End of summer: UATL’s August book recommendations
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August is a sign that the summer is ending.
Families still gather to host their family reunions that reunite relatives over delicious meals and fond memories.
Students are preparing to go back to school, which means for some, adapting to new surroundings, classes and friendships. The weather starts to go from blazing hot in the daytime to cooling off at night.
But while political discussions are continuing to cause rollbacks for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at major corporations, colleges and universities, Black music fans have followed entertainer Beyoncé across the country dressed in Western attire for her record-breaking “Cowboy Carter” tour.
Black folks kept those cowboy hats, boots on, fans in their hand, got in formation and line danced with each other to Southern soul staples like 803 Fresh’s “Boots on the Ground.”
Black authors are reflecting these moments by creating literary works that empower readers to stay connected to family, have pride in themselves, their history and where they live, plus incorporate some fun in their lives.
Here are UATL’s six book recommendations for August that the entire family can enjoy.
Credit: Shamar Knight-Justice
“I Got You: A Brother’s Promise” by Derrick Barnes with illustrations by Shamar Knight-Justice
While Black families are having family reunions, “I Got You: A Brother’s Promise” is a reminder of the joy and growing pains that comes with sibling life.
Written by Derrick Barnes, the colorful storybook features modern Black children as lead characters created by Atlanta-based illustrator Shamar Knight-Justice, a principal at Ethos Classical Charter School in southwest Atlanta.
“I Got You: A Brother’s Promise” tells the story of the bond between Rasheed and his older brother, Anthony. Rasheed’s older brother shows him how to button his shirt, play outdoors and ride his bike, but Rasheed starts feeling left out when Anthony spends time with other kids his age.
The story concludes with Rasheed and Anthony finding out they’re going to be big brothers. “I Got You: A Brother’s Promise” is a children’s book that allows readers of all ages to relive their inner child with a story that offers lessons about being inseparable, leading by example and sharing loved ones with others.
Credit: Francis Ude
“Shy Girl Big Stage: A Heartwarming Tale of Confidence and Courage for Young Readers” by Seun Adegoke
Going back to school means kids are excited to wear their new clothes, meet new friends but can also be a challenging adjustment.
Atlanta-based author Seun Adegoke, who’s Nigerian American, loosely adapted her coming-of-age story into a picture book full of bright colors called “Shy Girl Big Stage,” which tells a story about finding confidence.
The children’s book, published in July 2024, is about Seun, an introverted young African girl whose hidden talent is being an imaginative writer. She goes through unexpected challenges at school while making friends, becomes the center of attention, attempts to work through her anxiety, and finds the courage to speak in front of her classmates on Speech Day.
“Shy Girl Big Stage” is a story that can encourage young girls to believe in themselves, use their talent to figure out where they belong and live out their wildest dreams.
Credit: Amistad
“Mounted: On Horses, Blackness and Liberation” by Bitter Kalli
At a time when Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album and tour sets out to reclaim Black artists’ role in country music and Black communities are line dancing to 803 Fresh’s viral hit “Boots on the Ground,” essayist and land worker Bitter Kalli is using literature to deep dive into Black people’s relationship with horses.
Kalli, a former equestrian, is releasing the book, “Mounted: On Horses, Blackness, and Liberation,” on Aug. 19. It’s an essay collection that combines Kalli’s personal narratives, history and references to Black pop culture figures like Beyoncé and filmmaker Jeymes Samuel to show how Black culture identifies with (and is changing the narrative behind) horses and nature.
A queer writer of Jamaican and Filipino origins, Kalli gives witty, informative and keen observations of how Black culture and horses are connected through racetracks, jockeys, slavery, militarization, modern culture and their own experience as the only Black member of Columbia University’s equestrian team.
“Mounted: On Horses, Blackness and Liberation” revisits how a symbol largely associated with the Wild West and a recent cultural trend is an element that’s always been essential to Black life.
Credit: Amistad
“Beyond Midnight: An Ashe Cayne Novel, Book 5” by Ian K. Smith
Physician and author Dr. Ian K. Smith is taking a break from discussing health in literature and on television to revive his murder mystery protagonist Ashe Cayne.
Cayne, a Chicago-based detective, reemerges in “Beyond Midnight,” Smith’s upcoming political thriller and fifth novel to feature the character. The fictional work, publishing on Aug. 26, chronicles the private eye connecting details on the death of a Latino immigrant ruled as an accidental drowning.
Teaming with the victim’s nephew to solve the case, Cayne gets a tip that the body was last seen getting into a van. It leads him down a path of secrets and revealing details that may prove to be deadly.
“Beyond Midnight” is an imaginative and suspenseful story that’s arriving as politics and immigration continue as hot topics.
Credit: Henry Holt and Company
“Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama” by Alexis Okeowo
Montgomery-born journalist and essayist Alexis Okeowo wants to change perceptions around her home state with her upcoming book, “Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama.”
The book, publishing Aug. 5, allows Okeowo to give readers a bird’s-eye view of memories from her upbringing, Alabama histories, perspectives from other natives and residents to share refreshed observations of an area often associated with Confederacy.
Okeowo, a Nigerian descendant who’s written about human rights and global conflicts for The New Yorker, indicates how Alabama has evolved from cotton fields becoming industrialized warehouses while small-town activists continue debating conservative viewpoints from religious figures and business leaders. She writes with an unapologetic point of view that gives voice to citizens who have pride in their home state while addressing its painful past and current conflicts.
“Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama” offers balanced storytelling that showcases how things sacred to communities should always experience evolution to ensure their progress.
Credit: Pantheon Books
“That’s How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor” by Damon Young
In Black households and communities, “playing the dozens” is an art form involving telling jokes and exchanging quick-witted jabs with each other that allows Black folks to laugh to keep from crying.
In writer and critic Damon Young’s latest collection, “That’s How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor,” he explores how Black people create communities to overcome trauma and struggle through hilarious email threads, group chats, letters, essays, short stories and rants. Released in June, the anthology includes contributions from humorists and cultural critics like Roy Wood Jr., Kiese Laymon, Michael Harriot, Deesha Philyaw and Hanif Abdurraqib.
“That’s How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor” preserves a cultural form through literature that Black communities use to overcome and defy the odds.
About the Author
Christopher A. Daniel is a Black Culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is an Atlanta-based, award-winning journalist, cultural critic and ethnomusicologist. He previously taught courses at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Georgia State University.
