5 books featuring Black girl power

Author Leah Johnson recommends her favourite stories that celebrate Black girls. 

The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon 

When 11-year-old Dally’s grandfather passes away, it feels like she’s also lost a best friend. That is, until a hidden message she finds from him leads her to a secret library that contains a whole lifetime full of secrets. This time-travelling middle grade is an adventure through time and space that examines families both found and made, race, and the unlimited bounds of curiosity. 

Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos by Tracey Baptiste 

When 12-year-old Misty moves to New York, things are complicated enough with her mum’s job search and her new surroundings being much different from her former home. But they become even wilder when strange things start to happen around her like discovering that she and her cousins all have moko magic, and they’ll need to use their strength to protect their community from a danger that threatens to ruin their Carnival celebration. This story set against the exciting backdrop of Brooklyn’s Carnival is a colourful, energetic spin on Afro-Caribbean folklore. 

Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson 

In the first instalment of the Ryan Hart series, Renee Watson introduces us to fourth grader Ryan as she adjusts to a new normal in her family. When her dad begins a new job, the Harts must contend with more financial constraints than ever, like moving into a smaller house and finding new ways for Ryan to get the ingredients she needs for her recipes. Ways to Make Sunshine is a bright, buoyant story about finding your voice, and finding beauty in everyday situations – even when they don’t feel beautiful at the start. 

Onyeka and the Heroes of the Dawn by Tola Okogwu 

The Onyeka series is an action-packed middle-grade fantasy at its finest. By blending Nigerian history with a contemporary Afrofuturism over the course of the series, in Onyeka and the Heroes of the Dawn, Okogwu crafts a world in which a magical middle schooler continuing to hone her powers feels just as prescient as navigating the social pressures of running for Nchebe team leader. If you ever watched Black Panther and thought: “This franchise could use more powerful, preteen Black girls,” then this is the book for you. 

Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson 

I have it on good authority that Ellie Engle Saves Herself is a book by a comic book nerd, for comic book nerds. In this series opener, after an earthquake, 12-year-old Ellie–whose main concern is hanging out with her best friend and waiting for the next instalment of Nubia to drop–magically develops the power to bring things back to life with her touch. Now, she must figure out how to manage the high-profile hijinks of being a preteen necromancer without the entire world finding out. A laugh-out-loud funny story about discovering the power you’ve always possessed, and learning that the person people think you are doesn’t have to be the person you are forever. 

Black Girl Power, an anthology of short stories curated by Leah Johnson, is out now.