Brit Bennett, author portrait
© Emma Trim

Brit Bennett

Born and raised in Southern California, Brit Bennett graduated from Stanford University and later earned her MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan. Her debut novel, The Mothers, was a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for both the NBCC John Leonard First Novel Prize and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction. Her second novel, The Vanishing Half, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, longlisted for the National Book Award, a finalist for the Women’s Prize, and named one of the ten best books of the year by The New York Times. Bennet has been named a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, a NAACP Image Award Finalist, and one of Time’s Next 100 Influential People. Her essays have been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Jezebel.

The Vanishing Half

Two books that impacted author Brit Bennett

Brit Bennett (author of The Mothers) | 8 Great Questions

Books

The Vanishing Half

Media

Two books that impacted author Brit Bennett

Brit Bennett (author of The Mothers) | 8 Great Questions

Get Inspired! Books for After-School Clubs & Activities

Coordinating after-school clubs and activities in your school community? Explore our collection of books that will help students discover their passion for new (and screen-free!) hobbies. Focusing on topics such as art, board games, crafting, cooking, nature, sports, and more—these books are bound to spark imagination and movement. Browse the middle school and high school

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Celebrate 100 years of James Baldwin

We’re celebrating the centennial of James Baldwin’s birth by sharing a collection of his work. Explore titles and learn more about the literary legend and civil rights champion.   James Baldwin (1924–1987) was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, appeared in 1953 to excellent reviews, and his

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New High School Thematic Educator Guide: Contemporary and Classic Pairings

When students read classic and contemporary texts together, they use high-level thinking to determine similarities and differences in style, structure, and essential truths. Paired texts provide relevance and open entry points to new ideas and cultures. This guide pairs the following books: This Is My America and To Kill a Mockingbird Lessons in Chemistry and

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Penguin Random House ALA Midwinter Award Winners & Honorees for Secondary Education

The American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter announced their 2021 literary award winners and honorees at its virtual annual meeting. Below you can find which Penguin Random House titles appropriate for Middle School and High School students were among the winners.  To see which Elementary School titles were honored, click here. Printz Honor Every Body Looking

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