sadly, her classmates aren’t impressed, and Winnie’s light starts to dim. Thankfully, the insightful wisdom from her grandmother helps her to walk back into school shining brighter than ever.
The Lady Imam: How amina wadud’s Life and Faith Changed the World
Before she became a part of the international stage, Islamic feminist amina wadud had already lived a remarkable life. Born Mary Teasley in Maryland to a Methodist preacher, she survived poverty and the death of her sister due to an illegal abortion. Even as a teenager, wadud was gifted. As a result, her parents sent her to Weston, Massachusetts to continue her education, while living with affluent white families. By 20 years old, she’d hitchhiked across the country, spent time in a Buddhist ashram, attended an Ivy League university, and converted to Islam. In 2005, she became the first woman to lead Friday prayers in New York City. In this biography, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Carla Power chronicles wadud’s life through the lenses of Black history, queer advocacy, sexuality, and feminism.
When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when almost everything seemed uncertain, Chris Smalls did something incredible. He walked out of his job at Amazon. Smalls, a longtime employee for the retail giant, had already felt disenchanted by Amazon’s policies. But when his coworkers, the people who kept working when the rest of the world shut down, became ill with no support from their employer, he’d had enough. His demands to keep essential workers safe would eventually launch a modern-day labor movement that has led to lasting changes for wageworkers. In his new memoir, When the Revolution Comes, Smalls details his upbringing in Hackensack, New Jersey, his struggles as a father of three, and his life as a leader of labor reform.
The Girl Who Loved Monsters
There’s this philosophy that children don’t have a problem with reading, they have a problem with being bored. If you’re looking for a story that’s sure to grab their attention, Insha Fitzpatrick’s graphic novel might do the trick. It follows Charlotte Bissett, who checks out a book from her school’s library. Charlotte is a fan of horror, but she might have gotten more than she bargained for when she reads the first pages of her new book aloud before bed. The next day, everything is off in her small town. There’s snow outside for the first time in years, her teacher is missing, and Charlotte is convinced her substitute teacher must be a werewolf.
Cool Machine
Ray Carney lives a double life in two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead’s latest novel, Cool Machine. Carney is an award-winning business man in 1980’s Harlem. He’s also a booster. While Carney plans on going totally legit, he gets drawn back into the underworld after the banks deny his wife a loan for her new travel agency. But this one last heist just might threaten all the work that Carney has done to keep his family stable and safe.
Death Card
Working at a family occult shop might not be the norm for most Black girls; but for 18-year-old Mikaela Broussard, in New Orleans, Louisiana, it is ordinary. Things take a turn for the unusual when a typical tarot reading produces the death card and Mikaela sees a vision of her customer stabbing her in the heart. Mikaela decides to keep her enemies close and befriends the stranger, Joelle. While initially wary of her, the more time she spends with Joelle, the more Mikaela finds herself drawn to the girl. In addition to worrying about her impending death, Mikaela, who is set to be the next Witch Queen in her coven, is tasked with discovering who is stealing her fellow witches’ magic. Jasmine Smith’s Death Card is a romance set against a young woman’s coming of age and her quest to protect her people.
The Summer Girlfriend
A fake summer fling between a stand-in girlfriend and a handsome business heir becomes way too real in this glittering new romance by USA Today bestselling author Kristina Forest. Noelle Lewis doesn’t have time for long walks on the beach, brunch with the girls, or summer vacations. She’s too busy saving up to go back to college. After recently getting laid off from her bookseller job, her main gig is now serving as a “stand-in” bridesmaid, which doesn’t pay enough for the upcoming semester’s tuition. But then the perfect, if not unconventional, opportunity arises…
