From Henrietta Lacks' immortal cells to Ralph Ellison's posthumous novel, author Rebecca Walker takes us on a tour of this year's best in literature.

This summer, I had the privilege of teaching journalism to a girl I doubt I will ever forget. I was struck by her confidence and vibrant personality. But she refused to do her work. It was not until she broke down and told me her biggest struggles that I understood why. As a high school senior, she was reading and writing at a 9th grade level. Somewhere down the road something went very wrong with her education. I think it began at home.

Save your eyes—and a whole lot of paper—with the best new eReader on the market.

For the debut of her column “Books on The Root,” columnist Felicia Pride asks nine black writers to weigh in on the state of book publishing.