Hubbard, Ladee

This is not an easy-breezy listen, but will reward those who value the quality of the experience Hubbard, Ojo, and Jackson create together.

Finely written and worth a second read, this novel would be a fantastic choice for book discussion groups. With complete faithfulness to the text, it could also make an excellent movie.

With a nod to W.E.B. Dubois's essay "The Talented Tenth," this debut novel revolves around the subtle theme of adults passing on knowledge to younger generations. Hubbard's voice mixes wry humor and superhero pop culture while addressing issues that continue to challenge our country's African American community. [Hubbard is a 2016 winner of the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award.—Ed.]