Angie Thomas, author of 'The Hate U Give,' shares book picks for Independent Bookstore Day

Angie Thomas, author of "The Hate U Give," "On the Come Up" and "Concrete Rose," is sharing her top book picks with "Good Morning America" for Independent Bookstore Day.

Thomas is the 2022 ambassador for Independent Bookstore Day, which is celebrated at indie bookstores across the country every year on the last Saturday in April.

To purchase copies of any of Thomas's recommendations, visit your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.org.

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'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry' by Mildred D. Taylor

"This was one of my favorites as a child and still is. Though Cassie Logan's story is set decades before I was born, she -- like me -- was a Black girl living in poverty in Mississippi. She was the hero I aspired to be, and as a reader, this was the first time I read a book and saw myself on its pages."

'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' by Maya Angelou

"As a teenager, I started to dislike reading, mainly because it was hard to find books I identified with. This is one of the few books that pulled me in at that time."

'Monster' by Walter Dean Myers

"I am able to write the young adult novels that I write only because of Walter Dean Myers. 'Monster' is a modern classic. Through a combination of screenplay excerpts and diary entries, it tells the story of 16-year-old Steve Harmon as he awaits trial for murder and shows us the dehumanization that Black boys often endure, especially within the justice system."

'The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley' by Malcolm X and Alex Haley

"In college, I attended an elite, mostly white school and shrank myself to make others comfortable. But this was the novel that opened my eyes and helped me become my own person."

'The Rose That Grew from Concrete' by Tupac Shakur

"It's no secret that I'm a huge Tupac fan, but at first, I didn’t know that he wrote poetry -- and not just in songs. This book gives insight into Tupac the person and the artist, and it also gave me a sense of myself as a rose growing in concrete."

'Salvage the Bones' by Jesmyn Ward

"Jesmyn is one of the most brilliant writers I've ever had the pleasure of reading. When I first read this book about a young pregnant girl and her family as they faced Hurricane Katrina, I was not only blown away by her gift, but also by the fact that she, too, is a Black woman from Mississippi. So many of Mississippi's well-known authors are old, white or dead -- and she is none those things, nor am I. Seeing her succeed showed me that maybe my own author dreams were possible."

'Death of Innocence' by Mamie Till-Mobley

"Before I started working on 'The Hate U Give,' I read this memoir by Emmett Till's mother. She's one of the unsung heroes of the civil rights movement and her strength, bravery and resilience are truly inspirational."

'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green

"This book nurtured my love for young adult fiction. As soon as I started reading it, I was hooked."

'Long Way Down' by Jason Reynolds

"'Long Way Down' is a masterpiece from one of the best authors that children's literature has ever seen. Told in verse, it follows a young boy, Will, as he takes an elevator ride on his way to avenge his brother's murder. But over the course of the ride, he encounters the spirits of those he's lost to gun violence. Haunting but necessary."

'Between the World and Me' by Ta-Nehisi Coates

"Although Coates wrote this book as a letter to his Black son, it is also a letter to all Black boys -- and to all of us -- about what it truly means to be Black in America."

'Dear Justyce' by Nic Stone

"Anyone who follows me on social media knows that Nic Stone is one of my best friends, but she's also one of my favorite authors. Her phenomenal follow-up to 2017's 'Dear Martin' tells the story of Quan, a young man incarcerated and accused of murder. More than that, it's a story of Black boyhood, the ways in which the system fails boys like Quan and how we can create a better world for them."

'Ghost' by Jason Reynolds

"I love every single thing Jason does. I would read his grocery lists."

'They Both Die at the End' by Adam Silvera

"Adam Silvera brings me all the joy in the world, despite the fact that his books give me all the heartbreak in the world."

'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda' by Becky Albertalli

"Becky writes wonderful, diverse love stories."

'The Poet X' by Elizabeth Acevedo

"Elizabeth is a master of 'beautiful verse.'"