Teen Non-Fiction

Non-Fiction Staff Picks
'Voices Heard' for Teens
Explore staff picks for Teen Non-Fiction from the 2025 African American Booklist, Voices Heard. The African American Booklist has been published annually by the Detroit Public Library for over 50 years, and includes books by and/or about African Americans selected by our library staff.
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Writing in color : fourteen writers on the lessons we've learned
2023
"So, you're thinking of writing a book. Or, maybe you've written one, and are wondering what to do with it. What does it take to publish a novel, or even a short story? If you're a writer of color, these questions might multiply; after all, there's a lot of writing advice out there, and it can be hard to know how much of it really applies to your own experiences. If any of this sounds like you, you're in the right place: this collection of essays, written exclusively by authors of color, is here to encourage and empower writers of all ages and backgrounds to find their voice as they put pen to page. Perhaps you're just getting started. Here you'll find a whole toolkit of advice from bestselling and award-winning authors for focusing on an idea, landing on a point of view, and learning which rules were meant to be broken. Or perhaps you have questions about everything beyond the first draft: what is it really like being a published author? These writers demystify the process, sharing personal stories as they forged their own path to publication, and specifically from their perspectives as author of color. Every writer has a different journey. Maybe yours has already started. Or maybe it begins right here. Contributors include: Julie C. Dao, Chloe Gong, Joan He, Kosoko Jackson, Adiba Jaigirdar, Darcie Little Badger, Yamile Saied Mendez, Axie Oh, Laura Pohl, Cindy Pon, Karuna Riazi, Gail D. Villanueva, Julian Winters, and Kat Zhang"-- Amazon
View in CatalogRepresent : the unfinished fight for the vote
2024
"An exploration of the ongoing fight for democracy in the United States, from the American Revolution to the present day"-- Provided by publisher.
View in CatalogFlamboyants : the queer Harlem renaissance I wish I'd known
2024
Reading Level: Grades 10-12 Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).
"From New York Times-bestselling author of ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE comes an illuminating set of profiles of Black and Queer icons from the Harlem Renaissance, interspersed with personal essays and spot illustrations by a Steptoe Award-winning illustrator"-- Provided by publisher.
View in CatalogSide quest : a visual history of roleplaying games
2024
With a meld of history, fantasy, and memoir, Side Quest: A Visual History of Roleplaying Games gives existing fans of tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) insight into the history of the medium--and provides a gateway for anyone new to the phenomenon.
View in Catalog
TODO: Add next up recommendations (and/or maybe back to overall age page), add sitewide 'back to top' functionality