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The personal librarian / by Benedict, Marie,author.; Murray, Victoria Christopher,author.;
"The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan's personal librarian-who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray. In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. Pierpont Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white-her complexion is dark because she is African American. The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go-for the protection of her family and her legacy-to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives"--
Subjects: Biographical fiction.; Historical fiction.; Greene, Belle da Costa; Pierpont Morgan Library; African American women; Passing (Identity); Women librarians;
Available copies: 3 / Total copies: 3
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This Could Be Forever [electronic resource] : by LaDelle, Ebony.aut; CloudLibrary;
This compelling and complex romance about love across cultures follows a Black girl and Brown boy who find themselves—and each other—while pursuing their passions the summer before college. Deja’s got a plan. The first in her large family to go to college, she wants to study chemistry and sell natural skin care products, like the ones she already creates from plants grown on her family’s North Carolina farm. It all starts with the Onward Bound summer program at the University of Maryland, the summer before school officially starts. Raja’s got a dream. His traditional Nepali parents want him to study engineering and settle down in an arranged marriage, but his passion is art, and he wants to open his own tattoo parlor one day. In the meantime, he’s apprenticing at a tattoo shop in College Park, Maryland. When Deja walks into the shop where Raja’s working, they both start crushing hard—over the course of the summer, they fall more and more deeply for one another. But the closer they get and the more their lives entwine, the more they find that dating someone who doesn’t match your parents’ expectations is harder than they ever imagined. Can they bridge the divide between the vision their families have for their futures and the lives—and love—that are starting to feel like destiny?
Subjects: Electronic books.; African American; Dating & Sex; Asian American;
© 2025., Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers,
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This Motherless Land A Novel [electronic resource] : by May, Nikki.aut; cloudLibrary;
From the acclaimed author of Wahala, a “vibrant” (Charmaine Wilkerson) decolonial retelling of Mansfield Park: Jane Austen meets The Vanishing Half Quiet Funke is happy in Nigeria. She loves her art teacher mother, her professor father, and even her annoying little brother (most of the time). But when tragedy strikes, she’s sent to England, a place she knows only from her mother’s stories. To her dismay, she finds the much-lauded estate dilapidated, the food tasteless, the weather grey. Worse still, her mother’s family are cold and distant. With one exception: her cousin Liv. Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family. She becomes fiercely protective of her little cousin, and her warmth and kindness give Funke a place to heal. The two girls grow into adulthood the closest of friends. But the choices their mothers made haunt Funke and Liv and when a second tragedy occurs their friendship is torn apart. Against the long shadow of their shared family history, each woman will struggle to chart a path forward, separated by country, misunderstanding, and ambition. Moving between Somerset and Lagos over the course of two decades, This Motherless Land is a sweeping examination of identity, culture, race, and love that asks how we find belonging and whether a family’s generational wrongs can be righted.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Literary; Contemporary Women; Contemporary Women; Cultural Heritage; Family Life;
© 2024., HarperCollins,
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Fairy-tale puppy picnic / by Ruths, Mitali Banerjee.; Jaleel, Aaliya.;
Priya plans a fairy-tale-themed party for her friend's rescue puppy, which will raise money to help African wild dogs--but with five invited dogs the party is likely to be chaotic.
Subjects: East Indian Americans; Parties; Dogs; Fund raising; Best friends;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Backflash [graphic novel] / by Johnson, Mat,author.; Lieber, Steve,illustrator.; Loughridge, Lee,colourist.; Robins, Clem,1955-letterer.; Rogers, Tom(Illustrator),illustrator.;
"Overwhelmed with grief over the death of his mother, shamed by his failures in marriage and fatherhood, and burdened by massive debt, Devin's life is spiraling out of control. That is, until he discovers the impossible: nostalgia is his superpower. With a random touch of family memorabilia, he can travel back in time, mentally, reliving the best moments of his past while finding relief from the present. With his mother gone, Devin can now investigate her greatest secret: the identity of the father he never knew. But the more Devin "backflashes" into time, the faster his present life falls apart. On this hunt for a truth that was never supposed to come to light, Devin must come to terms with his past if he wants any chance at a future"--
Subjects: Science fiction comics.; Time-travel comics.; Graphic novels.; Ability; African Americans; Family secrets; Nostalgia; Time travel;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Roots [videorecording] / by T. I.,1980-actor.; Beresford, Bruce,television director.; Carter, Thomas,1953-television director.; Coleman, Chad,actor.; Corinealdi, Emayatzi,actor.; Fishburne, Laurence,1961-actor.; Goode, Matthew,1978-actor.; Kantrow, Alissa M.(Alissa Miller),1969-television producer.; Kirby, Malachi,actor.; Konner, Lawrence,screenwriter.; Luke, Derek,1974-actor.; McDonald, Alison(Screenwriter),screenwriter.; Murray, Charles(Screenwriter),screenwriter.; Noyce, Phillip,television director.; Page, Regé-Jean,actor.; Paquin, Anna,actor.; Phifer, Mekhi,1975-actor.; Purefoy, James,1964-actor.; Rhys-Meyers, Jonathan,1977-actor.; Rose, Anika Noni,1972-actor.; Rosenthal, Mark D,screenwriter.; Tazel, Erica,actor.; Threatt, Sedale,actor.; Van Peebles, Mario,television director.; Whitaker, Forest,actor.; Television adaptation of (work):Haley, Alex.Roots.; A+E Studios,production company.; Arts and Entertainment Network,publisher.; History (Television network),presenter.; Lions Gate Entertainment (Firm),film distributor.; Marc Toberoff Productions,production company.; Wolper Organization,production company.;
Chad Coleman, Emayatzi Corinealdi, Laurence Fishburne, Matthew Goode, Tip 'TI' Harris, Malachi Kirby, Derek Luke, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Regé-Jean Page, Anna Paquin, Mekhi Phifer, James Purefoy, Anika Noni Rose, Erica Tazel, Sedale Threatt, Jr., Forest Whitaker.Originally broadcast as a television mini-series in 2016.The gripping story is told through four generations, from the capture of Kunta Kinte in Africa to his transport to Colonial America in brutal conditions through successive generations fighting to win their freedom in the Civil War. Based on Alex Haley's best-selling novel which has resonated with millions of Americans, it reveals powerful, universal truths about the resilience of the human spirit.PG.DVD ; widescreen presentation ; Dolby Digital 5.1.
Subjects: Biographical television programs.; Historical television programs.; Television mini-series.; Television programs.; Haley, Alex.; Haley family; Kinte family; Abolitionists; African American families; African Americans; Slavery; Slaves;
For private home use only.
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Harlem Rhapsody [electronic resource] : by Murray, Victoria Christopher.aut; cloudLibrary;
“A gripping narrative, don't miss this historical fiction about the woman who kicked off the Harlem Renaissance.”—People Magazine “A page turner and history lesson at once, Harlem Rhapsody reminds us that our stories are our generational wealth.”—Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage (Oprah’s Book Club Pick) She found the literary voices that would inspire the world…. The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian. In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all. W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie’s boss, he’s her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Amidst rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives…every African American writer in the country wants their work published there. When her first novel is released to great acclaim, it’s clear that Jessie is at the heart of a renaissance in Black music, theater, and the arts. She has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.
Subjects: Electronic books.; Contemporary Women; Biographical; Historical;
© 2025., Penguin Publishing Group,
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The most wonderful time : a novel / by Allen, Jayne,1978-author.;
With Christmas around the corner, Ramona Tucker is desperate to get away. She has been lying to her family about her engagement to Malik, her (ex) fiancé. But breakups are fickle, and Ramona is convinced that she can make her pretend wedding real again--but only if she can avoid everyone discovering her secret at her mother's over-the-top Christmas Eve party. Two-thousand miles away in sunny Malibu, Chelsea Flint needs money to hold on to the beloved beachside cottage she shared with her late parents. The taxes are expensive, and her art isn't paying the bills. Once an irresistible star of the Los Angeles art scene, Chelsea seems to have lost that spark that vaulted her to the top. If she doesn't rediscover that magic--and sell a painting--soon, it will be her family's home she's selling instead. The two women swap homes, just in time, thanks to some careful planning by Ramona's best friend and a sturdy nudge from Chelsea's gallerist godmother. Ramona's Malibu dreams of sun and surf are interrupted as her first night brings an unwelcome stranger to her door, making her question who she can trust--the meddling neighbor Joan, or Jay, the handsome beachside fitness instructor with a secret of his own. Chelsea, desperate for Ramona to stay, hides what she knows--even if that means jeopardizing her budding connection with charming Carlos, whose dreams for his future could be the very key to unlock Chelsea from the weight of her past. Combining escapist fun and sizzling romance, a dose of poignant self-reflection, and a little holiday magic, The Most Wonderful Time is a warm and relatable novel that will delight at Christmas and throughout the year.
Subjects: Christmas fiction.; Romance fiction.; Novels.; Christmas stories; African American women; City and town life; Home exchanging; Interpersonal relations; Man-woman relationships; Secrecy; Women artists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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New kid / by Craft, Jerry,author,illustrator.; Callahan, Jim,colorist.;
This book is part of our Book Sanctuary collection. A Book Sanctuary is a physical or digital space that actively protects the freedom to read. It provides shelter and access to endangered books. Launched by Chicago Public Library in 2022, The Book Sanctuary initiative brings attention to challenged titles, and commits to making these books accessible. Innisfil ideaLAB & Library's Book Sanctuary Collection represents books that have been challenged, censored or removed from a public library or school in North America. More than 50 adult, teen, and children's books are in our collection and are available for browsing and borrowing in our branches and online. Explore the collection to learn more about why these books were challenged.Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds--and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
Subjects: Graphic novels.; Comic books, strips, etc.; Comics (Graphic works).; Graphic books.; Banned book sanctuary.; Schools; Private schools; Parent and child; Race; Cartoonists; African American artists;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 5
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Better living through birding : notes from a Black man in the natural world / by Cooper, Christian,author.;
"Christian Cooper is a self-described Blerd (Black nerd), an avid comics fan, and an expert birder who devotes every spring to gazing upon the migratory birds that stop to rest in Central Park, just a subway ride away from where he lives in New York City. When birdwatching in the park one morning in May 2020, Cooper was engaged in the ritual that had been a part of his life since he was ten years old. But when a routine encounter with a dog-walker escalates age old racial tensions, Cooper's viral video of the incident would send shockwaves through the nation. In Better Living Through Birding, Cooper tells the story of his extraordinary life leading up to the now-infamous encounter in Central Park and shows how a life spent looking up at the birds prepared him, in the most uncanny of ways, to be a gay, Black man in American today. From sharpened senses that work just as well in a protest as in a park, to what a bird like the Common Grackle can teach us about self-acceptance, Better Living Through Birding exults in the pleasures of a life lived in pursuit of the natural world and invites you to discover your own. Equal parts memoir, travelogue, and primer on the art of birding, this is Cooper's story of learning to claim and defend space for himself and others like him, from his days as a writer for Marvel Comics, where Cooper introduced the first gay storyline, to vivid and life-changing birding expeditions through Africa, Australia, the Americas and the Himalayas. Better Living Through Birding is Cooper's invitation into the wonderful world of birds, and what they can teach us about life, if only we would stop and listen"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Cooper, Christian; Cooper, Christian.; African American men; Authors; Bird watchers; Gay men;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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