
The Color of a Lie
Random House Children's Books · Paperback · June 3, 2025
In 1955, a Black family passes for white and moves to a “Whites Only” town in the suburbs.
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- Who it’s for
- A warm, page-by-page YA pick with a serious social lens and an easy gift-table appeal.
- Genres
- Prejudice & Racism for Teens, 20th-Century US YA, African American YA
- Published
- Random House Children's Books, June 3, 2025
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For younger readers: Caprice
For older readers: One Night in Georgia, The Filling Station
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Start with this bookAbout this book
In 1955, a Black family passes for white and moves to a “Whites Only” town in the suburbs. Caught between two worlds, a teen boy puts his family at risk as he uncovers racist secrets about his suburb. A new social justice thriller from the acclaimed author of This Is My America! WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE • A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL AND KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Calvin knows how to pass for white.
Continue reading
He's done it plenty of times before. For his friends in Chicago, when they wanted food but weren't allowed in a restaurant. For work, when he and his dad would travel for the Green Book. This is different. After a tragedy in Chicago forces the family to flee, they resettle in an idyllic all-white suburban town in search of a better life. Calvin's father wants everyone to embrace their new white lifestyles, but it's easier said than done. Hiding your true self is exhausting -- which leads Calvin across town where he can make friends who know all of him...and spend more time with his new crush, Lily. But when Calvin starts unraveling dark secrets about the white town and its inhabitants, passing starts to feel even more suffocating--and dangerous--than he could have imagined. Expertly weaving together real historical events with important reflections on being Black in America, acclaimed author Kim Johnson powerfully connects readers to the experience of being forced to live a life-threatening lie or embrace an equally deadly truth.
Warm-Weight Read
A warm, page-by-page YA pick with a serious social lens and an easy gift-table appeal.
Come here for
- warm, sustained YA narrative
- a thoughtful giftable read
Expect
- teen fiction with an African American focus
- a read that stays with you after the last page
Where it sits
| 20th-Century US YA | 48% |
|---|---|
| Prejudice & Racism for Teens | 48% |
| African American YA | 44% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Diverse YA Fiction
- African American YA
- Prejudice & Racism for Teens
- Authors
- Kim Johnson
- Publisher
- Random House Children's Books
- Published
- June 3, 2025
- Format
- Paperback
- Reading lane
- Diverse YA Fiction