Last week, I posted our review of The Griots of Oakland, edited by Angela Zusman, lamenting that the book hasn’t gotten more attention, and hey, what do you know, it’s gotten some more attention!  It has now been nominated for YALSA’s Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list.*

I also wanted to point out that the book was brought to this blog’s attention by the fabulous In the Margins Committee. According to their website, “In the Margins strives to find the best books for teens living in poverty, on the streets, in custody – or a cycle of all three.”  They have a special emphasis on self published and small press published titles by, for and about people of color living in the margins–books which far too often don’t get reviewed by mainstream library publications.  And they were also our source for Richard Ross’s amazing Juvenile In Justice, which ended up getting an Alex Award and a spot on the Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list.  So if Ross’s book is anything to go by, keep your eyes out for great things coming for Griots.

And in any case, check out the website for In the Margins: their book lists are a wonderful resource for books about underserved populations, especially young people in custody.

*Disclosure: I am on the current PPYA selection committee, but I was not the one to nominate the book.