Freedom
Freedom is one of the words most often used to describe Juneteenth. It represents the moment enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free, even though that freedom had already been declared years earlier. Freedom isn’t just history. It’s about independence and growing into your own person. Due to my own life experiences, I love books where characters are figuring out who they are and what freedom means in their lives because it’s so relatable. Sometimes that looks like making their own choices, and other times it is about breaking away from expectations or stereotypes people have placed on them. An upcoming book that connects to this idea for me is Free Girls by Kristen McCallum. It follows a girl named Jasmine as she returns from juvenile detention and tries to rebuild her life. Even just from the synopsis, it feels like a story about what freedom really looks like beyond the surface. It is not only about being physically free, but also about learning how to move forward, rebuild, and redefine yourself after your past mistakes.
Resilience
Resilience is another major theme connected to Juneteenth. It reflects the strength and endurance of people who faced unimaginable challenges and still found ways to push forward. I see resilience as continuing to grow even when things are difficult and not letting setbacks define my future. A book that echoes this theme is The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson. It’s a young adult (YA) horror retelling of Carrie that follows a biracial teen girl named Maddy who faces racism and bullying at her school. She is constantly pushed to her limits, and the story shows how isolation and mistreatment can build over time. This relates to Juneteenth for me because resilience is not only about surviving difficult situations, but also about how people respond when they are pushed to their breaking point. Strength can look different depending on the situation or person, and sometimes resilience is about enduring and still trying to hold onto yourself in the process.
Community
Community is a huge part of Juneteenth. It is a day often celebrated in African American communities with cookouts, music, and time spent with family and friends. It reaffirms the idea that people are stronger when they are together and have a support system they can rely on. Community can show up in a lot of different ways, like friends at school, family, or even new environments where you are still trying to figure everything out. A book that fits this idea is New Kid by Jerry Craft. It follows Jordan, a middle school student who starts at a new school where he is one of the few Black students in a predominantly white school. As he adjusts, he navigates figuring out where he fits in socially while still staying true to himself and his identity. The story shows how community can be built through shared experiences and the people you connect with along the way. Community isn’t just about being around people, it’s about having spaces where you feel like you belong.
Diversity
There’s no better way to finish this blog than with an anthology written by multiple authors. When I think about diverse voices, I think about how interesting it is to get various perspectives in one place, especially when they all explore similar ideas in their own way. It also pushes me to read stories I might not usually pick up. A good example of this is Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America. It is a YA anthology with different authors contributing their own stories. Each one looks at what it means to be young and Black in America in a slightly different way. Some are about family, some are about friendship, and others are just about everyday life. Even though the stories are all unique, together they show how many experiences can exist under the same identity. Books like this make my summer TBR feel more intentional, not just because of what I’m reading, but because of the diverse voices I get to hear along the way.
Juneteenth really shapes how I look at my summer TBR. Each book adds something a little different to how I see things and what I take away from my reading. This summer I just want to keep reading books that teach me something new and show me different perspectives along the way, all while surviving my summer classes.
Keonte Emerson, Pine Reads Review Co-Assistant Director, Lead Writer, and Social Media Manager
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