The October issue of Booklist Reader is live now. Be sure to check out the new digital library patron–facing magazine featuring diverse readers’ advisory recommendations for readers of all ages. Available to all now through January 2022.

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Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South
by Wade Hudson

In 1988, author Wade Hudson founded a publishing company with his wife, Cheryl Hudson, to provide the books for Black children and young adults that he wished he’d had as a young Black boy growing up in Mansfield, Louisiana. This admirable memoir is a welcome addition to those works.

Booklist Backlist: Japanese Graphic Horror
by Terry Hong

​I can’t watch scary movies, but I love graphic horror on the page. And really, fear-mongering via Japanese manga—both series and standalones—promises some of the most affecting fright-fests. As we approach that most haunting time of the year, here’s some chilling company.

Core Collection: TV Backstories
​by Donna Seaman

Television has been an integral part of American society and consciousness since its inception, evolving with, mirroring, and propelling changing perspectives and advances. The books below offer insights into the creation and influence of an array of mainstream shows.

The Shelf Care Interview: Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon

In this episode of the Shelf Care Interview, Sarah Hunter talks with Dave Scheidt and Miranda Harmon, creators of Mayor Good Boy.

Core Collection: Art School Electives
by Maggie Reagan

Here, we’ve collected a sampling of essential fiction and nonfiction titles, across age ranges, in support of some of the most common arts-education classes found at American schools. Whatever creative path you’re interested in pursuing, you’ll find something to complement it here.

Listen Up: As Seen on TV
by Heather Booth

Who hasn’t listened to an audiobook and wondered, “Where have I heard that voice before?” Many actors maintain a healthy balance of on- and off-screen work. Here are some standouts tagged for their television and film roles and role in a recommended audiobook. 

Top 10 Arts Books for Youth: 2021
by Julia Smith

Singing, dancing, photography, fashion—these are just a few of the powerful tools of expression in this year’s best books on the arts, reviewed in Booklist between October 15, 2020, and October 1, 2021.