New Crayons, Blogoversary giveaway #2

New Crayons is hosted by Color Online. It's when we share what new books we got this week. Crayons being a metaphor for multicultural lit. These are books I got last week and didn't get to share because it was my blogaversary and I was celebrating :)

Thank you all so very much for the well wishes and congratulations!

Due to the fact that I'm out of town, you'll have to wait for the announcement of the winners of my Used to be Whitewashed giveaway. While you wait for the announcement why not enter my giveaway for His Own Where by June Jordan? The Rejectionist, Neesha Meminger and I did a June in June event to celebrate her. Read the Rejectionist's review, Neesha's post and my review. It's a fantastic, revolutionary book. You want this book on your shelf.

To enter: FILL Out THIS form (open to U.S. and Canada only. I'm sorry!) Must be a follower

Ends July 17 11: 59 PM CT

From the Publisher


Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by Greg Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke (ARC)

A graphic novel based on the life and death of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, an eleven-year-old gang member from Chicago's Southside who was killed by his own gang members.

-I'm almost done with this novel and it absolutely broke my heart. Especially because this happened in Chicago in 1994 and things haven't changed much since. Thank you Lee & Low Books!


The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

The Red Umbrella is the moving tale of a 14-year-old girl's journey from Cuba to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan—an organized exodus of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children, whose parents sent them away to escape Fidel Castro's revolution.

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own.

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl?

-I've had my eye on this book since at least December of 2009. And now I have it. Thank you Christina and Dominique!

From Book Fairy #1-Thank you Lyn! *hugs*

Between Sisters by Adwoa Badoe

The future looks bleak indeed for 16-year-old Gloria. Living in a poor area of Accra, she dreams of becoming a dressmaker, but after failing 13 out of 15 subjects on her final exams it seems unlikely to happen. Then a distant relative, Christine, offers to move Gloria to Kumasi to look after her son. In exchange, Christine will pay for Gloria to go to dressmaking school. In Kumasi everything seems possible, and life is grander than anything Gloria has ever experienced. But Kumasi is also full of temptations, like the popular boutique where the owner takes a fancy to Gloria and encourages her to buy clothes on credit. There’s also the smooth-talking Dr. Kusi, who gives Gloria rides in his red Passat and invites her to bring food to his apartment. Eventually betrayed by those around her, Gloria must reconcile her future, her family, and her desires.

-I like that it's YA set in Africa and not about an American traveling to a foreign country to reconnect with their roots.

Payback by Rosemary Hayes

Like some of her friends, 18-year-old Halima, a Muslim, has moved with her family to London, and her horizons are beginning to expand. Then, just as she is about to start university, she discovers her father's secret plan: to marry her to the son of a distant relation in Pakistan who once did him a favor. Halima is to be the repayment of the debt, and it's payback time. The question is, will Halima, who is now immersed in a new life far from her former village, find the inner resources to resist? Or will she give in to the pressures of family and culture and forsake her new life in London, along with her dreams? This timely book offers an exciting story of courage and friendship set against a background of traditional cultural attitudes in conflict with contemporary feelings.

-I actually haven't read many books about arranged marriages in the 21st century so this should be interesting.

Summaries from Amazon.com or indiebound.org

What new books did you get this week? Any POC titles?

*I will be out of town until July 17th. I have posts scheduled and I will have limited computer access.