Newark Summer Reading List: 30 Books For Boys, Young Men Of Color

NEWARK, NJ — A thought-provoking examination of racism in the criminal justice system. A fantasy novel that culls from Afro-Latino folklore. An uplifting picture book that celebrates the “joy, wonder and potential of young Black boys.” These are some of the books that made a 2024 summer reading list put together for young men of color in Newark.

My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Newark, an initiative of Newark Opportunity Youth Network built on the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, recently launched a campaign that aims to strengthen literacy for boys and young men of color in New Jersey’s largest city.

The full list – which contains suggestions for toddlers to teens – can be seen below (scroll down) or viewed online here.

The last day of school for students in the Newark Public School District was June 21. And with summer break already underway, it’s important to keep reading part of their daily routine, said Robert Clark, founder and CEO of Newark Opportunity Youth Network.

Mayor Ras Baraka agreed.

“I understand how important reading is for lifelong success,” said Baraka, a former educator and principal in the city.

Baraka said the summer reading list is one of several ways that the local community has been trying to solve a serious problem: only 19 percent of Newark’s third grade students passed a recent New Jersey reading exam. The numbers weren’t too much better for all grades in the city, which reached a combined 27 percent passing rate, as compared to the state average of 49 percent.

Since then, the city, school district and community organizations have been trying to get these numbers up – and initiatives like the summer reading list are part of the solution. Read More: Newark Has Plan To Improve ‘Alarming’ Student Reading Scores

“We are making progress,” Baraka said, praising the MBK Newark’s effort to reach young men of color in the Brick City.

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• See Related: Newark Author Empowers Bilingual Families With New Children's Book

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