Top Young Adult NF Title
Akim Aliu: Dreamer
Written by Akim Aliu with Greg Anderson Elysée and Illustrated by Karen de la Vega and Marcus Williams. Published May 2023. Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic Publishing, Inc. $24.99 Hardback. 140 pages. 9781338787603. Ages 10-14.
In this graphic memoir, Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian hockey player Akim Aliu, better known as Dreamer, shares the challenges he endured with players, coaches, and officials from childhood to age 20 in order to succeed in the league. Told in retrospect, this novel shines a light on the African and Ukrainian immigration crisis and the depth of systemic racism throughout the world. The committee recognizes Aliu’s memoir as a story with the potential to shed light on the power of what resilience looks like in the face of adversity. The narrative provides a compelling exploration of the interconnectedness of different cultures, emphasizing the strength found in unity. By delving into Aliu’s experiences, readers have the chance to gain insight into the collective journey towards breaking down racial barriers, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by marginalized communities and the transformative power of solidarity. The graphic format only serves as a catalyst to deliver the author’s message of forgiveness and inclusion. Trigger Warnings: Racial slurs and profanity (blurred out visually), hazing, racial microaggressions, violence and blood (on-page), colorism, and emotional abuse.
Sufferah: The Memoir of a Brixton Reggae-Head
Written by Alex Wheatle. Published. July 2023. Akashic Books, Ltd. $28.95 Hardback. 248 pages. 9781636140933. Ages 16 – Up.
Alex Wheatle, an internationally renowned award-winning author, shares his childhood experience in the British foster care system without any knowledge of family or his Jamaican heritage. He also includes his challenges on South London streets as a young man and his involvement in the 1981 Brixton uprising, which led to his imprisonment. Trigger Warnings: Racial Slurs, Domestic Abuse, Street Violence, Racism.
Split Decision: Life Stories
Written by Ice-T and Spike with Douglas Century. Published July 2022. Gallery Books, an imprint of Gallery Publishing Group, a division of Simon and Schuster. $28.99. Hardcover. 304 pages. 9781982148775. Adult.
Told from dual perspectives, this is the first-hand account of how rapper-actor Ice T’s decision separated him from a life of crime and led to his 1980s rise to fame as a nationally recognized rapper and a successful television actor in Law & Order. However, his former crime partner, Spike, continued a life of crime as a jewel thief. This led to a thirty-five-year-to-life prison sentence.
Work With What You Got: A Memoir
Written by Zion Clark and James S. Hirsch. Published April 2023. Candlewick, an imprint of Walker Books. $18.99. Hardback. 240 pages. 9781536224214. Ages 14-17.
Paralympian Zion Clark, born without legs and fostered in homes where he experienced abuse and other challenges, tells a story of courage and determination in this powerful example of resiliency.
Summer of Hamn
Written by Chuck D. Published October 2023. Akashic Enemy Books, an imprint of Akashic Books. $34.95 Hardback. 240 pages. 9781636141527. Ages 16 – Up.
Public Enemy’s Chuck S’s words, coupled with annotated graphics, illustrate the cycle of violence in the major events that took place in America in the summer of 2022. Using the same energy that made him a music icon, his aim is not shy of the political figures and former presidents and the systems that oppress and prolong racist ideology in this country.
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