KRLemmons African American Authors, African American children's literature, African American Illustrators, African American Middle Grades Literature, African American Young Adult Literature

365 Black Books Fun Friday with a classic and some books from the 2025 BOTB booklist

Today, it’s about having fun on a Friday. Starting with:

Book 1: Water, Water a classic by Eloise Greenfield; illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist

Book 2: Soggy Like Cush Cush by Karly Pierre; illustrated by Kristen Uroda.

Book 3: Black Diamond Kings by Charles R. Smith; illustrated Adrian Brandon

Book 4: Under the Neon Lights by Arriel Vinson

KRLemmons African American academic work, African American Authors, African American Nonfiction

365 Black Books April Langley Tuesday

I attended a booksigning at Detroit Public Library. April C. E. Langley, Associate Professor and Chair of African American studies at the University of South Carolina and Associate Professor emerita of English and Black studies at the University of Missouri–Columbia, wrote a book titled: Depoliticizing the Word Through Poetry and Preaching. She focuses on three women, Phillis Wheatley, Maria W. Stewart, and Jarena Lee, and examines their speeches, poetry, and other written works through the lens of Afrofuturism and Sankofa. I was truly fascinated by her talk: the depth of her research and how she examined these women works through so many different lenses.