George M. Johnson made waves with their critically acclaimed debut, All Boys Aren’t Blue, which became a bestseller—as well as the second-most challenged book in the United States in 2022 and 2023. Their new young adult nonfiction book, Flamboyants, spotlights queer Black icons from the 1920s such as Zora Neale Hurston and Josephine Baker. The biographies are accentuated by colorful illustrations from Charly Palmer, winner of the 2018 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award.
The Hold List: Born this way
If you’ve ever felt like the odd one out—the black sheep in your family, or loner in your community—you’ll love these four books with protagonists who can’t help but stand out.
