We actually can get better at this. The reason I got so much out of this book is because I had an amazing teacher who was happy to discuss all the themes I was reading about. Sharon M. Draper has two novels that would make good read aloud for a 6-7 year old: Out of My Mind and Blended. Thank you for reading! https://crystalallenbooks.com/books.php. Hope this helps! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_(comics). Really well done and an interesting, unexpected plot twist. 1 - 20 of 1014 results Grid View Grid. I read the third book in the March series first and loved it. Love! We cover everything from fashion to culture to parenthood, and we strive to be authentic. I would love to see more discussion on CoJ around how White families can discuss Whiteness and White privilege with their children. Adding a book to the list by a friend’s grandmother. I wanted to thank cupofjo for their continued inclusion of BPOC on the blog. They’re popular at our library! The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Know that everyone feels it and appreciates it, even folks who are not black themselves! She launched a campaign, using the hashtag #1000BlackGirlBooks, to collect 1,000 books featuring black female protagonists and donate them to a school in … Given out each year to novels and picture books at the same conference that awards the Newbery and Caldecott, the Coretta Scott King Award goes to Black writers and illustrators. Sam and the tigers by Julius Lester (a retelling and reimagining of an old racist book that he turns into a beautiful story about a smart and brave black boy). Tiffany Haddish, Karamo Brown, Lupita Nyong'o, and more will all make appearances in Netflix's new kids show Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices. Another great Black owned book store is Eye See Me out of St. Louis: Other YA authors: Sherri L Smith, Ibi Zoboi, Steph Keuhn are just a few other authors to check out. Just want to add Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon (more for high schoolers), Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, and Crossover by Kwame Alexander. For older readers, the “Children of Blood and Bone” books by Tomi Adeyemi stand out. Probably already known, but Faith Ringgold is always worth remembering. We love the book “Last stop on Market Street” by a Latinx author and Black illustrator. Also, I know the author is white, but I just love Jabari Jumps….by Gaia Cornwall. Thank you Omu by the same author is lovely as well. Nathaniel Talking by Eloise Greenfield. Leo Learns to Swim is another. We love Anna Hibiscus’s adventures, too, and Atinuke’s picture books! My daughter and I love Eva Chen’s books. Yes, Ashley Bryan is wonderful! Suitable, and I’d encourage, for tweens/teens to also view. In this series of posts I’m going to list our Top Five Favorite Chapter Books for Black Boys. I saw that reader comment on Friday and love how you have quickly remedied the situation come Monday! On the topic of black children in classic picture books, I loved Corduroy growing up! Kevin Lewis writes fun picture books for young kids who like vehicles! by Oge Mora, anything illustrated by Christian Robinson, and Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes. We loved The Magnificent Maya Tibbs series by Crystal Allen. He came and did an author visit at my elementary school library in January 2019 and the kiddos LOVED him. Me and Neesie, Children’s books with female characters, and five books to teach kids kindness. So! https://www.eyeseeme.com/, Highly recommend Mariame Kaba’s Missing Daddy. Here's a great article about the challenge from BookRiot. This list of Black children’s books by Black authors are ones which you may want to get for the kiddos in your life. I am taking notes and saving books on a wishlist, but would love to capture these resources and refer to them again and again in the future. My third grader also loved From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks. I came here to suggest the March graphic novels by Congressman John Lewis. This is awesome — thank you so much!!! I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this already in the comments, but our family would HIGHLY recommend the Audio Version of the book of New Kid as well. He does amazing ‘Brain Yoga’ for kids on his Insta: @jasonreynolds83. We bought a bunch of new books by Black authors and our favorites are ,” Mufaro’s beautiful daughters,” (its won a caldecott award and was by the 1st Black children’s illustrator) and a new one, “A good kind of trouble” for my 13 year old and she loves it!! Both are African American women. Yes Jason Reynolds! And Fremantle Press also has an Indigenous charter. Ghost by Jason Reynolds is a great book, my 11-year-old son loved to read, who is not a big reader and I also could not stop reading it. But it seems like everything is picture books or for middle readers (ie, fourth grade or so)? Yes! Bestselling authors, Vashti Harrison and Renee Watson, say books about black resilience, joy and self-love are of the utmost importance. ron’s big mission – rose blue [chapter book, ages 10 and up] Someone may have already posted this, but if you missed it, watch the KidsLit4BlackLives Rally from last Thursday, put on by the Brown Bookshelf (https://thebrownbookshelf.com/). https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/22/police-killings-disabled-black-people-mental-illness. My daughter eagerly tunes in every day; she doesn’t want to miss a word of it. Tar Beach made a big impression on me when I was a kid, especially in my school of mostly non-black students. Also ordering “Lullaby” which I will definitely make me cry. I second this recommendation. Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold is absolutely magical. We had checked it out from the library but my daughter asked me to buy the book this week because she plans to re-read it “lots, mom.” So much to like about this book as Zoe navigates friendships, pursues a passion for baking, and learns about/works to correct inequality in the criminal justice system. My nephews loved Beautful Blackbird and A book written by Ashley Sirah Chea and illustrated by Vanessa Newton. We feature only items we genuinely love and want to share, and this is an arrangement between the retailer and Cup of Jo (readers never pay more for products). We have The Snowy Day as a board book and that’s a forever favorite. I am not talking about this post or any from the past week. Since many black families are dealing with grief this year, I suggest “My Forever Guardian” by Kristina Jones. Lewis). Nice list. His latest You Matter is an essential read for children and adults alike. Max and the Tag Along Moon is one of our favorites! 90 $11.99 $11.99. May I suggest The Soil is Good by Tori Johnson-Jones? Our entire family (9 year old son, 7 year old daughter, 3 year old son, mom, and dad) loved it so much we wanted to listen to it again. Kaba is a leading organizer and educator for racial justice, This one is for older elementary, but I cannot highly enough recommend Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. Jason Reynolds. I second Pat Mora! Diane Alber. Look up illustrator Shane Evans’ books. he’s still making picture books and was the 1st Black person to publish a book as an author and an illustrator. Freight Train by Donald Crews! Yes! They are so fun to read and have beautiful illustrations. 19 empowering books with Black characters It’s important that children have access to diverse books, and young readers will love these tales of daring heroes, brave kids and great friendships. Thank you for the list, and thank you for not linking to Amazon, but to Mahogany. We have been doing it together with my son’s kindergarten class! I read With the Fire on High and Poet X earlier this year and currently have Clap When You Land on hold at my library :), All of Ashley Bryan’s books are phenomenal. Thank you so much for not linking to Amazon and for choosing Mahogany Books. I just finished ‘Brown Girl Dreaming’ last night. She wrote several children’s books but also several poetry collections, and a wonderful memoir called House of Houses, if you’re interested! All but one author on your original list was white! Mahogany books (mahoganybooks.com) is a black-owned bookstore which has a great selection, and have an online store. I was coming to say the same thing!! A source for books representing racially diverse, LGBTQ+, and other currently underrepresented identities in children’s books is Ourshelves.com. The Last, Last Day of Summer by L. R Giles is a fun chapter book. The writing level is appropriate for upper elementary, but our entire family ended up listening to it as a read-aloud book because we were all interested. My fifth grade students loved Akissi. One of my favorite books growing up as a child was Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe. Hardcover $6.90 $ 6. A diverse range of classics, contemporary must-reads, and memoirs you'll definitely wanna fill your time with! Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/20). Would love to see more young adult options!! Both are big hits with my two year old. Slightly breaks and re-heals my heart each time as a working parent. Thank you for this list COJ, there are so many good choices here! Bruce Pascoe is the author of Dark Emu and Sally Morgan is the author of My Place. And I love that they link to an independent bookstore. “Ways to Make Sunshine” by Renée Watson. As he gets used to his new duties, he discovers that Lord Foxglove has evil intentions for the entire town. The author will be reading a book a day on Instagram Live. Chugga Chugga Choo-Choo was one of my son’s very favorite books when he was around age 3. All of Kwame Alexander’s books. I wish that you’d taken full responsibility for the racial bias in the first list. Princess Shuri is already an accomplished scientist – even if she is only 13. Thank you for reading. Another black-owned bookstore (in the SF Bay Area) is Ashay by the Bay (www.ashaybythebay.com). Anything by Ashley Bryan—at almost 100 (!) “Catching a Storyfish” by Janice Harrington! Anything written or illustrated by Christian Robinson!! You have already started the work and have expanded your content and contributors to cover all people. I am leading a Summer Reading Book Club on ‘New Kid’ and told students NOT to order the audio book because it’s a graphic novel. My daughter loves them. This is one of my very favorite books from childhood. My 8 year old son loves The Clubhouse Mystery series. Peekaboo Morning and Leo Loves Baby Time are great and come in board book. Anti-Racist Baby, a board book (!) Vashti Harrison’s Little Leaders books on exceptional men and women in Black history are so good. She wrote “How Old is Grandma?”. She’s so mischievous – reminds me of why I loved Pippi Longstocking or Ramona Quimby or Matilda! I was introduced to them in the late 1980s via a children’s literature class. 17 Books Every Black Child Should Read It's World Book Day! Ghost and the other books in the Track series are so good. These authors are offering read-alouds of their books and books by their favorite authors. received the Newbery Honor and the Coretta Scott King Author Award! This was a missed opportunity for you to model that process. His autobiography “Words to My Life’s Song” tells of the racism he encountered throughout this life, his unwavering creativity and how he is always making the world a more beautiful place. For a middle grade reader, I’d recommend From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks. Be cautious and do your research when searching #Ownvoices authors – I’ve come across so many reading lists who include books featuring Black characters by white authors and claim they are written by Black authors. He makes amazing art—puppets of beach refuse, stained glass windows out of beach glass, cut paper illustrations using his mother’s sewing scissors. “A Snowy Day” and “Whistle for Willie” are the two that stand out in my mind the most, but there are more. donald crews is a favorite in our house (kids are 4 & 2)—freight train, ten black dots, and flying are frequently pulled from the shelves. http://nanasbookshelf.com/where-to-buy/. I buy this for every late elementary kid in my world, and I recommend for adults too! Saving this for gift ideas for my niece and nephew! A very distinct choice that does not go unnoticed- when others are still linking to their Amazon affiliates. As a kid, growing up, there weren't many black characters in the books I coveted so much. Popular Authors. I went to college with the author, Ti, and would love to see her get a wave of books sold, plus the reviews are great! She has done many varied and interesting things in her life, and sprinkles good life lessons and advice throughout. My son had it memorized very quickly! She loves when CJ closes his eyes and feels the music :). Was just coming here to say illustrator Christina Robinson is AMAZING!! No white person has to be stuck where they are now or where they were yesterday. thank you so much Ka, I did a little research and I love his work and his life is inspiring. “The Day You Begin” by Jacqueline Woodson is so beautiful, Yes! But an interesting twist is this: there are many, many more chapter books targeted for black girls than for black boys. Mae Among The Stars by Roda Ahmed – inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison, this is my #1 go-to book gift for little humans! My 14-month-old is obsessed with the Leo books! I think my daughter is going to love that book. Thank you for purchasing from independent booksellers and especially supporting minority-owned businesses. The characters are 10-12, but the stories are fine for younger kids. That would be so wonderful! Katherine Johnson’s autobiography ‘Reaching for the Moon’ is also good. Jason Reynolds is always a fantastic writer but he really excels with that series. “From the Desk of Zoe Washington” by Janae Marks. Visit bcbooksandauthors.com to see newly published books and read author interviews. Three of the four currently released titles features a woman of color (Madame C.J. Another oldie but goodie favorite, also illustrated by the wonderful E.B. Here’s the list—it goes back 50 years! I remember loving that book when I was a kid, fantastic illustrations. What’s the Most Beautiful Thing You’ve Ever Read? For Love of the Game. A companion book to “Finding Langston.” Cline-Ransome adds depth to Lymon’s character and details his family’s struggles and experiences during America’s Great Migration. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Does anyone have suggestions for books about black children by POC that are early chapter books? The author is white, however. the paperboy – dav pilkey, I have sent this list to my local library! Anything by Nicola Yoon, Angie Thomas, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Nic Stone, Kwame Alexander. 7 Travel-Themed Children’s Books By Black Authors Your Family Needs February 3, 2020 Destinations , Lifestyle , Lifestyle , Product Reviews , Reviews , Travel Tips When I started my blogging journey nearly four years ago my goal was to inspire parents to travel the world with their kids while providing tips to make it easier and affordable . I love that some of these books have a clear lesson related to race, and some are simply books. Believe the author and illustrator is also white. (written by Clifton L. Taulbert). They are board books and so fun to sing together! We second The Watsons Go To Birmingham! © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. It’s a sweet, intergenerational story–-great for young kids to read with their grandparents! “Black Brother, Black Brother” by Jewell Parker Rhodes. https://www.mahoganybooks.com/children/, They also curate bundles, such as this one for young readers: It’s my go-to birthday gift for little people :). ‘I was having trouble finding books to read with characters that look like me and that I could relate to. Black Children's Books: Our Favorite Stories For African American Youngsters Bedtime reading is one of our favorite childhood memories. 8 Triumphant African American Chapter Books. Thank you for creating this list. Link to the rally: https://youtu.be/fElXu_MdRrs, Donald Crews is a wonderful Black illustrator and author. Wonderful author, she’s 91 now and Jan Spivey Gilchrist. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Please check out Cree Wins the Day (linking on Amazon, sorry: https://www.amazon.com/Cree-Wins-Day-Lora-Bynum/dp/0692872736/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cree+wins+the+day&qid=1591724388&sr=8-1). My 9 year old son and I read Ghost together and I enjoyed it as much as he did and it lead to so many good conversations. Sarah and her family set off on the Oregon Trail. I know that Niki Daly is white though). I am so excited to look up the other books in your article and in the comments. What Are Your Most Beloved Children’s Books? “Leaving Lymon” by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Bonus – it gets kids acquainted with our (maybe) future VP. Ghost is fantastic. “King and the Dragonflies” by Kacen Callender. A Cup of Jo is a daily lifestyle site for women. He wrote of the 2017-2018 Texas Bluebonnet books, Whoosh!, about Lonnie Johnson, the creator of the Super Soaker (it was my school’s favorite Bluebonnet book that year). Also, there’s a board book of What a wonderful world with beautiful illustrations that I read to my kids for years. Her Jada Jones series is a great early chapter book series. Donte decides to take matters into his own hands after being continuously bullied at school. Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, a 1991 Caldecott winner. http://christineaplatt.com/book-author/christine-platt/ These are affiliate links and all proceeds earned will be donated to the NAACP. It also comes with a downloadable activity book for kids to begin using their voices by writing to their local officials (phenomenalgirl.com). If you are looking for books for older kids, check out Harriette Robinet. Add these eight new children’s books by black authors and illustrators to your kids' shelves this month—and read them all year long. Oge Mora One Mora is a talented author and illustrator with three books under her belt (a … Love the idea behind this list! It is such a great book as is the rest of that series – Patina, Lu and Sunny. (We had the Kwela Jamela books, and they are great. Children Book authors and avid readers contributed their favorite children’s Books to a list of the, “Top 150 Recommended African-American Children’s Books.” AALBC.com: Selling Black Books Since 1997 ★ Black Books are for Everyone AALBC.com: Selling Black Books Since 1997 ★ Really well narrated and entertaining. Thank you for linking to Mahogany Books instead of Amazon so that people can support a black owned small business! Thank you. Mac Barnett. Julian is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love. Parents with kids who love vehicles can appreciate a genuinely entertaining vehicle book… ;). I’m sorry, I made a mistake in my post! 14 Genius Tips for Living in a Small Space, This Cozy Minnesota Home Will Make You Want a Candelabra. Great series. Nowadays, most places will allow you to check more than one when it … It’s a wonderful book about a Black child with autism. I LOVE that these are linked to Mahogany Books in DC. Here are 15 we like…, Any others to add to the list? Easter Parade to name a few. There was nothing better than being told stories about princesses, magical adventures, mythical creatures, and fun loving animals as we slowly drifted into dream land with our trusty blanket in tow. I submitted “Freight Train” last night but it must not have gone through. We have Baby Goes to Market and B is for Baby. Love this! Lovely book about consent which my kids have asked for again and again. I would love to see some of the fashion posts you do with a focus on black designers:) Or some of the posts you do about where to buy affordable art with a focus on black artists. New chapter books for kids by Black authors Updated Jul 15, 2020; Posted Jul 15, 2020 Explore newly released children's chapter books by Black authors, available at … I think it’s great that you are taking this post as an opportunity to highlight authors of color! I would also check out anything by Jason Reynolds and Kwame Alexander. Here’s another one about learning disabilities, Nelson Beats the Odds by Ronnie Sidney II. You could order them from Blue Cypress Books or Octavia Books in New Orleans–she’s a local author there and they keep them stocked. My Daddy and I, He questions where he really belongs and how it affects his friendships. I love this so much. I’ve had to do some pretty deep digging to come up with really good chapter books with black main characters. It is a book I wish I could have had for my children when they were little! They both have Black girl protagonist (but they are not written by Black authors). I haven’t field tested it with a teenager, but I feel that it would have been a useful read for me in my college years. A very different book than Mae Jamison’s. I also enjoyed his autobiography for children which is inspiring. And that’s powerful. Get breaking news coverage as events unfold. These books may not have been around when I was growing up, but I am going to start giving them as birthday gifts to the little ones in my life. I’m sorry for my mistake. The Last, Last Day of Summer by L. R Giles is a fun chapter book. Another bookstore I will be ordering from is Semicolon, Chicago’s only black woman-owned bookstore. View Gallery 20 Photos 1 of 20 ‘Hair Love’ by Matthew A. Cherry. Yes, ditto, thanks for the non-amazon links! Please keep sharing. http://www.ala.org/rt/emiert/cskbookawards/coretta-scott-king-book-awards-all-recipients-1970-present. He has been making books for decades. <3. These are the ways we support Cup of Jo, and allow us to run the site and engage with this community we truly love. what a character! Great list! For independent reading, here are two early reader series to check out: Polly Diamond and Mia Mayhem. Spam or Self-Promotional The list is spam or self-promotional. Also check out the books adapted from Bob Marley songs by his daughter Cedella! One of my all-time favorite kids’ books. Thanks for including some for older kids! I’ve long loved illustrator and author Jerry Pinkney. “Sarah Journeys West” by Nikki Shannon Smith. As many as half the people killed by police are disabled, and a third are Black and disabled. I love Atinuke’s books! As a call out, some of the books below will feature biracial children. An accessible and inspiring story about the impact dedicated individuals – and even children – can have shaping our communities. My phone is going to give out any minute so this one I am adding in haste (but possibly is on the list)… Anything by Christian Robinson – Leo, last stop on market street, rain, carmela full of wishes – so many good ones! Donald Crews’ board books are essential though. 4.9 out of 5 stars 3,566. I heard great positive things about it. Try Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke. Seems to be flying under the radar but is totally charming. Love this!! But the stories should be able to be understood and there are beautiful illustrations to highlight the narrative. I just ordered four books for my kids (ages 0-4). Great for middle readers (4th-8th grade). It’s a beautiful book! Add on our preference for chapter books that are representative of our culture and it’s just plain difficult. Fun fact, he’s from Minneapolis. Credit: Little, Brown Little Leaders, by Vashti Harrison This gorgeous book tells the stories of 40 black women who have … Agreed Rose. grandma’s purse – vanessa brantley newton There are also many great videos of her talking about her work and inspiration. The Akimbo books by Alexander McCall Smith are wonderful. There are so many more, enjoy! Aspiring pastry chef Zoe has big plans for her future. I read this book over and over and over again as a kid, and have such vivid, visceral memories as a 9-year-old empathizing and trying to contemplate what growing up Black in the Jim Crow South might’ve been like and feeling like the main character Cassie was one of my friends. So, I wanted to start a bookstore for kids to be able to find books they are able to identify with.'”. Each one features Black characters and all are by Black authors. Please, Baby, Please comes in a board book! 42 Amazing Books Written By Black Authors. LOVE LOVE LOVE Anna hibiscus series in our house. Thirteen-year-old King struggles to process the death of his older brother while holding onto the fear that his father will reject him for being gay. My kids have been watching regularly during quarantine and particularly love hearing Oprah read the Hula Hoopin Queen. While my pre-teens boys have no problem reading picture books or books about girls, it’s nice to have characters they feel closer connections to immediately. Yes! We had that book when my now-nine-year-old twins were babies and seeing this comment, I got hit with a wave of nostalgia! Incorrect Book The list contains an … Soup Day by Melissa Iwai was a favorite of my daughter’s :). Does anyone know about a black or indigenous book similar store in Canada? Also, a great resource for books written or illustrated by POC is the ALA’s Coretta Scott King Award list. by Matthew Paul Turner and David Catrow | Feb 28, 2017. Many, though not all, of the authors share the identities of the characters. Reading one of her books each day on Facebook! “Please Baby Please” is a treasured family favorite. Anything by Christopher Paul Curtis (e.g. Personal fave: Mia Mayhem – Breaks Down Walls. Yes to Storyline Online! We also loved the Anna Hibiscus series (early chapter books) by Atinuke about a delightful, elementary school aged girl in contemporary Africa (& a bit in Canada). His books are great, but this post is about books my Black authors, which Keats is not. When Edie moves to town, the two girls form a friendship over their shared cultural identity, despite their very different personalities. Christopher Myers is a profilic writer of sports-themed chapter books. Thank you! Small Black Children's Book Authors Worth Supporting For The Munchkins: 10 Children’s Books By Burgeoning Black Authors To Add To Your Kiddies’ Libraries Posted on June 16, 2020 - … Thank you for featuring books written by black authors- and thanks for naming how you didn’t do that last time. We’ve had that book home from the library a few times. He writes in a fantastic rhythm with great stories and messages. Same here! by Trish Cooke is wonderful – and so much fun to read! I highly recommend it. Don’t forget books by Ezra Jack Keats. Her chapter on The Angry Black … I would suggest Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea, by Meena Harris. For a older kids (I read these out loud to my 5 1/2 year old) the “Dragons in a Bag” series by Zetta Elliot are great. We love Donald Crews books too. I loved this book as a kid. Just laughed out loud at the description of “please baby please.” As a mother of a spirited 19 month old with an affinity for climbing I probably udder those words 100 times per day. The great Virginia Hamilton, who died in 2002, wrote 35 books for children and young adults. Has everything listed here and a lot more. I am a librarian and I am constantly recommending Ghost to students. They are short chapter books with lots of pictures about a girl that lives with her extended family in Africa. So happy to read this! My kids are white, and they definitely need to learn about their own whiteness and about the challenges that people of color face, but I also want them to be able to read books with children of color as the protagonists, given that still the vast majority of children’s books are illustrated with white kids. Great for kids ages 8-12. Spotlight on Black Authors and Characters: Books for Ages 0-8; Don’t Judge a Book By Its Color; 57 Children’s Books Featuring Black Protagonists; Books with Black Characters for Kids 8-12; Powerful Picture Books Teaching Children About African American History; Remember Reading Podcast: Monster by Walter Dean Myers Are any of these board books? The Watson’s Go to Birmingham or Bud Not Buddy)! Explore newly released children's chapter books by Black authors, available at Onondaga County Public Libraries. My 5.5 yo watched it and couldn’t stop hugging me after that. I have noticed your shift to inclusivity over the past couple of years. Sorry, I should have added that you could probably read the Rebel Girls series to a child around the age of 7-8 (some words will be difficult for them to read on their own). I would add Belle, the last mule at Gee’s Bend and The Green Book by Calvin Ramsey…I read these to my 3rd and 4th graders every year. https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/multicultural-early-chapter-books-for-kids/. I think it’s important to support books whose authors represent the communities portrayed in their books! He posts lots of read alouds, social/emotional talks, and art demonstrations :). As always, thank you. The following books by black authors (in alphabetic order by title) were published in 2018 and fall under a wide range of genres. I would love some recommendations for children’s books with Asian and/or Latinx authors and characters. Please baby please was one of my boys’ favorites. Although the story itself isn’t written by a black author, The Talking Eggs by Robert Souci, is a Creole folktale and illustrated by Caldecott-award winner Black illustrator Jerry Pinkney. I haven’t read it yet but it is high on my list! One of my daughters is really into space and NASA ;). More more more said the baby is a sweet simple one my kids loved. oooh, I was coming to ask the same thing – thank you for the suggestion! “Shuri: A Black Panther Novel” by Nic Stone. Then as for chapter fun chapter books: anyone a fan of the Little Shaq series by Shaquille O’Neal? They are fun to read, too. https://www.amazon.com/My-Forever-Guardian-Healing-friends/dp/1734814217/ref=nodl_, Love this list! Rita Williams Garcia is a magician! https://www.mahoganybooks.com/yabundle-1. The author has several other books as well. Pat Mora is an amazing Chicana writer, and all her books have Latinx characters. I also love Islandborn by Junot Diaz and Leo Espinosa! I love sharing her books with young children. Not My Idea by Anastasia Higginbotham is one such book, and I understand that Race Cars is another, but there are not many books on this topic. https://www.missingdaddy.net/. His artwork is distinctive, simple and beautiful. Find any video of him being interviewed/speaking and it is inspiring. Anything by Vanessa Brantley Newton– She is an amazing illustrator and writer and just a totally inspiring person altogether. Its about diversity, love, family and skin tone with playful poems for kids to read. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one African-American family’s struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. And I so appreciate how Marguerite Abouet wrote them to dismantle the “violent, impoverished Africa” trope, and gave a healthy, beautiful, communal, nuanced narrative that has been missing in literature. Roda Ahmed. Anything by Brandy Colbert is worth a read – her YA and MG books focus on black stories that aren’t centered around pain and violence. https://www.vashtiharrison.com/little-leaders, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575904/akissi-tales-of-mischief-by-marguerite-abouet-and-mathieu-sapin/. I don’t have kids of my own but am always looking for gift ideas for friends’ kids. It is truly beautiful and thought-provoking. I really like ‘Baby Goes to the Market’ and ‘B is for Baby’ by Atinuke. Become an exceptional fencer. Newbery winner! I still stand by my sentiment that saying “some of those authors were white” is a missed opportunity. Really great list here and I greatly appreciate the way you linked to independent bookstores rather than amazon! I’d bet many of your readers here have checked his books out from the library and/or would recognize them even if they didn’t realize he was the author. Matthew Paul Turner’s books are delightful & make me cry each time I read them. Christopher Myers is a profilic writer of sports-themed chapter books. The book helped my son heal from the loss of so many people and things this year. Thanks for the list! It has only three words in it, yet manages to beautifully capture the love between a baby and his older brother. It’s hard enough finding books for Black boys at all, let alone finding chapter books for black boys that have Black characters or are written by Black authors… He is a gifted artist, writer, and illustrator who calls a small island in Maine his home. I found about Raven Reads https://ravenreads.org/ an indigenous book subscription. Visit www.onlib.org or call (315) 435-1900 to check them out! We get quarterly book boxes, one of my daughter’s favorite books from the box is Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke. (Top illustration by Bryan Collier from the book Trombone Shorty.). I bought ‘Don’t touch my hair’ after it was listed here. We love ONE DAY IN THE EUCALYPTUS, EUCALYPTUS TREE and GATOR, GATOR, GATOR! There are some great titles here, including several that I read with my four-year-old on a regular basis. Some of our family’s faves are “Freight Train,” “Shortcut” & “Night at the Fair.”. Came here to comment the same! Love this! She won every major children’s literature award and the American Library Assn gives an annual award in her memory. Beautiful prose about the Stolen Generation. When Rory’s mom has trouble making ends meet, he takes on a job at the creepy Foxglove Manor. The desire to read more books about girls like herself inspired 11-year-old Marley Dias to take action. I looked at his website (https://dontate.com/) and he is also a founding member of a blog called The Brown Bookshelf, which is dedicated to promoting youth literature created by black authors (per his website). Our 12-year-old son just finished Miles Morales Spider-Man, which my husband and I also read.