Read WokeTM Books are created in partnership with Cicely Lewis, the Read Woke librarian. Inspired by a belief that knowledge is power, Read WokeTM Books seek to amplify the voices of people of the global majority (people who are of African, Arab, Asian, and Latin American descent and identify as not white), provide information about groups that have been disenfranchised, share perspectives of people who have been underrepresented or oppressed, challenge social norms and disrupt the status quo, and encourage readers to take action in their community.
Full contents:
American Slavery and the Fight for FreedomThe Slave Trade: Black Lives and the Drive for Profit by Elliott SmithResistance to Slavery: From Escape to Everyday Rebellion by Cicely LewisJim Crow: Segregation and the Legacy of Slavery by Elliott SmithSlavery and the Civil War: Rooted in Racism by Elliott SmithAbolitionism: The Movement to End Slavery by Elliott SmithSlavery and Reconstruction: The Struggle for Black Civil Rights by Elliott Smith
Issues in ActionGun Violence and the Fight for Public Safety by Elliott SmithImmigration, Refugees, and the Fight for a Better Life by Elliott SmithMass Incarceration, Black Men, and the Fight for Justice by Cicely LewisThe Opioid Epidemic and the Addiction Crisis by Elliott SmithIncome Inequality and the Fight over Wealth Distribution by Elliott SmithUse of Force and the Fight against Police Brutality by Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith is a writer and editor based in Falls Church, Virginia, who has covered sports and athletes from high school to the pros, and has written about a wide variety of subjects, including entertainment, travel, business, and technology for a range of clients both print and online.
Cicely Lewis is a school librarian with a passion for creating lovers of reading. She was named the 2020 National Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal and Scholastic, a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker and the 2019 National Teacher Award for Lifelong Readers by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and Penguin Random House (PRH). In 2017, she started the Read Woke challenge in response to the shootings of young unarmed Black people, the repeal of DACA, and the lack of diversity in young adult literature. A native of Mississippi, she currently resides in Georgia with her Anime-loving husband, Michael, and two rambunctious children, Tristan and Trinity. When she is not reading, you can find Cicely writing for her bi-monthly column in the School Library Journal, where she shares her book recommendations.