Books like 'My Name Is Why'
Readers who enjoyed My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary politics poc-mc social-commentary family bildungsroman
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When Aidan Became A Brother by Kyle Lukoff
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhen Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl's room, and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of life that didn't fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life... -
![Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow]()
Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city...Categorized as:
family poc-mc social-commentary children-books realistic fiction children contemporary -
![The Heart of Him by Iris Bolling]()
The Heart of Him by Iris Bolling
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJames Brooks, the campaign manager for Attorney General hopeful JD Harrison finds himself reluctantly falling for Ashley Harrison, sister to the candidate. As the two become more attracted to each other, their past love interests emerge and threaten to destroy what appears to be a sex-driven relationship. James has hidden his family ties from Ashley and his friends for reasons of his own... -
![Tak: The A**hole Club Series by Ivy Harper]()
Tak: The A**hole Club Series by Ivy Harper
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom Bestselling author Ivy HarperTakLet them call me what they want, I know the truth. It all begins with the music, it follows me everywhere I go. Living as if every day is my last, I stand on the edge of life and death. Now everything around me is changing, dancing to music that’s not my own. My world is slowly falling apart because my friends are changing the rules.Then it happens. FML... -
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![Always by Blue Saffire]()
Always by Blue Saffire
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings**Warning: This title is a re-release of Blue's website exclusive Never. It's been totally rewritten with over 116 pages of new content.***Award winning, Bestselling, Author Blue Saffire presentsAlwaysKingShe’s been wanting in my bed for a long, long time. I should’ve shut that shit all the way down, but I’ve been flirting with Misty for years... -
![Essence of Desire by Brenda Jackson]()
Essence of Desire by Brenda Jackson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHE MAKEOVER Before becoming a strait-laced wealthy businessman, Robert Noble was considered a bad boy and sexy rogue inside out, while breaking hearts, right and left. No one knows it better than Roxanne Miller since Robert was her brother's best friend in high school... -
![A Merry Little Christmas by Melanie Schuster]()
A Merry Little Christmas by Melanie Schuster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMerry Little Christmas, A, by Schuster,... -
![Prescription for Desire by Candace Shaw]()
Prescription for Desire by Candace Shaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSince the death of her husband three years ago, Dr. Raven Arrington has found herself in the same mundane routine. Needing a change of scenery, she escapes to a little town outside of Buenos Aries to temporarily work at a medical facility. Raven didn’t realize what prescription for medicine she needed until she meets Chief of Staff, Dr. Armand Phillips... -
![Awaken Me by Farrah Rochon]()
Awaken Me by Farrah Rochon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs the baby of his family, Reid Holmes has happily played the role of the Charming, Irresponsible One. But as his 30th birthday approaches, Reid wonders whether he should be doing more with his life than working as a plumber for Holmes Construction... -
![Chase Me by Farrah Rochon]()
Chase Me by Farrah Rochon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Holmes Brothers has always been, by far, my most popular series. I am thrilled to return the my beloved New Orleans and this family of sexy brothers. What was she thinking? The last thing Indina Holmes needs in her life is three days on the open seas with her loving but nosy family... -
![Trust Me by Farrah Rochon]()
Trust Me by Farrah Rochon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTrust doesn't always come easy... As the maverick of the New Orleans City Council, Mackenna Arnold has spent the last four years dismantling the council’s “politics as usual” mentality. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Mack now has her sights set on an even bigger prize: the mayor’s office. But only when the time is right... -
![I Promise by LeBron James]()
I Promise by LeBron James
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNBA champion and superstar LeBron James pens a slam-dunk picture book inspired by his foundation’s I PROMISE program that motivates children everywhere to always #StriveForGreatness.Just a kid from Akron, Ohio, who is dedicated to uplifting youth everywhere, LeBron James knows the key to a better future is to excel in school, do your best, and keep your family close... -
![Saturday at the Food Pantry by Diane O'Neill]()
Saturday at the Food Pantry by Diane O'Neill
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMolly and her mom don't always have enough food, so one Saturday they visit their local food pantry. Molly's happy to get food to eat until she sees her classmate Caitlin, who's embarrassed to be at the food pantry... -
![Sing Your Pleasure by A.C. Arthur]()
Sing Your Pleasure by A.C. Arthur
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEnjoy the first two stories of the Love in the Limelight series, where four unstoppable women embark upon a quest in Hollywood to find fame, fortune and ultimately…true loveSTAR OF HIS HEART by BRENDA JACKSONDrop-dead gorgeous Ethan Chambers is Hollywood's most eligible bachelor. And he's just gotten an offer he can't refuse: a starring role on TV's newest hit drama... -
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![Spend My Life with You by Donna Hill]()
Spend My Life with You by Donna Hill
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDescended from a legendary political dynasty, Lee Ann Lawson has been the glue that holds her sprawling clan together. But being primary caregiver has meant putting her own dreams on hold. Preston Graham is about to change all that. From the moment they meetat an estate in Baton RougeLee Ann can't stop thinking about the ambitious, seductive junior senator from Louisiana... -
![Baby, It's Cold Outside by Shyla Colt]()
Baby, It's Cold Outside by Shyla Colt
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDelta Elliot is returning home. The place she fled after her heart was broken, and she fell into a deep depression. After a childhood being moved around in the foster system, abandonment issues and codependent relationship left her accepting less than she deserved. Space and therapy have her ready to live life on her own terms... -
![Thousand Star Hotel by Bao Phi]()
Thousand Star Hotel by Bao Phi
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThousand Star Hotel confronts the silence around racism, police brutality, and the invisibility of the Asian American urban poor.From “with thanks to Sahra Nguyen for the refugee style slogan”:They give the kids candy to bet.My daughter loses the first four rounds,she’s a quiet wire as they take her candy away, piece by piece.When she finally wins, I ask if she wants to play again...Categorized as:
poc-mc social-commentary family fiction contemporary poc-author historical-fiction book -
![The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll): A Picture Book by Winsome Bingham]()
The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll): A Picture Book by Winsome Bingham
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom award-winning creators Winsome Bingham and E.B. Lewis, The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll) is a powerful, full-color picture book story celebrating a journey crucial to our the walk to vote—a perfect read aloud.My granny is taking me on THE WALK.“Because leaders are not born,” she says. “They’re made through molding and modeling.”“What’s the walk?” I ask.“You’ll see... -
![Shrink to Fit by Dona Sarkar]()
Shrink to Fit by Dona Sarkar
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLosing weight is the solution to all basketball-star Leah Mandeville's problems, or so she thinks. Getting superthin a) help her jump shotb) make her look like America's Next Top Modelc) get the attention of the high school hottie who ignores any girl with a little junk in the trunkAnd it's working, isn't it? Her boo is now crushing on her. Everyone says how good she looks... -
![Feeling the Heat by Brenda Jackson]()
Feeling the Heat by Brenda Jackson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA brand-new Westmoreland novel from New York Times bestselling author Brenda JacksonTheir affair ended long ago. But when Dr. Micah Westmoreland must work with his old flame, the heat between them is undeniable. This time, he'll do whatever it takes to make her his.Plus a Brenda Jackson favorite—the second in the Steele Family series Night Heat... -
![Heartbreak of a Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner]()
Heartbreak of a Hustler's Wife by Nikki Turner
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLong live the Queen of Hip Hop Lit! Nikki Turner is back with another explosive, page-turning sequel to her #1 bestselling novels A Hustler’s Wife and Forever a Hustler’s Wife. Yarni Taylor is a successful corporate attorney who wants nothing more than for her husband, Des, to renounce his hustlin’ ways and commit to his life as a pastor—especially after someone tries to kill him... -
![Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding Your Color by Monique Fields]()
Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding Your Color by Monique Fields
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA young biracial girl looks around her world for her color. She finally chooses her own, and creates a new word for herself—honeysmoke.For multiracial children, and all children everywhere, this picture book offers a universal message that empowers young people to create their own self-identity...Categorized as:
family social-commentary poc-mc children-books realistic fiction children contemporary -
![Wind in a Box by Terrance Hayes]()
Wind in a Box by Terrance Hayes
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe third collection of poetry from the author of Lighthead , winner of the 2010 National Book AwardWatch for the new collection of poetry from Terrance Hayes, American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin , coming in June of 2018Terrance Hayes is an elegant and adventurous writer with disarming humor, grace, tenderness, and brilliant turns of phrase... -
![Cenzontle by Marcelo Hernández Castillo]()
Cenzontle by Marcelo Hernández Castillo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this lyrical, imagistic debut, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo creates a nuanced narrative of life before, during, and after crossing the US/Mexico border... -
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![Where We Come from by Oscar Cásares]()
Where We Come from by Oscar Cásares
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe towns along the U.S.-Mexican border have dangerous reputations -- on one side, drug cartels; on the other, zealous border patrol agents -- and Brownsville is no different. But to twelve-year-old Orly, it's simply where his godmother Nina lives -- and where he is being forced to stay after his mother's sudden death...Categorized as:
social-commentary family poc-mc politics fiction literary-fiction contemporary coming-of-age -
![Since I Laid My Burden Down by Brontez Purnell]()
Since I Laid My Burden Down by Brontez Purnell
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhiting Award winner Brontez Purnell’s debut novel is an uninhibited portrait of growing up gay in 1980s exploring art and sex with “more layered insight than the page count should allow” (Hanif Abdurraqib, MTV News ). DeShawn lives a high, creative, and promiscuous life in San Francisco...Categorized as:
family poc-mc social-commentary fiction lgbtq contemporary literary-fiction poc-author -
![Unbroken Threads by Jennifer Klepper]()
Unbroken Threads by Jennifer Klepper
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJessica Donnelly’s life is beginning to unravel. When the attorney turned stay-at-home mom tentatively volunteers to represent Amina Hamid, a woman seeking asylum, Jessica must learn an unfamiliar area of the law. Soon, rising opposition to Muslim immigration and unexpected prejudices put her relationships on shaky ground... -
![Ironopolis by Glen James Brown]()
Ironopolis by Glen James Brown
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsStranded on the outskirts of Ironopolis — nickname to a lost industrial Middlesbrough — the Burn Council Estate is about to be torn down to make way for regeneration. For the future .. -
![Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by Siobhan Curham]()
Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by Siobhan Curham
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFourteen-year-old Stevie lives in Lewes with her beloved vinyl collection, her mum ... and her mum's depression. When Stevie's mum's disability benefits are cut, Stevie and her mother are plunged into a life of poverty. But irrepressible Stevie is determined not to be beaten and she takes inspiration from the lyrics of her father's 1980s record collection and dreams of a life as a musician...Categorized as:
family poc-mc young-adult contemporary mental-illness fiction friendship romantic-love -
![real ones by Katherena Vermette]()
real ones by Katherena Vermette
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the author of the nationally bestselling Strangers saga comes a heartrending story of two Michif sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims to Indigenous identity.June and her sister, lyn, are NDNs—real ones.Lyn has her pottery artwork, her precocious kid, Willow, and the uncertain terrain of her midlife to keep her mind, heart and hands busy...Categorized as:
politics family poc-mc fiction indigenous-mc literary-fiction audiobook contemporary -
![Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers? by Junauda Petrus]()
Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers? by Junauda Petrus
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBased on the viral poem by Coretta Scott King honoree Junauda Petrus, this picture book debut imagines a radically positive future where police aren’t in charge of public safety and community well-being.Petrus first published and performed this poem after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014...Categorized as:
social-commentary poc-mc family politics children-books mental-illness fiction law-enforcement -
![Same Page by Elly Swartz]()
Same Page by Elly Swartz
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom the beloved author of Hidden Truths comes a novel about take-charge sixth grader Bess Stein, who brings together friends and a group of rockstar librarians called the Book Warriors to fight a book ban happening at her middle school.Bess Stein is more than ready to be 6th grade class president...Categorized as:
family social-commentary politics middle-grade realistic friendship fiction mental-illness -
![One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck]()
One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSophia tries varied techniques to get the giraffe she wants more than anything in this playfully illustrated story about the nuances of negotiation.Sophia has one true desire for her birthday. But she has Four Big Problems in the way: Mom, Dad, Uncle Conrad...and Grand-mama.Will her presentations, proposals, and pie charts convince them otherwise? Turns out, all it takes is one word... -
![Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami]()
Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEvery day, nine-year-old Yasmin borrows a book from Book Uncle, a retired teacher who has set up a free lending library on the street corner. But when the mayor tries to shut down the rickety bookstand, Yasmin has to take her nose out of her book and do something.What can she do? The local elections are coming up, but she’s just a kid...Categorized as:
politics family poc-mc social-commentary middle-grade children-books fiction realistic -
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![The Liberated Bride by A.B. Yehoshua]()
The Liberated Bride by A.B. Yehoshua
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYochanan Rivlin, a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Haifa University, is equally determined to understand the causes of the Algerian civil war of the 1990s and the mystery of his son's divorce... -
![Double Jeopardy by Sundari Venkatraman]()
Double Jeopardy by Sundari Venkatraman
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSanya doesn’t just have trouble, she has double trouble. Twins Arth and Ansh Sharma, are rich, sexy and sinfully handsome – what’s a girl to do? Sanya last saw the twins when she was ten years old. Now, all grown up, she has come looking for gentle Arth, the twin she has loved ever since she can remember. But instead, she is confronted with fiery Ansh, who is hell-bent on seducing her... -
![No. 10 Affair by Joanna Mazurkiewicz]()
No. 10 Affair by Joanna Mazurkiewicz
Rated: 3.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI thought I was going for a job interview, but he thinks I am here as his escort ...I had been unemployed for months, and with finances tight, I didn't hesitate when I received an unexpected job offer over the phone. The voice on the other end instructed me not to ask any questions, so I complied and found myself standing at the doorstep of the residence of the Prime Minister of the UK... -
![Big Chief by Jon Hickey]()
Big Chief by Jon Hickey
Rated: 3.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere There meets The Night Watchman in this gripping literary debut about power and corruption, family, and facing the ghosts of the past.Mitch Caddo, a young law school graduate and aspiring political fixer, is an outsider in the homeland of his Anishinaabe ancestors...Categorized as:
politics social-commentary poc-mc fiction indigenous-mc contemporary literary-fiction audiobook -
![Clementine and Danny Save the World by Livia Blackburne]()
Clementine and Danny Save the World by Livia Blackburne
Rated: 3.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsYou’ve Got Mail gets a YA twist in this rom-com that spotlights the power of activism and community organizing in the face of gentrification.Clementine Chan believes in the power of the written word. Under the pseudonym Hibiscus, she runs a popular blog reviewing tea shops and discussing larger issues within her Chinatown community... -
![My October by Claire Holden Rothman]()
My October by Claire Holden Rothman
Rated: 3.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLuc Lévesque is a celebrated Quebec novelist and the anointed Voice of a Generation. In his hometown of Montreal, he is revered as much for his novels about the working-class neighbourhood of Saint-Henri as for his separatist views. But this is 2001. The dreams of a new nation are dying, and Luc himself is increasingly dissatisfied with his life.Hannah is Luc’s wife... -
![What Makes Us by Rafi Mittlefehldt]()
What Makes Us by Rafi Mittlefehldt
Rated: 3.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA viral video reveals a teen’s dark family history, leaving him to reckon with his heritage, legacy, and identity in this fiery, conversation-starting novel.Eran Sharon knows nothing of his father except that he left when Eran was a baby... -
![Dancing Arabs by Sayed Kashua, Miriam Shlesinger]()
Dancing Arabs by Sayed Kashua, Miriam Shlesinger
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA story born out of the tensions between Jewish and Arab Israelis, the debut novel by twenty-eight-year-old Arab-Israeli Sayed Kashua has been praised around the world for its honesty, irony, humor, and its uniquely human portrayal of a young man who moves between two societies, becoming a stranger to both... -
![In the City by the Sea by Kamila Shamsie]()
In the City by the Sea by Kamila Shamsie
Rated: 3.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHasan is eleven years old. He loves cricket, pomegranates, the night sky, his clever, vibrant artistic mother and his etymologically obsessed lawyer father, and he adores his next-door neighbour Zehra. One early summer morning, while lazing happily on the roof, Hasan watches a young boy flying a yellow kite fall to his death...
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