This Wild and Precious Life
M.C. Higgins, the Great

The Bluest Eye

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A PARADE BEST BOOK OF ALL TIME • From the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner—a powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity that asks questions about race, class, and gender with characteristic subtlety and grace.

“So precise, so faithful to speech and so charged with pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry”—The New York Times

In Morrison’s acclaimed first novel, Pecola Breedlove—an 11-year-old Black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others—prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.

More Adult, Non-Juvenile Books

  • In The Other Valley, sixteen-year-old Odile navigates the complexities of time and choice as she vies for a position on the Conseil, which controls the borders of her town. When she discovers that the parents of her friend Edme have crossed into her present from the future, she must confront her feelings for him while grappling with the immense responsibility of preserving the timeline.
  • The Queen of Sugar Hill tells the poignant story of Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award, as she navigates the complexities of fame and identity after her historic win. Facing both adoration and scorn, she struggles to find her place in a divided society while remaining committed to paving the way for future Black actors. ReShonda Tate masterfully captures Hattie's resilience and determination in this unforgettable tale of ambition and equality.
  • The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk presents a transformative retelling of U.S. history, emphasizing the crucial role of Native Americans in shaping modern America. This work challenges traditional narratives that often overlook Indigenous history, highlighting their struggle, survival, and resurgence throughout five centuries. Blackhawk's synthesis reveals the enduring power and agency of Native peoples, offering a more nuanced understanding of the United States.
  • In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, Jack and Mabel build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone -- but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.