This year marks the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Yes, it was August 2005 when Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast. The after-effects were devastating and tragic. The whole world watched as thousands of New Orleans residents—those who chose not to evacuate or couldn’t afford to—fought for survival on rooftops, in trees, and at the Louisiana Superdome. While most of New Orleans has bounced back, the Lower Ninth Ward, a predominantly Black community, still remains ravaged and sparsely populated. Countless articles, op-eds and books have been written on the subject. However, not many children’s books penned by black authors have been published. The books featured are works of fiction, they include picture, middle grade, and young adult titles.
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach – Brenda Woods
Ninth Ward – Jewell Parker Rhodes
Finding Someplace - Denise Lewis Patrick
Beneath a Meth Moon – Jacqueline Woodson
Salvage the Bones: A Novel – Jesmyn Ward
Orleans – Sherri L. Smith
After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct…but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.