Diverse Books for Children
Learn more about why diverse books matter for all kids and how to find high-quality fiction and nonfiction books that explore and celebrate our diverse and multicultural communities. Hear from children’s authors about their own experiences growing up and the books they write for young readers. You’ll also find guidance on assessing and diversifying your classroom library and how to use diverse books in the classroom — throughout the school year.
What you’ll find here:
The importance of diverse books
- Why Diverse Books Matter: Mirrors and Windows from Colorín Colorado
- Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors by Rudine Sims Bishop
- Why We Need Diverse Books from the National Education Association
- Where Are the People of Color in Children’s Books? by Walter Dean Myers (New York Times op-ed)
- More Nonwhite Characters Are Needed by Sharon Flake (New York Times op-ed)
“I think the thing I try to do as a writer is to bring worlds to the page.
What happens with readers is they step inside those worlds,
and they experience them in a way that they might not in their real life,
and it gives them a chance to think about a bigger society
and the greater good.”
— Jaqueline Woodson, author, MacArthur Foundation Fellow (2020),
and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (2018)
Tell Me Another Story: Diversity in Children’s Literature
“Tell Me Another Story,” a 30-minute documentary, is a portrait of the giants, past and present, who have advanced diversity in picture books. The film reveals why multicultural literature is critical to our children’s quality of life and the health of our society overall. Participants include Andrea Davis Pinkney, Meg Medina, Grace Lin, and Christopher Myers. Watch the trailer below and register to watch the full film here. Learn more at the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation website.
Authors and literature experts on diversity in children’s books
Hear from some of your favorite authors on why diversity in children’s books matters. From our video series, Video Interviews with Top Children’s Authors and Illustrators.
We asked children’s authors to complete the phrase “We need diverse books because ....”
Diverse books: booklists from Reading Rockets
Multicultural Books
- Diverse Books: Graphic Novels
- Friendship, Family, and Culture
- It’s a Small World After All
- Multicultural Board Books
- Passport to the World
- Trickster Tales from Around the World
- All multicultural titles (Book Finder)
Asian and Pacific American Heritage books
- Asian Pacific American Folk Tales, Fairytales, and Legends
- Asian Pacific American Poetry, Haiku, and Sijo
- Between Two Worlds: Asian Pacific American Heritage
- Celebrating Asian Pacific American History and Culture
- Celebrations and Holidays: Asian Pacific American Heritage
- Explore Korea with Picture Books
- Food and Family: Asian Pacific American Heritage
- Inspiring Lives: Asian Pacific American Heritage
- Vietnam: The Country, the People and the Vietnam War
- All Asian Pacific American Heritage titles (Book Finder)
- Asian Pacific American Heritage Booklists (Colorín Colorado)
APA Authors: Diversity in Children’s Books
Black History and Culture Books
- Books for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Celebrating the Poet and Author Maya Angelou
- Celebration and Remembrance: Children’s Books About Black Lives
- Freedom Day: Celebrating Juneteenth
- Freedom Stories
- Heroes
- People Make the Difference: A Celebration of Black History Month
- Selected Books for Black History Month
- Standing Tall
- Their Legacy Lives On
- All Black History and Culture titles (Book Finder)
Black Authors: Diversity in Children’s Books
Hispanic Heritage Books
- Books for Hispanic Heritage Month
- Celebrating the Day of the Dead
- Family Stories: Hispanic Heritage
- Hispanic Folktales, Fables, and Legends
- Hispanic Poetry, Nursery Rhymes, and Songs
- Inspiring Lives: Hispanic Heritage
- All Hispanic Heritage titles (Book Finder)
- Hispanic Heritage Booklists (Colorín Colorado)
Hispanic Authors: Diversity in Children’s Books
Native American/Alaska Native Books
- Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples of North America: Award-Winning Books
- Native American Traditional Tales and Legends
- Stories and Voices of Contemporary Native Americans
- All Native American Heritage titles (Book Finder)
- American Indian Alaska Native Heritage (Colorín Colorado)
Native American Authors: Diversity in Children’s Books
Books Featuring Characters with Learning Differences and Neurodiversity
- Children’s Books Featuring Characters with Autism or Asperger’s
- Middle Grade Books Featuring Neurodiverse Characters
- My Autism Story: Books for Children and Teens
- All Autism and Neurodiversity titles (Book Finder)
- Books About Kids Who Find Reading Hard
- Celebrating Kids Who Learn Differently
- All Learning and Attention Issues titles (Book Finder)
Learning Differences and Neurodiversity in Children’s Books
LGBTQ Books
- LGBTQ Books for Kids
- LGBTQ+ Books for Middle Grade (AdLit.org)
“I think that the more we read and the more widely we read,
the more diverse authors we read, the more we understand the world.
And to me that’s a really powerful aspect of literature —
that it can create empathy in us in a way that’s really safe
where we’re not always able to go out in the world and meet people
who are having wildly different experiences than we are ...”
—Kekla Magoon, author
Finding diverse books
In addition to the booklists on Reading Rockets, there are many other great online resources to help you find diverse books for children of all ages. The Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison has compiled data on children’s and young adult books by and about Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) published since 1985.
- Where to Find Diverse Books from the team at We Need Diverse Books
- Selecting and Using Culturally Responsive Children’s Books from the Office of Head Start National Center on Cultural & Linguistic Responsiveness
- Social Justice Books from the Teaching for Change Project
- Brightly from Penguin Random House
Free and Low-Cost Book Programs
- Stories for All Project from First Book
- We Need Diverse Books in the Classroom from We Need Diverse Books
Choosing Culturally Relevant Books
- Rubric to Evaluate Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth Literature from Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
- Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books from Teaching for Change
- Tips for Choosing Culturally Appropriate Native Books and Resources from Colorín Colorado
- Choosing Children’s Books: Cultural Relevance Rubric from Colorín Colorado
- Culturally Relevant Books in the ELL Classroom from Colorín Colorado
- Diversifying Your Classroom Book Collections? Avoid these 7 Pitfalls from KQED MindShift
Reading Rockets’ Book Finder
Create your own customized list of fiction and nonfiction books! Search through more than 5,000 books on Reading Rockets — by author, illustrator, age, reading level, genre, format, topic, and country or region. Browse Book Finder ›
Book Recommendations from Colorín Colorado
- Finding Diverse Books Across Different Topics and Genres
- Books for kids that celebrate a wide range of cultures, languages, and experiences
Book Recommendations from the National Education Association
Award-Winning Books
- American Indian Youth Literature Awards
- Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
- Coretta Scott King Book Awards
- Pura Belpré Awards
- Schneider Family Book Awards
- Walter Dean Myers Awards (We Need Diverse Books)
Using diverse books in the classroom
At a school in Oakland, California, students see themselves—and the broader world—in the books they read. When teachers provide diversity in classroom materials, students connect to the experiences of others—and have their own reflected and valued. Also see the article, Why Diverse Classroom Libraries Matter, from Edutopia.
Classroom and library resources from Reading Rockets
- Diverse Classroom Libraries for K–6 Students
- All Kinds of Readers: A Guide to Creating Inclusive Literacy Celebrations for Kids with Learning and Attention Issues
- Reading Without Walls: A Nationwide Program Celebrating Reading and Diversity
- Gene Yang’s Reading Without Walls video podcast
- Reading Rockets blogs focusing on multicultural books
Resources from Colorín Colorado
- Using Diverse Books with ELLs: A Guide for Educators: practical resources and tips for finding books for your students, as well as ideas on how to expand access to diverse books for all students.
- How to Increase Access to Diverse Books in the Classroom and Community
- 12 Strategies for Creating Inclusive Literacy Celebrations for ELLs
- Using Diverse Books to Support Writing Instruction
- Literacy Strategies for Librarians in Diverse Communities
- Meet the Authors: Video Interviews
Author Jaqueline Woodson talks about the benefits of reading “beyond ourselves.” Multicultural books are a powerful way to introduce kids to different kinds of people, even if their own community is not diverse.
Diverse Books Toolkit
As you bring diverse, inclusive, and culturally relevant materials into children’s reading experiences, this diverse books toolkit from Teaching Books can help analyze collections, identify and bring to life diverse texts, and encourage reflection on cultural representation. Registration required.
More Resources on Teaching with Diverse Books
- Multicultural Children’s Literature in the Elementary Classroom from Lee & Low Books
- Reading Your Way to a Culturally Responsive Classroom from the National Association for the Education of Young Children
- Straight Talk on Race: Challenging the Stereotypes in Kids’ Books by Mitali Perkins, from School Library Journal
- Educator Resources (lessons, articles, recommended books and media by topic), from Teaching for Change
- The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children from the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
- Expanding the Canon: How Diverse Literature Can Transform Literacy Learning from the International Literacy Association
Author Carole Boston Weatherford meets teachers who use her books in the classroom to introduce historical figures or historical events to their students. For example, Birmingham, 1963 might be the jumping off point for a discussion of the Civil Rights Movement. “My poems have such a powerful punch that they automatically make kids want to know more,” she says.
Education professor and author Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop talks about the importance of using diverse books in the classroom throughout the school year.
This diverse books resource section was produced in partnership with the National Education Association.
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