Poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s narration of her groundbreaking spoken-word poem resonates with love, understanding, and heartbreak. Originally titled “Hair,” the work achieved viral fame during her 2014 poetry slam circuit. With a thrumming rhythm and exquisitely placed pauses, Acevedo celebrates the beauty and import of Black hair. Her voice dips in sorrow as she notes that too many Black women and girls engage in colorism and self-hate, buying into the fallacy that their hair needs to be “fixed,” for only white hair can be beautiful. Acevedo’s response to this painful yet powerful urge towards whiteness is delivered with passionate fury: “You can’t fix what was never broken.” This audio, while brief, is packed with insights and clarity. Listeners will want to hear it again and again.
(Poetry. 12-adult)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
Duration: 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063250390
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This audio gem from Indigenous authors features stories in which elders offer guidance to young Native Americans. Various Native voices introduce listeners to Sandy June's Frybread Drive-In, known as SJ's, which magically opens whenever a teen faces a social challenge--for example, fitting in. An elder cooks while listening to the teen's concerns and offers advice. In "Kathy's Poem," an excellent writer is palpably terrified until performing at SJ's open mic. "Red Patent" features a Cherokee teacher condescendingly criticizing a Native student--both superbly rendered--then having a change of heart after both are stranded at SJ's. Traditional accents, dynamic portraits of young and old tribal members, and the author's note encouraging listeners to honor their elders ensure an unforgettable listening experience.
(Anthology. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063314290
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Tony Keith, Jr.--poet, rapper, and hip-hop educator--uses his cultural observations, edgy politics, and sharp ear for concise wordplay and fast rhymes to get the attention of the audience that needs him most: disenfranchised Black school kids he affectionately calls "knuckleheads." With brash and evocative poem titles like "If You Fail to Plan, Then Plan to Fail," "Because When I Write, I'm Dangerous," and "I Don't Have to Imagine Being Black," Keith weaves personal verses of navigating the world as a gay Black man with themes of healing and empowerment. Energetic, enthusiastic, and empathetic, Keith is a veteran of the slam poetry circuit, and one can imagine him commanding the stage like he commands this audiobook.
(Poetry. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063296084
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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