February is Black History Month, and this year’s theme is “Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build.” What better time to read books written by Black authors?

Brown Sugar Baby by Kevin Lewis is a board book celebrating the love a family has for their ‘brown sugar baby’. It’s poetic, sweet and perfect for a cozy and cuddly read. Hey, Baby! A Baby’s Day in Doodles by Andrea Pippins is all about a day in the life of a baby, from napping to snacking to playing–and everything in between.

For an older audience, Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas has received many accolades including the Eisner Award, Silver Birch Finalist, and CBC Best of Canadian Fiction just to name a few. Bree can’t wait for her first day at her new middle school, until she’s stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she’s forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help.

Zetta Elliott’s books for children and teens are well-read in the library, including the urban fantasy series starting with Dragons in a Bag where a boy from Brooklyn is on a mission to help magical creatures. Elliott’s books for teens include Say Her Name, poetry celebrating the creativity, resilience and courage of Black Women and Girls.

For adults, Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr has been a popular title. As the Giller Prize Jury described on it’s win, “Suzette Mayr brings to life –believably, achingly, thrillingly –a whole world contained in a passenger train moving across the Canadian vastness, nearly one hundred years ago… The sleeping car porter … is named R.T. Baxter –called George by the people upon whom he waits, as is every other Black porter. Baxter’s dream of one day going to school to learn dentistry coexists with his secret life as a gay man, and in Mayr’s triumphant novel we follow him not only from Montreal to Calgary, but into and out of the lives of an indelibly etched cast of supporting characters, and, finally, into a beautifully rendered radiance.” It’s also the Amnesty International Book Club pick for February – visit peclibrary.org for more information.

These are just a few of the books by Black authors available at the County of Prince Edward Public Library. Drop by and we will help you discover these and others.

Liz Zylstra