The middle-grade novel “brings in many aspects of the injustices Black and brown people face,” Burnette says. Though written in African American Vernacular English, the depth in which Janie describes her life is truly awe-inspiring.

She can make descriptions of blood seem poetic, adding color to an otherwise gray scene. Books can be a place to start these conversations, so we asked nine teachers, librarians, and booksellers—all Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)—for their reading recommendations.

Excellent reading!" The back of the book includes short biographies of the book’s subjects, which include Langston Hughes, Serena Williams, and Ella Fitzgerald. —Kevin McCaffery, Promising review: "A fierce and intensely written polemic, a must-read for anyone who cares about the real state of 'race relations' in our tragically conflicted America. The book is poignant, funny, and personal. —Edgar J. Sandoval, Promising review: "Wonderful and insightful. —sharon86, Promising review: "The Mothers is such a phenomenal story. However, it helps to read the book with commentary and notes.

This picture book about a white child who sees the news report of a police killing of a black man offers an opportunity for white parents to discuss racism and police brutality with their children. Instead, Assata: An Autobiography gives you the woman's experience in her most honest of voices, raw and powerful. “It involves a family escaping to freedom and beginning their journey on the Underground Railroad. Smith’s reading list also featured portraits in bravery, including: Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh; Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford; and Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock by Aslan Tudor and Kelly Tudor. —C, Promising review: "This is an eye-opening book. The book “celebrates the diversity of Black boyhood through vivid, intimate tanka poems and art,” Jones told me. In addition to reading, Smith suggests classrooms and parents have “diverse dolls and diverse play foods” to help promote inclusion and visiting museums to expose kids to different social environments that explore various cultures.
“While humor undergirds the text, students walk away with an understanding of the personal and societal complexities of race and racism around the world.”, Lorena Germán, co-founder of The Multicultural Classroom, email interview, June 3, 2020, Brittany Smith, pre-K teacher in the Atlantic City School District, phone interview, June 5, 2020, Keisha Rembert, assistant professor of teacher preparation at National Louis University, email interview, June 5, 2020, Alia Jones, senior library services assistant at The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, email interview, June 5, 2020, Kathy Burnette, owner of Brain Lair Books, text interview, June 5, 2020, Kathy Ishizuka, editor-in-chief of School Library Journal, email interview, June 6, 2020, Antonia Adams, kindergarten teacher in the Houston Independent School District, email interview, June 8, 2020, Shanay Walker, third-grade teacher in the Neptune Township School District, email interview, June 8, 2020, Rochelle Menendez, librarian at Cannaday Elementary School, email interview, June 8, 2020. I Am Enough is a lyrical story about a Black girl making her presence known in the world, announcing, “Like the bird, I’m here to fly and soar high over everything.” The story celebrates the things that make people different and wonderful. They rename the room ARTT (“a room to talk”) and open up about their lives.
“This book is perfect to remind children of their potential without limitations.”, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy by Tony Medina and 13 Artists ($17 from MahoganyBooks at the time of publication), “Take a moment to reflect on how rarely we see positive images of Black boys in the media,” says Alia Jones, senior library services assistant at The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. She inspired many of today's authors, one being Alice Walker.

Misadventures of ABG is laugh out loud funny.

It’s “a loving ode to all that Black boys are and can be, if we let them grow.”, Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport, illustrations by Bryan Collier (out of print; $6 for ebook from Google Books at the time of publication), “One book that my students respond strongly to and sparks a heartfelt dialogue is Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport,” says Shanay Walker, a third-grade teacher in the Neptune Township School District in New Jersey (I taught with her in the same school a decade ago). A wonderful tale of getting to love and finding oneself." The breadth of Abdurraquib's tastes, interests, and insights is truly remarkable.

I Am Enough by Grace Byers, illustrations by Keturah A. Bobo ($19 from Pyramid Books at the time of publication), “When I am looking to draw students into conversation about who they are to the world, I begin by reading I Am Enough by Grace Byers,” says Keisha Rembert, assistant professor of teacher preparation at National Louis University in Chicago. Rather than concentrate simply on being the self-reflection of a civil rights leader, Malcolm's voice shines through; not only about his life and the events that made him who he was, but also his political philosophy and the earnest search for a genuine equity in the US between white and black people.

—Roo.

—Jeffery Fitzgerald.

Then, as the years go on, as you assimilate into the new culture, that push and pull between wanting to belong, but knowing and accepting the differences is constant. “It's one I highly recommend to those interacting with young children.”, IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All by Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, and Carolyn Choi, illustrations by Ashley Seil Smith ($19 from EyeSeeMe at the time of publication). A classic in the making!" IntersectionAllies is another title that Atlantic City pre-K teacher Brittany Smith loves.

In 2019, Reynolds and Kendi released this teen version of Kendi’s National Book Award–winning Stamped from the Beginning. I'd recommend this book to a lot of people, especially those with sexual abuse history or body image and self-worth issues." “They get excited when they see themselves in books,” Smith says.

It shows how art can explain reality — for real. What Lane? Meanwhile, throughout the story the reader is introduced to many individuals that all have unique stories of their own.

Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! ”It’s a very fluid book” that’s like poetry, she says—a rhyming story about intersectional feminism that’s particularly appealing to young children because of its pleasing sound.

“My students not only hear Reynolds' words, but he has the unique ability to make students feel them as well.” When I reached out to Kathy Ishizuka, editor-in-chief of School Library Journal, she asked librarians on Twitter for the antiracism books that resonated with their students, and Jason Reynolds’s books were common responses. Her students devour the book. This author was able to put it in a story where I was able to relate to most characters of all varying colors in the book. The true story of Freedom River follows John Parker (1827–1900), a former enslaved man who lived in the free state of Ohio and crossed the Ohio River to help free enslaved people from Kentucky. I'm also an awkward black girl. Wirecutter is reader-supported. —Kindle Customer, Promising review: "A tremendously dense and insightful fictional account of some startling realities of Jamaica in the '70s and '80s. What a talent Ward is. —Russell Gollard, Promising review: "This is a wonderful book written by a daughter about her father. Go get it now....in these streets!"