Black Girl Power

This empowering collection of 15 stories about girlhood, written by authors of the Black diaspora—including Sharon Flake, Kekla Magoon, and Ibi Zoboi—and edited by Johnson (Ellie Engle Saves Herself), who also contributes, contains messages of hope, resilience, power, and friendship. Each story depicts Black girls contending with relatable conflicts: in “The New Rules” by Elise Bryant, a tween with anxiety must navigate the first day of school alone after her best friend ditches her. Speculative tales also abound: “First Bite” by Dhonielle Clayton follows a vampire who must find someone to be her first bite, and “Crème de la Crème” by Roseanne A. Brown features the humorous correspondence from a witch apologizing for a mishap at her magical pastry school. Stories sensitively handle subjects like grief, as when Sharon M. Draper showcases a tween dealing with guilt following her brother’s death in “The Last Chocolate Cookie.” Via unfiltered dialogue and striking characterization, authors center varied Black girls in stories that end on an upbeat note and urge readers who relate to the protagonists to always be their truest selves, even in the face of adversity. Ages 8–12. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf Literary. (Nov.)