Books by Black Authors Publishing in 2020
Books by Black Authors Publishing in 2020
The past few weeks have been many things, but mostly they have been humbling. It was the smack in the face many of us needed to wake up to the realities of our world. I want to acknowledge that although I have featured some Black authors on this blog, I have not made an effort or a point to feature Black authors on this blog, likely alienating some of my readers. I recently reached out to all of the publicists I work with asking me to send me books written by Black authors publishing this year. Below you’ll find a fantastic mix of fiction and nonfiction spanning many genres including contemporary fiction, thriller, romance, poems, and memoir. You may notice some of these books have not yet been released, one of the best ways to support authors is to pre-order their books. I encourage you to do just that!
TIES THAT TETHER by Jane Igharo
(September 29, 2020) When a woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family. At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture, even after immigrating to Canada. But after one-too-many set ups gone wrong, she ends up having, and thoroughly enjoying, a one-night stand with Raphael, who is white. When their connection unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere struggles with her feelings for Raphael while staying true to her identity.
TWISTED: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture by Emma Dabiri
(June 23, 2020) From Guardian contributor and prominent BBC race correspondent Emma Dabiri, TWISTED is a timely and resonant essay collection exploring the ways in which black hair has been appropriated and stigmatized throughout history, with ruminations on body politics, race, pop culture, and Dabiri’s own journey to loving her hair.
SNAPPED by Alexa Martin
(October 20, 2020) When star quarterback of the Denver Mustangs Quinton Howard Jr. takes a knee during the national anthem he’s determined to use the spotlight on him to make some needed changes in the NFL. It is now the job of the Strategic Communications Manager of the team, Elliot Reed, to work with Quinton and manage what comes next. Sparks fly between them as they start working together but with her job and Quinton’s integrity on the line, they’ll have to endure unforeseen challenges and heartache.
PARTY OF TWO by Jasmine Guillory
(June 23, 2020) PARTY OF TWO is her Guillory’s fifth book and it follows Olivia Monroe (Alexa’s sister from The Wedding Date) as she creates a new life for herself in Los Angeles and manages to fall for the “most eligible senator” Max Powell. It’s a whirlwind romance and Olivia knows what she feels for Max is real, but she’ll have to figure out if a life under constant scrutiny is worth it.
REAL MEN KNIT by Kwana Jackson
(May 19, 2020) After the unexpected loss of their adoptive mother, the Strong brothers have different plans on what to do with her store Strong Knits. Jesse wants to keep the store going and his brothers want to close up shop. Part-time employee Kerry Fuller volunteers to help Jesse reinvent the store for a new generation. The more time they spend together, the more the chemistry builds between them. Kerry knows Jesse’s reputation as a ladies’ man and doesn’t trust he can commit. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can both knit and commit!
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY GIRLS by Anissa Gray
(Paperback - January 14, 2020) Told from the alternating perspectives of sisters Althea, Viola, and Lillian, THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY GIRLS illustrates the unique perspectives of siblings who grow up in the same home yet experience the same events differently. When oldest sister Althea and her husband—once well-respected members of the community—are incarcerated, the life of each family member is changed forever. With their sister awaiting trial, Viola and Lillian are forced to deal with painful memories as they come together to care for Althea’s teenage daughters.
THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead
(Paperback - June 30, 2020) Here is Colson Whitehead's bravura follow-up to his Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller, The Underground Railroad. The Nickel Boys brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.
It's the early 1960s, and as the Civil Rights movement begins to reach segregated Tallahassee, the young, deeply principled Elwood Curtis takes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to heart: he is "as good as anyone." He is about to enroll in the local black college, but for a black boy in the Jim Crow South, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy the future. Elwood is sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, a grotesque chamber of horrors where the sadistic staff beats and sexually abuses the students, corrupt officials steal food and supplies, and any boy who resists is likely to disappear "out back." Stunned to find himself in such a vicious environment, Elwood tries to hold on to Dr. King's ringing assertion: "Throw us in jail and we will still love you." His friend Turner thinks Elwood is worse than naive--that the world is crooked and the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. The tension between Elwood's ideals and Turner's skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades. Formed in the crucible of the evils Jim Crow wrought, the boys' fates will be determined by what they endured at the Nickel Academy. Based on the real story of a reform school in Florida that operated for more than a century and scarred the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, riveting narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers.
SLAY IN YOUR LANE by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené
(February 25, 2020) From education to work to dating, this inspirational, honest and provocative book recognizes and celebrates the strides black women have already made, while providing practical advice for those who want to do the same and forge a better, visible future. Illustrated with stories from best friends Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke’s own lives, and using interviews with dozens of the most successful black women in Britain – including BAFTA Award-winning director Amma Asante, British Vogue publisher Vanessa Kingori and Olympic gold medalist Denise Lewis – Slay In Your Lane is essential reading for a generation of black women inspired to find success in every area of their lives.
TAKE A HINT, DANI BROWN by Talia Hibbert
(Jun 23, 2020) Dani Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.
CATHERINE HOUSE by Elisabeth Thomas
(May 12, 2020) CATHERINE HOUSE is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, its experimental curriculum, wildly selective admissions policy, and formidable endowment, have produced some of the world’s best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices, Presidents. For those selected, tuition, room, and board are free, but for the duration of the three-year program—summers included—all students must be completely removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises a future of sublime power and prestige.
SCARLET ODYSSEY by C.T. Rwizi
(July 1, 2020) SCARLET ODYSSEY is a glorious epic fantasy inspired by the history of southern and eastern Africa and its myths and magic. This masterful debut by South African-based author C. T. Rwizi introduces a cast of fabulously original characters and brilliant world building. In the story, 18-year-old Salo secretly becomes a mage, rather than the warrior his society expects and demands of him. When his village is attacked by a cruel enchantress, Salo is sent by his queen on a quest to save them from future threats. On the way, he is joined by three fellow outcasts: a shunned female warrior, a mysterious nomad, and a deadly assassin. But they’re being hunted by the same enchantress who attacked Salo’s village. She may hold the key to Salo’s awakening—and his redemption. Incredibly cinematic and visual, the novel’s vivid universe is completed with tronic animals—hybrids of organic matter and machine, a magic system built on hexglyphs and ciphers, and the cultural clashes of the different tribes and their individual animal totem attributes.
THE UNSPOKEN by Ian K. Smith
(October 1, 2020) In this new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ian K. Smith, an ex-cop turned private investigator seeks justice on the vibrant, dangerous streets of Chicago.
Former Chicago detective Ashe Cayne is desperate for redemption. After refusing to participate in a police department cover-up involving the death of a young black man, Cayne is pushed out of the force. But he won't sit quietly on the sidelines: he's compelled to fight for justice as a private investigator, even if it means putting himself in jeopardy. When a young woman, Tinsley Gerrigan, goes missing, her wealthy parents from the North Shore hire Cayne to find her. As Cayne looks into her life and past, he uncovers secrets Tinsley's been hiding from her family. Cayne fears he may never find Tinsley alive. His worries spike when Tinsley's boyfriend is found dead—another black man murdered on the tough Chicago streets. Cayne must navigate his complicated relationships within the Chicago PD, leveraging his contacts and police skills to find the missing young woman, see justice done, and earn his redemption. www.doctoriansmith.com
GLORY: Magical Visions of Black Beauty by
Kahran and Regis Bethencourt
(October 20, 2020) From Kahran and Regis Bethencourt, the husband and wife duo behind CreativeSoul Photography, a photography book that shatters the conventional standards of beauty for Black children.
Featuring a foreword by Amanda Seales
With stunning images of natural hair and gorgeous, inventive visual storytelling, GLORY puts Black beauty front and center with more than 100 breathtaking photographs and a collection of powerful essays about the children. At its heart, it is a recognition and celebration of the versatility and innate beauty of black hair, and black beauty. The glorious coffee-table book pays homage to the story of our royal past, celebrates the glory of the here and now, and even dares to forecast the future.
TINY IMPERFECTIONS by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans
(May 5, 2020) By one of the first black and white author duos: TINY IMPERFECTIONS is a debut novel offering a fresh and diverse take on the socially complex world of private schools and their admissions process. Authors Alli Frank and Asha Youmans have each worked in education for more than twenty years and bring their vast experience to the page with tremendous heart and razor-sharp wit while introducing readers to the dazzling women of the Bordelon family. Youmans's father was a recognized pioneer in Afro-American studies and diversity work in education, and diversity in schools is a key issue at the heart of this book. “Our book, through humor and a genuine love of school communities, attempts to provide the reader with a glimpse into what being black in a private school looks like for three generations of women during the time that the need to change the human landscape in private schools became an absolute priority,” they explain.
HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING by Denise Williams
(December 1, 2020) When her flailing department lands on the university's chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends take her out for a night on the town to cheer her up. When she meets Jake, he presents the perfect opportunity to blow off a little steam with a no-strings attached hookup. Only there are definite strings—emotional ties and just the small fact that dating Jake could destroy her career. Naya can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she's finally living again.
DAUGHTERS OF JUBILATION by Kara Lee Corthron
(October 13, 2020) From Kara Lee Corthron, the award-winning author of The Truth of Right Now, comes DAUGHTERS OF JUBILATION, a coming of age YA novel with a supernatural twist. Set in the Jim Crow South, the black teen protagonist uses her magical abilities to combat white supremacy.
Evalene “Evvie” Deschamps is a normal teen with abnormal abilities. As she navigates crushes and puberty, she also struggles with how and when to use her “jubilation,” a powerful magical ability possessed by the women in her family for generations to protect against evil. Learning to access and control her powers becomes increasingly pressing when an evildoer from her past threatens to bring harm to her loved ones.
Kara Lee Corthron is an author, playwright, and TV writer based in Los Angeles. She’s the author of The Truth of Right Now, winner of the Parent’s Choice Gold Award. Her plays, including What Are You Worth?, Welcome to Fear City, AliceGraceAnon and Holly Down in Heaven, have been performed across the US. She writes for the TV thrillers You (Netflix) and The Flight Attendant (HBO Max). She’s a multiyear MacDowell Fellow and a resident playwright at New Dramatists.
THIS IS MAJOR by Shayla Lawson
(June 30, 2020) From poet and author Shayla Lawson comes THIS IS MAJOR: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls and Being Dope, an insightful and riveting debut essay collection on the richness and resilience of Black girl culture. With these essays, Shayla introduces her fierce and humorous new voice to the world as she shares a unique mix of personal stories, pop culture observations, and insights into politics and history. THIS IS MAJOR sheds fascinating light on the many ways Black women and girls have influenced mainstream culture—from their style, to their language, and even their art—and how that culture has ultimately shortchanged them. While discussing personal experiences, her anecdotes lend to universal discussions about urgent issues, such as: American blackness abroad, colorism, mental health, and more. Shayla is at once hilarious and enlightening, “honest and authentic” (Tressie McMillan Cottom).
WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDS by Morgan Jerkins
(August 4, 2020) Between 1916 and 1970, six million black Americans left their rural homes in the South for jobs in big cities in a movement known as The Great Migration. In her new book, WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDS: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots (Harper; on-sale August 4, 2020; ISBN: 9780062873040; $27.99; NetGalley Link), Morgan Jerkins—New York Times bestselling author of THIS WILL BE MY UNDOING—argues that while The Great Migration transformed the complexion of America and provided black people with new economic opportunities, it also disconnected them from their roots, their land, and their sense of identity.
FORBIDDEN PROMISES by Synithia Williams
(February 25, 2020) Get in and get out. That was India Robidoux’s plan for this family visit. But when her brother needs her help with his high-profile political campaign, India has no choice but to stay and face the one man she’s been running from for years—Travis, her sister’s ex-husband. One hot summer night when Travis was still free, they celebrated her birthday with whiskey and an unforgettable kiss. The memory is as strong as ever—and so are the feelings she’s tried so hard to forget. Travis Strickland owes everything to the Robidoux family. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for them—his divorce could never change that. Still, he has one regret. Impulsive and passionate, India always understood him better than anyone else. And the longer they work together on the campaign, the more torn he is. Coming between her and her sister is out of the question. But how can he let love pass him by a second time?
SCANDALOUS SECRETS by Synithia Williams
(August 25, 2020) Senatorial candidate Byron Robidoux always does the right thing. And, after years of focus and dedication, his life and campaign are going exactly to plan—until a blackmailer jeopardizes everything. No one is supposed to know that thirteen years ago, Byron told a lie to protect a college friend. And now that lie could destroy his career…and threaten the woman he never stopped loving. Zoe Hammond hardly recognizes the refined and handsome politician Byron has become. The last time she saw him, he was the friend who saved her life by claiming to be the father of her unborn baby. For that, she’d do anything for him. Except Byron’s world of wealth, reputation and deceit isn’t a place where Zoe or her daughter belong. But when a menace from the past comes calling again, staying with Byron is best for them all. And, as the searing attraction between them builds, they soon realize some things are worth fighting for…especially love.
RISE UP: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads by Reverend Al Sharpton
(September 29, 2020) Rev. Sharpton’s enduring ability and willingness to take on the political power structure makes him the pre- eminent voice for the modern era, a time unprecedented in its challenges. A profound examination of the American soul and a clarion call to action, RISE UP offers timeless lessons for anyone who’s stood at the crossroads of their personal or political life, weighing their choice of how to proceed.
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
(June 9, 2020) The book brings together three women who find out they have been duped by the same man and instead of getting revenge, they decide to pursue an individual project they have been putting off. Samiah, a software developer, is primed to work on an app until she walks into work and meets her thoughtful, and delicious new coworker, Daniel. Can she keep her commitment to her new friends, and most importantly herself?
WARDENS OF ETERNITY by Courtney Moulton
(January 21, 2020) Ziva has one memory of her parents, made the day they abandoned her on the streets of New York City when she was three years old. They left her with only a memory and a promise that she had a great and terrible destiny. Fifteen years later, Ziva discovers that destiny includes powers that she doesn’t understand and can barely control. Her magic attracts vicious, otherworldly monsters, and eventually compatriots to help her fight them. Sayer and Nasira know the secrets Ziva doesn’t; that Ziva is descended from Egyptian royalty and in possession of ancient magic passed down from the time of the gods. They promise to teach Ziva to control her magic and to give her the family she’s always yearned for. But trouble is brewing in the world around them; darkness is descending on Hitler’s Germany, threatening World War II. As the last heir of a revered Egyptian queen, Ziva is the only one with the power to prevent another costly global conflict. As Ziva navigates her newfound abilities and makes a connection with Anubis and other Egyptian gods, the Nazis are hunting for the ultimate weapon, and Ziva has caught their interest.
LOVE AND OTHER CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR by Nikki Dolson
(June 16, 2020) In LOVE AND OTHER CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, which has been described as both "suburban gothic" and "domestic noir," Nikki presents thirteen stories, eleven of which feature black women as protagonists, and all of which explore the many different ways to love. The collection leads off with "Georgie Ann," a tale of kept women, betrayal, fake friends, and more. Next, she throws the reader into the ring in "Take the Hit," where Kendra must go back into the boxing ring and throw a fight if she hopes to fulfill her dream of having a family. In "Sunrise," Nikki takes us to the desert to die, but not before unwinding the lost loves, regrets, and complicated relationships all plaguing one family, as two cousins try to decide whether they’ll let their beloved Uncle join his late first wife. And in "Our Man Julian," a washed-up actor cultivating a wild San Diego garden and a lifetime of loneliness and regret plans an outrageous kamikaze mission to offer a legacy for the daughters he loves but rarely sees. But can a man who’s survived it all really turn off that survival instinct? LOVE AND OTHER CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR will keep your heart pumping fast, right up until it’s broken.
{#289-128}: POEMS by Randall Gavin Horton
(September 8, 2020) {289-128} was the number assigned to Randall Horton by the Department of Corrections in the Maryland prison system and his new book is composed of three sections: {#289-128} PROPERTY OF THE STATE, {#289-128} POET-IN-RESIDENCE (CELL 23) and {#289-128} POET IN NEW YORK. These framings represent the myriad ways in which the body and life of {#289-128} is socially and legally rendered by the state, as well as how the act of poetry helps the speaker reclaim identity alongside incarceration. The poems, which invite positive conversations, explore violence and despair but also the concepts of love, resilience and hope.
ACE BOON COON: The Tales of Elliot Caprice Book 2
by Danny Gardner
(September 15, 2020) It’s 1950s Illinois and Elliot Caprice has returned to his rural Southville homestead to help his uncle save the family farm, which is struggling through a drought. As racial tensions between agricultural workers rise and a murder occurs, Elliot gets pulled back to Chicago when his ties to both Jewish and Negro organized crime factions are discovered during a clash of competing interests around the development of the long-awaited Chicago campus of the University of Illinois. When pressures from federal agents representing Estes Kefauver’s Special Committee on Organized Crime, along with the Nation of Islam, wealthy white potential investors and a shadowy force called the White Circle League close in, Elliot must race against time to connect a money trail to two more murders—and to thwart the destruction of Southville—before the forces combine to destroy Elliot.
SAVING RUBY KING by Catherine Adel West
(June 16, 2020) When Ruby King's mother is found murdered in their home in Chicago's South Side, the police dismiss it as another act of violence in a black neighborhood. But for Ruby, it means she'll be living alone with her violent father. The only person who understands the gravity of her situation is Ruby's best friend Layla. Their closeness is tested when Layla's father, the pastor of their church, demands that Layla stay away. But what is the price for turning a blind eye? A crucial pilgrimage through the racially divided landscape of Chicago, SAVING RUBY KING explores the ways in which history doesn't determine the present and how the bonds of friendship can forever shape the future.
GRAND: A Grandparent’s Wisdom for a Happy Life by Charles Johson
(May 5, 2020) Charles Johnson is a National Book award-winning novelist, philosopher, essayist, screenwriter, professor, and cartoonist, but now -- with his trademark wisdom and philosophical generosity -- he turns his attention to his most important role yet: grandparent. Johnson shares stories from his life with his eight-year-old grandson Emery, weaving in advice and life lessons that stand the test of time. Joyful, lucid and deeply comforting (doesn’t that sound like something we need right now?), Grand is an indispensable compendium from one of America’s most revered thinkers.
SMASH IT! by Francina Simone
(September 22, 2020) Popular booktuber Francina Simone’s debut novel SMASH IT is a modern day Othello. Heroine Olivia is inspired by Shonda Rhimes Year of Yes and decides to create an “F-it List,” saying yes to everything that scares her, including trying out for her high school’s hip hop retelling of Othello. The results are hilarious and relatable, the story real and refreshing – dealing with sex positivity, body issues, shame, love, and all of the regular things teens deal with that aren’t written about this authentically nearly enough
THE SOUND OF STARS by Alechia Dow
(February 25, 2020) Seventeen-year-old Janelle "Ellie" Baker survives in an alien-controlled center in New York City, where all art, books, and creative expression are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. Born in a lab, M0Rr1S (Morris) was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie's illegal library, he's duty-bound to deliver her for execution, only he finds himself drawn to human music, and in desperate need of more. They're both breaking the rules for love of art. In a world that “has many similarities to today's society,” (Kirkus Reviews) Ellie's–and humanity's–fate rests in the hands of an alien she should fear.
THE WRECKAGE OF US by Brittainy Cherry
(September 8, 2020) Hazel Stone’s drug-dealing stepdad kicked her out of the house. She’s desperate and alone, and her only option is to move into the shed at the farm where she works – without the owner’s permission. The owner’s grandson is the gorgeous Ian Parker, the golden boy of their small Nebraskan town. When he discovers Hazel squatting in the shed, he begrudgingly invites her to take the spare room in the house. It’s clear he has nothing in common with Hazel – she’s all black eyeliner and combat boots, whereas he’s handsome and adored and destined for the spotlight. And yet there is something in her that he recognizes…THE WRECKAGE OF US is the perfect escapist read about two people defying difficult circumstances with determination, hope, and love.
THE TALKING DRUM by Lisa Braxton
(June 15, 2020) THE TALKING DRUM explores intra-racial, class, and cross-cultural tensions, and the meaning of community and belonging in the face of urban redevelopment and gentrification set in a fictional town of Bellport in the suburbs of Boston. It's also a personal story. The author grew up in the throes of an urban redevelopment crisis. Her parents owned and operated a clothing store in Bridgeport, Connecticut in the 1960s into the 2000s. Their livelihood and community were affected by the gentrification that threatens to upend the lives of the characters within The Talking Drum.
A REUNION OF RIVALS by
Reese Ryan
(July 7, 2020) She can’t let anything derail her passion project, not even a second chance with the sexiest man alive. The deal that could bring Quinn Bazemore’s career back from the brink has one catch: she must partner up with her ex-lover Max Abbott. Quinn can’t forget the pleasure-filled summer they shared. But now she’s butting heads over business strategy with the mouthwatering marketing VP, even as their reawakened desire threatens to expose her deepest secrets…
CLAIMED BY A STEELE by Brenda Jackson
(May 5, 2020) New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson brings you a brand-new story in the Forged of Steele series. Perfect for fans of the popular Westmoreland series and readers of passionate contemporary romances! This Steele man is always in the driver’s seat…But is this playboy ready for the wildest ride of his life? Agreeing a PR stunt would be good for business, trucking CEO Gannon Steele invites reporter Delphine Ryland to hitch a ride cross-country. Soon, he’s keeping his eyes on his sexy passenger instead of on the destination ahead, and when the trip turns from strictly business to strictly pleasure, the consequences might be more than this rough-and-ready bachelor can handle…
BIG FREEDIA: GOD SAVE THE QUEEN DIVA! by
Nicole Balin and
Big Freedia
(December 2, 2020) As the “undisputed ambassador” of the energetic, New Orleans-based Bounce movement, Big Freedia isn’t afraid to twerk, wiggle, and shake her way to self-confidence, and is encouraging her fans to do the same. In her engrossing memoir, Big Freedia tells the inside story of her path to fame, the peaks and valleys of her personal life, and the liberation that Bounce music brings to herself and every one of her fans who is searching for freedom.
CALLING ON QUINN (The Blackhart Brothers Book 1) by
Blue Saffire
(February 25, 2020) Quinn Blackheart is a private investigator, former cop, and no-nonsense, take-charge kind of guy who adores his sprawling Irish family. He likes to check all the boxes, and his niece's gorgeous driving instructor just earned a place at the top of his to-do list. Alicia Rhodes has had a tough, chaotic year, and she's ready to put the past behind her and find happiness in the present. When handsome Quinn Blackhart shows up at a driving lesson, she can see he's the very best kind of trouble—but is she game? Now isn't a great time to get involved with a man—even if he's the most romantic, supportive, understanding, magnificent man she's ever met. So between unfinished business of Alicia's, and a dangerous case threatening the Blackhart family, Quinn is determined to both woo Alicia and keep her safe—which is going to make for one wild, sexy ride.
KINDNESS MATTERS: MAKING FRIENDS by
Antoinette Clark-Logan
(Summer 2020) It’s Queen Bee’s birthday, and worker bee friends Gabby, Sadie, Simone, and Madi have an amazing surprise planned for her party. While searching for Queen Bee’s gift, the honey bees meet Archy, Edward, and Nic. These three orchid bees are different from the honey bees in many ways. Will the worker bees find Queen Bee’s special gift, and make it back to Honeycomb City in time for Queen Bee’s party? Will the honey bees become friends with the orchid Bees in spite of their differences?
