Freedom Fire: Black Girl Power: 15 Stories Celebrating Black Girlhood

by Leah Johnson

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

What does Black girl power mean to you? Discover stunning stories of friendship, joy and beauty from some of our best middle-grade authors today in this unforgettable collection.

A vibrant, heartwarming collection of 15 middle grade stories and poems that celebrates the joy, strength, and experience of Black girlhood, including stories from Ibi Zoboi, Sharon M. Draper, and Leah Johnson, as well as cover art from Caldecott winner Vashti Harrison.Black girl power is…Bringing your favorite stuffed animal to your first real sleepover. . .Escaping an eerie dollhouse that's got you trapped inside. . .Making new friends one magical baked good at a time. . .Finding the courage to dance to the beat of your own drum. . .And more! From 15 legendary Black women authors comes a dazzling collection of stories and poems about the power we find in the everyday and the beauty of Black girlhood.Contributors include: Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, Dhonielle Clayton, Natasha Diaz, Sharon M. Draper, Sharon Flake, Leah Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Janae Marks, Tolá Okogwu, Karen Strong, Renée Watson, and Ibi Zoboi

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368098984
Publisher:	Freedom Fire Digital
Publication date:	11/12/2024
Sold by:	DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE -EBKS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Leah Johnson

Editorial Reviews

★ 2024-08-03
Acclaimed authors share 15 diverse stories that showcase the strength and humanity of Black girls who are facing a variety of challenges.

This anthology, composed of stand-alone entries, spans multiple genres, including realistic fiction, fabulism, and fantasy. Readers meet middle school girls who are dealing with universal issues, such as family expectations, grief and loss, friendship troubles, bullying, and fear of rejection, plus some that are specific to being a Black girl. The stories overwhelmingly refute monolithic stereotypes, instead celebrating the girls’ creative problem-solving, sense of humor, openness to learning and growth, strong family and community relationships, and powers of imagination. Some authors tell stories of ordinary moments that are transformed by courage, as in “The New Rules” by Elise Bryant, “An Aria for Abi” by Tọlá Okogwu, “The Sleepover” by Kekla Magoon, and “Rice & Beans, Rhythm & Beats” by Ibi Zoboi. Others tell stories that take place in intriguing settings, like “First Bite” by Dhonielle Clayton and “Crème de la Crème” by Roseanne A. Brown. Whether the subject matter is serious, as in Sharon M. Draper’s “The Last Chocolate Cookie,” mysterious, as in Natasha Díaz’s “One of Those Days,” or heartwarming, as in Kalynn Bayron’s “Auntie Ro,” each chapter is a gift for readers to discover. The empowering messages of self-acceptance are perfectly encapsulated in Renée Watson’s powerful poem “Black Girl, Be.”

Electric: bequeaths confidence-building stories that sizzle with wisdom and a little bit of magic. (author bios)(Anthology. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews