Our summer reading recommendations this week come from Dr. Elizabeth Corrie, Associate Professor in the Practice of Youth Education and Peacebuilding and Director of the Religious Education Program. Dr. Corrie’s teaching draws on commitments to both peace with justice and the education of young people, particularly the development of teaching and ministry that empower people for global citizenship.
Dr. Corrie’s first recommendation is a collection of narratives titled Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America edited by Ibi Zoboi. These diverse stories feature the voices of young people growing up not only black, but also gay or lesbian, first or second generation immigrant, light-skinned or dark-skinned, rural or urban, middle class or working class, and religious or non-religious. Appropriate for older youth or adults, Dr. Corrie suggests that “these stories leave you with a sense of hope for each young person you meet” despite the challenges of being young and black in America. Dr. Corrie attests that these narratives were “exactly the life-affirming tales I needed to get my through this pandemic.” Find this book on the shelves at Emory, at your local library, or for purchase online.
Dr. Corrie’s second reading suggestion is a New York Times Best-Seller and winner of the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, There, There by Tommy Orange. Unlike her first recommendation, Corrie describes this novel as “suspenseful and dark, but equally revealing of an unexplored perspective: contemporary Native Americans in urban Oakland.” This captivating tale draws many threads of different characters closer until they converge and collide on one fateful day. Emory users can read this book online, or purchase it as an audiobook, ebook, or in print!
Next week we look forward to hearing from Pitts’ Reference & Instruction Librarian, Brady Beard! Find all summer reading suggestions on the Pitts Librarian’s Blog.