Black joy & identity books

Ages 3–8

Tonya Hegamin

Even though Mama is an agent on the Underground Railroad, in order to help others she remains a slave, teaching her daughter the value of freedom through her gift of love and sacrifice.

Ages 3–8

Edwidge Danticat

Award-winning memoirist Edwidge Danticat's rich and lyrical text envelops the reader in the security of a mother's love, and debut artist Shannon Wright's vibrant art infuses the story with even more warmth.

Ages 3–8

Gene Barretta

There are themes of hard work, determination, overcoming obstacles, boxing, sports, persistence, and confidence—something Muhammad Ali clearly had plenty of."* In this picture book biography of Muhammad Ali, author Gene Barretta and ...

Ages 3–8

Joan Hickson

Say Curtis describes his meeting with Pinkus Aylee, a black soldier, during the Civil War, and their capture by Southern troops. Based on a true story about the author's great-great-grandfather.

Ages 3–8

Gabrielle Union

"Meet the one and only Shady Baby! With a flash of side-eye and a dash of kindness, Shady Baby is the first to stand up for her friends. But when her feelings are hurt, will anyone have her back?"--book jacket.

Ages 3–8

Katharine Capshaw

"Childhood joy, pleasure, and creativity are not often associated with the civil rights movement. Their ties to the movement may have faded from historical memory, but these qualities received considerable photographic attention in that tumultuous era. Katharine Capshaw's Civil Rights Childhood reveals how the Black child has been--and continues to be--a social agent that demands change. Because children carry a compelling aura of human value and potential, images of African American children in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education had a powerful effect on the fight for civil rights. In the iconography of Emmett Till and the girls murdered in the 1963 Birmingham church bombings, Capshaw explores the function of children's photographic books and the image of the Black child in social justice campaigns for school integration and the civil rights movement. Drawing on works ranging from documentary photography, coffee-table and art books, and popular historical narratives and photographic picture books for the very young, Civil Rights Childhood sheds new light on images of the child and family that portrayed liberatory models of Blackness, but it also considers the role photographs played in the desire for consensus and closure with the rise of multiculturalism.

Ages 3–8

Bonnie Bader

My Little Golden Book about Martin Luther King Jr by Bonnie Bader — a thoughtfully chosen inclusive book for young readers.

Ages 3–8

Verna Wilkins

Mum can fix it by Verna Wilkins — a thoughtfully chosen inclusive book for young readers.

Ages 3–8

Gary Golio

Blending a playful, rhythmic narration with expressive illustrations as fluid and dynamic as their subjects, this tribute to the masters of bebop by acclaimed biographer Gary Golio and beloved artist Ed Young will have readers hankering to ...

Ages 3–8

Rita Williams-Garcia

Clickity-clack, Clack......tipity-tap, tap tap......tipity-tap, tap In Bottle Cap Boys Dancing on Royal Street, award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia introduces two bottle cap dancers, brothers Randy and Rudy.

Ages 3–8

Kristina Evans

In a rhythmically-written, sweet conversation between parent and child, Mama lists her son's many good traits--from physical attributes to behavior--and though he dismisses each quality as just a little thing, Mama explains that there is ...

Ages 3–8

Mara Rockliff

A tale inspired by a true story follows the experiences of Little John, who along with his sisters excitedly anticipates the completion of a latest sculpture by his mother, a stonecutter at the Big John cathedral.

Ages 3–8

Sarah Albee

Martin Luther King Jr.: A Peaceful Leader is a Level Two I Can Read, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.

Ages 3–8

Mary Hoffman

Now Grace's aspirations come to life with paper dolls that make it possible for children -- and adults -- to dress her in many of the roles she plays in the best-selling book Amazing Grace.Amazing Grace Paper Dolls will provide children ...

Ages 3–8

Wade Smith

When Smitty learns that his friend, Luke, and Georgina, who teases him, both have trouble reading, he begins helping them after school.

Ages 3–8

Nikki Grimes

Discover the incredible story of a young daughter of immigrants who would grow up to be the first woman, first Black person, and first South Asian American ever elected Vice President of the United States—and in a history-making turn of ...

Ages 3–8

Daniel Defoe

Although intended to be the last Crusoe tale, the novel is followed by a third and final novel involving the character by Defoe entitled Serious Reflections of Robinson Crusoe (1720).

Ages 8–12

Jerry Craft

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry ...

Ages 8–12

Jerry Craft

"Eighth grader Drew Ellis recognizes that he isn't afforded the same opportunities, no matter how hard he works, that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted, and to make matters worse, Drew begins to ...

Ages 8–12

Jason Reynolds

"Ghost, a naturally talented runner and troublemaker, is recruited for an elite middle school track team. He must stay on track, literally and figuratively, to reach his full potential"--

Ages 8–12

Jason Reynolds

Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team - a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Patina, or Patty, runs like a flash. She runs for many reasons: to escape the taunts from the kids at the fancy-schmancy new school she's been sent to since she and her little sister had to stop living with their mom. She runs from the reason why she's not able to live with her 'real' mom anymore: her mom has The Sugar, and Patty is terrified that the disease that took her mom's legs will one day take her away forever. So Patty's also running for her mom, who can't. As the stress builds up, it's building up a pretty bad attitude as well.

Ages 8–12

Jason Reynolds

Sunny, the Defenders' best runner, only runs for his father, who blames Sunny for his mother's death, but with his coach's help Sunny finds a way to combine track and field with his true passion, dancing.

Ages 8–12

Jason Reynolds

Lu must learn to leave his ego on the sidelines if he wants to finally connect with others in the climax to the New York Times bestselling and award-winning Track series from Jason Reynolds. Lu was born to be cocaptain of the Defenders.

Ages 8–12

Janae Marks

Zoe is working to prove to everyone around her that she is worthy of being on Food Network's Kid Bake Challenge. On her 12th birthday, however, she receives an unexpected letter from her father, who has been in prison for a crime. A crime he says he did not commit. With recipes and the weight of her father's confession on her mind, it is up to Zoe to search for truth as she questions assumptions and strives to do what is right - even in the face of opposition.