“Misery loves company,” Mama says to James Otis. It’s been a rough couple of months for them, but Mama says as long as they have their health and strength, they’re blessed. One Sunday before Valentine’s Day, Reverend Dennis makes an announcement during the service — the Temples have lost everything in a fire, and the church is collecting anything that might be useful to them. James thinks hard about what he can add to the Temple’s “”love box,”” but what does he have worth giving? A touching, powerful tale of compassion and reminds us all that what is given from the heart, reaches the heart.
What Is Given from the Heart
Middle school is just around the corner for Ryan Hart, which means it’s time to start thinking about the future — and not just how to prank her brother, Ray! During Black History Month, Ryan learns more about her ancestors and local Black pioneers, and their hopes for the future, for her generation. She wonders who she wants to be and what kind of person her family hopes she becomes. Drawing on the ambitions of those who came before her and her own goals, Ryan is determined to turn her dreams into reality.
Ways to Build Dreams
A coming-of-age story, which explores race, feminism, and complicated family dynamics — a powerful story about discovering who you are in the world—and fighting for that person—by having the courage to be your own revolution. Warrior Princess. That’s what Nigeria Jones’s father calls her. He has raised her as part of the Movement, a Black separatist group based in Philadelphia. Nigeria is homeschooled and vegan and participates in traditional rituals to connect her and other kids from the group to their ancestors. But when her mother—the perfect matriarch of their Movement—disappears, Nigeria’s world is upended. She finds herself taking care of her baby brother and stepping into a role she doesn’t want. Nigeria’s mother had secrets. She wished for a different life for her children, which includes sending her daughter to a private Quaker school outside of their strict group. Despite her father’s disapproval, Nigeria attends the school with her cousin, Kamau, and Sage, who used to be a friend. There, she begins to flourish and expand her universe. As Nigeria searches for her mother, she starts to uncover a shocking truth. One that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about her life and her family.
Nigeria Jones
Two Harlems, one a place where a cultural Renaissance began and the other a girl named for that storied community. Two styles of illustration are included — one shows readers the young girl who explores contemporary Harlem with her father, the other depicts the history of a place. The result is a unique, informative look at history and its continued relevance today.
Harlem at Four
The moving story of the Anishinaabe woman who became louder when water — the source of life — was being ignored, is revealed in lyrical language and bold illustrations. A forward by Autumn Peltier, begins this powerful plea for continued action.
Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior
Based on the real journal kept by French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534, Ethis book imagines a first meeting between a French sailor and a Stadaconan fisher. As they navigate their differences, the wise animals around them note their similarities, illuminating common ground. Encounter is a luminous telling from two Indigenous book creators that invites readers to reckon with the past, and to welcome, together, a future that is yet unchartered.
Encounter
What if a school’s mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone? In this compelling middle-grade novel in verse, two best-selling authors tackle this hot-button issue. In Rye, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, people work hard, kids go to school, and football is big on Friday nights. An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment for her class to debate whether Rye’s mascot should stay or change. Now six middle schoolers — all with different backgrounds and beliefs — get involved in the contentious issue that already has the suburb turned upside down with everyone choosing sides and arguments getting ugly. Told from several perspectives, readers see how each student comes to new understandings about identity, tradition, and what it means to stand up for real change.
Mascot
On the night of November 20, 1969, eighty-nine young Native American activists crossed the San Francisco Bay under cover of darkness, calling themselves the “Indians of All Tribes.” Their objective? To claim the former prison island of Alcatraz, basing their actions on an 1868 treaty that said abandoned federal land could be returned to Indigenous peoples. Taking a stand on an island reclaimed as “Indian Land,” these peaceful protestors brought worldwide attention to the issues facing present-day Native Americans, as well as the centuries of unjust federal Indian policy.
Of All Tribes: American Indians and Alcatraz
When Oprah Winfrey was growing up, her family expected her to become a maid like her grandmother. But she had different dreams. She went after them and turned her dreams into reality, becoming a media superstar and inspiring countless other people along the way. A book in the She Persisted chapter book series about women who stood up, spoke up and rose up against the odds.
She Persisted: Oprah Winfrey
Heroes are “curious, critical, and even uncertain in the face of adversity.” This was true of Claudette Colvin who planted a seed that started the Montgomery bus boycott. Her story is told from her point of view juxtaposed to the Rosa Parks, a lifelong activist. Cartoon illustrations and accessible language tell the story of how many people came together to effect change.
Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes
Sports for girls and boys haven’t always been treated in the same way. In fact, in 1975, the winning girls’ basketball team at Wilkins Regional High School couldn’t get court time at the school, had no uniforms, and no transportation to games. But continued success and a lot of bravery helped them achieve success, both on and off the court. This dramatic graphic novel was inspired by a true story
Hoops
A girl’s time with her grandfather, Papa, is always special. One day while playing music together in the park, they meet one of Papa’s old friends. Mr. Blue lives outside which concerns the girl. Ultimately, they invite Mr. Blue home for a meal and a memorable musical jam session. Textured illustrations are detailed, creating a gentle tone that accompanies the moving story.
Hello, Mister Blue
Spare, poetic text and breathtaking pictures invite readers on a journey that gently illuminates the causes of climate change as well as how our individual and collective actions can make the world better. Clear endnotes vetted by a climate expert answer a myriad of questions in simple language.
To Change a Planet
A story about a close-knit community of enslaved African Americans on a plantation in Texas, the day before the announcement is to be made that all enslaved people are free. Young Huldah, who is preparing to celebrate her tenth birthday, can’t possibly anticipate how much her life will change that Juneteenth morning. The story follows Huldah and her community as they process the news of their freedom and celebrate together by creating a community freedom flag. Each of the illustrations has been hand-sewn and quilted by the author and artist Kim Taylor.
A Flag for Juneteenth
Eight-year-old David and his family gather at Grandma’s house in Galveston, Texas, for a cherished family tradition: Grandma’s annual retelling of the story of Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The story is written in the same rhythm as The Night Before Christmas, and is a great read aloud choice.
The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story
A young Black child experiences the magic of the Juneteenth parade for the first time with their family as they come to understand the purpose of the party that happens every year — and why they celebrate their African American history! The poetic text includes selected lyrics from “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the unofficial Black National Anthem, and the vibrant art illuminates the beauty of this moment of Black joy, celebrated across the nation. This vibrant adventure through the city streets invites young readers to make a joyful noise about freedom for all.
Juneteenth: A Picture Book for Kids Celebrating Black Joy
The O’Malley family is off to the beach, but it’s a long, hot, boring drive. What can Eric, Bridget, and Nell do to keep busy? Play tally games, of course — counting up all the gray cars or green T-shirts they see. Whoever has the most marks at the end wins the game. This is a great picture book for teaching data collection and tallying. It also gives kids a head start in counting by fives and is a good basis for charts and graphs.
Tally O’Malley
“I can’t wait for my hair to grow” is the powerful opening to this book, which lays groundwork for this compelling story highlighting not only the significance of hair to Indigenous peoples, but also memory, generational trauma, and the power of healing. Using three generations of hair as the medium, Lindstom’s sparse, poetic language (“Our ancestors say: Our hair is our memories. Our source of strength”) and Littlebird’s bright palette capture both serenity and hope. (School Library Journal)
My Powerful Hair
A window into a child’s experience of the Great Migration. Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North — one she can’t begin to imagine. Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains.
Overground Railroad
“I can hear change humming/ In its loudest, proudest song./ I don’t fear change coming,/ And so I sing along.” As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes — big or small — in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. Lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations is a call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference.
Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem
In this picture book about voting and elections, the students of Stanton Elementary School learn how we can find — and use — our voices for change. Every two years, on the first Tuesday of November, the school closes for the day so that it can transform itself into a polling station. People can come from all over to vote for the people who will make laws for the country. The students might be too young to vote themselves, but that doesn’t mean they can’t encourage their parents, friends, and family to vote! After all, voting is how this country sees change — and by voting today, we can inspire tomorrow’s voters to change the future.
Vote for Our Future
Storms delay travelers at a Chicago airport but it is a lost toddler and a mistake by TSA staff that connects young Asian Americans in this series of interconnected short stories by a range of Asian American writers. Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, the book highlights the diversity of Asian Americans as well as the biases they often confront.
You Are Here: Connecting Flights
Based on the true story of a boy in Brooklyn who became neighbors and friends with his hero, Jackie Robinson. In 1948, when eight-year-old Steve learns that his African American baseball hero Jackie Robinson — who broke the color barrier in the sport the previous year — will be the new next-door neighbor in his all-Jewish Brooklyn neighborhood, he gains knowledge about respect, friendship, and unity.
The Hero Two Doors Down
Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this warm loving biography of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball. Jackie Robinson was an outstanding athlete, a devoted family man and a dedicated civil rights activist. Includes never-before-published letters by Jackie Robinson, as well as photos from the Robinson family archives.