Brandy Colbert Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Brandy Colbert

Because all of Brandy Colbert’s novels are standalone works, there is no single correct order to read them. You have complete freedom to begin with whatever book calls to your interests first. However, depending on what genres and formats you enjoy, here are the most recommended starting points:

• For contemporary YA readers: Start with Little & Lion. This 2018 Stonewall Book Award winner is Colbert’s most famous novel and serves as the perfect introduction to her signature style: empathetic, intersectional, and emotionally rich storytelling that deals with complex family relationships, mental health, and identity.
• For fans of grittier, character-driven drama: Start with her debut novel, Pointe. It is a powerful, raw look at trauma, eating disorders, and recovery through the lens of a dedicated Black ballerina.
• For younger or middle-grade readers: Start with The Only Black Girls in Town or her 2025 Parent-Trap-style novel, Let's Get Together. These books offer accessible yet deeply thoughtful stories about friendship, family secrets, and navigating systemic race and foster care structures in middle school.
• For history and non-fiction buffs: Start with Black Birds in the Sky. This highly acclaimed, award-winning history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre offers an essential, unflinching look at historical racial violence in America.

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

If you prefer to watch Colbert's growth as a storyteller, reading her fictional work in chronological order of publication is an excellent path. Each novel introduces fresh perspectives and distinct settings, ranging from the competitive dance world to the fast-paced events of an Election Day.

1. Pointe (2014) – Theo is a talented dancer recovering from an eating disorder. When her old friend Donovan returns after being abducted four years ago, Theo must confront painful secrets about her own relationship with Donovan's captor.
2. Little & Lion (2017) – Suzette returns home to Los Angeles from boarding school and must navigate her attraction to the same girl her stepbrother Lionel is falling for, all while trying to support Lionel as his bipolar disorder worsens.
3. Finding Yvonne (2018) – Yvonne has spent years training as a violinist, but as high school ends, she struggles with the realization that she might not be good enough for a professional career, leading her to carve out a new path of self-discovery.
4. The Revolution of Birdie Randolph (2019) – Set in Chicago, sixteen-year-old Birdie tries to live up to her parents' strict expectations. Her life changes when her aunt, recovering from addiction, moves in, and Birdie begins falling for a boy with a complicated past.
5. The Only Black Girls in Town (2020) – Colbert’s middle-grade debut follows Alberta, the only Black girl in her small California beach town, who is thrilled when Edie moves in next door. Together, they discover a collection of hidden journals in Edie's attic that reveal a decades-old mystery.
6. The Voting Booth (2020) – A fast-paced YA novel taking place entirely over the course of one Election Day. It follows Marva, an enthusiastic teen activist, and Duke, a drummer turned away from the polling station, as they join forces to make sure Duke's vote is counted.
7. The Blackwoods (2023) – A multi-generational saga charting the legacy of a legendary Black Hollywood dynasty. Following the death of matriarch Blossom Blackwood, a groundbreaking 1960s star, her great-granddaughters Ardith and Hollis must deal with the public and private fallout of a massive family secret.
8. Let's Get Together (2025) – A middle-grade contemporary retelling of The Parent Trap. Identical twins Kenya, raised in Pasadena by her father, and Liberty, who grew up in the foster care system, meet by chance and team up to discover the truth behind their separation.

Middle-Grade vs. Young Adult Fiction

When choosing your next read, it is helpful to understand how Colbert adjusts her tone and themes for different age groups. While all her books deal with identity and family structures, they are tailored to different audiences:

Young Adult Novels

Colbert’s YA novels—including Pointe, Little & Lion, Finding Yvonne, The Revolution of Birdie Randolph, The Voting Booth, and The Blackwoods—frequently deal with heavy themes suited for teen and adult readers. These include mental health struggles, systemic racism, sexual identity, trauma, substance abuse, and the pressures of transitioning into adulthood. They are characterized by complex, sometimes messy protagonists navigating real-world difficulties with raw honesty.

Middle-Grade Novels

Her middle-grade novels, The Only Black Girls in Town and Let's Get Together, are geared toward readers aged 8 to 12. These stories focus heavily on the complexities of middle-school friendships, changing family dynamics, and self-expression. While they still address serious subjects like microaggressions, class differences, and the foster care system, they do so with a lighter, mystery-driven, or humorous tone appropriate for younger audiences.

Historical Non-Fiction & Adaptations

In addition to her original fiction, Brandy Colbert is a noted non-fiction writer and historical adapter. Her non-fiction works focus on recovering marginalized histories and making them accessible to younger audiences.

• Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (2021) – An original historical account written by Colbert. The book details the history of Greenwood, the thriving Black district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the devastating white supremacist attack that destroyed it, while contextualizing how the event fits into the broader history of racial violence in the United States.
• The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks: Adapted for Young Readers (2021) – Colbert collaborated with historian Jeanne Theoharis to adapt Theoharis's award-winning biography of Rosa Parks. This adaptation challenges the common historical myth of Parks as an accidental, quiet activist, presenting her instead as a lifelong, radical organizer who fought against police brutality, housing discrimination, and inequality for decades.

A Note on the ReVisioning History for Young People Series

It is important to note that Colbert's adaptation of the Rosa Parks biography is part of Beacon Press’s larger ReVisioning History for Young People series. Although some library catalogs list these titles together, Colbert was not the author or adapter of the other volumes in this series, such as A Queer History of the United States for Young People (adapted by Richie Chevat) or An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People (adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese). Readers looking strictly for Colbert's writing should focus specifically on her Rosa Parks volume.

Anthologies & Collaborative Collections

For readers who want to sample Colbert's writing in shorter formats, she has contributed short stories to several popular young adult anthologies. These collaborative books are excellent for discovering her writing alongside other prominent YA authors:

• Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories (2016) – Features a summer romance story by Colbert.
• Three Sides of a Heart: Stories about Love Triangles (2017) – A collection exploring and subverting the classic love triangle trope.
• Our Stories, Our Voices (2018) – A collection of essays and stories by diverse YA authors discussing growing up in America.
• Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft (2018) – A feminist anthology featuring stories about magic and witchcraft.
• Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America (2019) – Includes Colbert's critically acclaimed short story "Oreo", which explores themes of identity, belonging, and racial expectations.

What to Know Before You Start

Brandy Colbert’s stories are deeply rooted in real-world environments, primarily in California and the American Midwest (reflecting her own background growing up in Missouri and living in Los Angeles). If you appreciate books with strong, atmospheric settings, you will love how she brings these communities to life. While her stories are standalone and can be read in any order, her books often contain easter eggs or thematic parallels, such as a focus on artistic pursuits (ballet in Pointe, violin in Finding Yvonne, drumming in The Voting Booth). You do not need to worry about missing vital continuity plotlines when jumping between her books, allowing for a relaxed, self-guided reading experience.