This article was sent to us and we are so excited to share this post. Hip Hop books go Kids! The article was written by Desiree Thomas Who is currently the teen librarian at Old Worthington (OH) Library.
“These fiction, poetry, and nonfiction titles will engage casual readers and hip-hop aficionados alike.”
Elementary Nonfiction
Weatherford, Carole Boston. The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop. Illus. by Frank Morrison. Little Bee/Bonnier. 2019. This outstanding picture book explores the origins and the “pillars” of hip-hop: graffiti, break dancing, rapping, and DJing…
Middle Grade Fiction
Zoboi, Ibi. My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich. Dutton. 2019.
Ebony-Grace Norfleet is a young girl from Huntsville, Alabama, who is staying with her father in New York City for the summer. Her love of NASA and Star Trek make her an outsider among kids steeped in the newly emerging culture of hip-hop.
YA Fiction
Acevedo, Elizabeth. The Poet X. HarperTeen. 2018.
Xiomara, who calls herself the Poet X, adds meaning to life by putting pen to paper. Although the 16-year-old’s passion is poetry, the lyrics of hip-hop give color to her world. The connection between hip-hop and slam poetry is highlighted brilliantly in this Printz Award winner.
Giles, Lamar. Spin. Scholastic. 2019.
Social media’s role in how a rap artist achieves stardom takes center stage in this novel. DJ Parsec is a hip-hop artist known for her unique sound and her ability to rock a party. Her star is just beginning to rise when she is tragically murdered. Her two best friends—enemies of each other—must put aside their differences to find her killer.
Jackson, Tiffany D. Let Me Hear a Rhyme. Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins. 2019.
Steph, a young Brooklyn rapper, wants to use his rhymes to elevate rap and his people, but he is murdered before his first single is released. His two best friends and his sister dive into a dangerous rap game to make him a star—pretending he’s still alive. The crack epidemic’s effect on the culture of hip-hop is skillfully portrayed in this novel.
Click here to read more from Source: >>>A Hip-Hop Booklist | School Library Journal
