My most complete list of February releases. As I continue to find more titles by authors of color, I’ll add them to the comprehensive list for 2015.

Streetball Crew Book Two Stealing the Game Hardcover by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Author), Raymond Obstfeld (Author); Disney Hyperion
When eighth-grader Chris’s older brother, Jax, is caught betting on the pick-up basketball games that Chris and his friends play, Chris becomes involved in the police investigation. Ages 9-12.
When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez; Bloomsbury
Elizabeth Davis and Emily Delgado seem to have little in common except Ms. Diaz’s English class and the solace they find in the words of Emily Dickinson, but both are struggling to cope with monumental secrets and tumultuous emotions that will lead one to attempt suicide. Ages 12-18.
Dove Arising by Karen Bao; Penguin
“On a lunar colony, fifteen-year-old Phaet Theta does the unthinkable and joins the Militia when her mother is imprisoned by the Moon’s oppressive government”. (ages 12 and up)
Feral Pride by Cynthia Leitich Smith; Candlewick
The explosive finale to the Feral series by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith. A rousing blend of suspense, paranormal romance, humor, and high action. Ages 12-18. (ages 12 and up)
Rebellion by Stephanie Diaz; St. Martin Press
Clementine, Logan, and their allies have retreated into hiding on the Surface, with plans to infiltrate each sector and weaken Commander Charlie’s infrastructure from within, but Charlie has more weapons in his possession than guns and bombs, and he will do whatever it takes to stop the rebels. Ages 12-18.
Shutter by Courtney Alameda; Feiwel and Friends
With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She’s aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera’s technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever. 1(ages 12-18)
Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia; Harper Collins/Amistad
Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern are off to Alabama to visit their grandmother Big Ma and her mother Ma Charles. Across the way lives Miss Trotter, Ma Charles’ half sister. The two half sisters haven’t spoken in years. As Delphine hears about her family history, she uncovers the surprising truth that’s been keeping the sisters apart. But when tragedy strikes, Delphine discovers that the bonds of family run deeper than she ever knew possible. Ages 8-12.
Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai; Harper Collins
Assisting her grandmother’s investigation of her grandfather’s fate during the Vietnam War, Mai struggles to adapt to an unfamiliar culture while redefining her sense of family. (ages 8-12)
My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warza; Balzer + Bray
Seventeen-year-old Aysel’s hobby–planning her own death–take a new path when she meets a boy who has similar plan of his own. (ages 12-18)
The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons; Tor Teens
Stolen from her home, and being groomed for auction, Aya is desperate to escape her fate and return to her family, but her only allies are a loyal wolf she’s raised from a pup and a strange mute boy who may be her best hope for freedom … if she can truly trust him. (ages 12-18)
This Side of Home by Renée Watson; Bloomsbury
Twins Nikki and Maya Younger always agreed on most things, but as they head into their senior year they react differently to the gentrification of their Portland, Oregon, neighborhood and the new–white–family that moves in after their best friend and her mother are evicted. (ages 12-18)
Birchtown and the Black Loyalists by Wanda Lauren Taylor; Nimbus
Wanda Taylor recounts the incredible story of the Black Loyalists of Birchtown. With educational and accessible language, she introduces young readers to the journey of Black American soldiers taken from Africa as slaves, their quest for freedom, the settlement and struggle of Black Loyalists on Nova Scotia soil, and the enduring spirit of their descendants in spite of a history marked by hardship and loss. Includes informative sidebars, highlighted glossary terms, recommended reading, historic timeline, an index and dozens of historical and contemporary images. (ages 7-12)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind young readers edition by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer; Penguin
When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba’s tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season’s crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family’s life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William’s windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.
Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy’s brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William’s story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family. (ages 10 and up)
Wish Girl by Nikki Loftin; Razorbill
Peter Stone’s parents and siblings are extroverts, musicians, and yellers—and the louder they get, the less Peter talks, or even moves, until he practically fits his last name. When his family moves to the Texas Hill Country, though, Peter finds a tranquil, natural valley where he can, at last, hear himself think. There, he meets a girl his age: Annie Blythe. Annie tells Peter she’s a “wish girl.” But Annie isn’t just any wish girl; she’s a “Make-A-Wish Girl.” And in two weeks she will begin a dangerous treatment to try and stop her cancer from spreading. Left alone, the disease will kill her. But the treatment may cause serious, lasting damage to her brain.
Annie and Peter hatch a plan to escape into the valley, which they begin to think is magical. But the pair soon discovers that the valley—and life—may have other plans for them. And sometimes wishes come true in ways they would never expect. (ages 8-12)