Dreams for a Daughter

by Carole Boston Weatherford ; illustrated by Brian Pinkney

A black mother describes her dreams for her newborn daughter, and her hopes for a future in which her little one will grow to cross borders and bridge boundaries, be her best self, and find love.

Tiara's Hat Parade

by Kelly Starling Lyons ; illustrated by Nicole Tadgell

Tiara's mother, a talented and popular hatmaker, closes her shop when a new store opens that sells cheaper hats, but Tiara finds a way to help restore Momma's dream. Includes author's note and introductions to famous black milliners.

Crossover

by Kwame Alexander

Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family in this Newbery Award winning middle-grade novel in verse.

5 O’clock Band

by Troy Andrews

In this autobiographical picture book companion to the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning Trombone Shorty, join a scrappy young musician named Shorty on a tour of his beloved New Orleans.

New Kid

by Jerry Craft

This timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, won both the Newbery Award and Coretta Scott King Author Award this year.

Class Act

by Jerry Craft

It’s Jordan’s friend Drew who takes center stage in another laugh-out-loud funny, powerful, and important story about being one of the few kids of color in a prestigious private school.

The Only Black Girls in Town

by Brandy Colbert

Alberta has been the only black girl in town for years. When the bed and breakfast across the street finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the family is black—and they have a 12-year-old daughter just like her. When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie's attic, they team up to figure out exactly who's behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.

Serena Says

by Tanita S Davis

This heartwarming and humorous middle-grade novel tells the story of a young Black girl who finds her own voice through vlogging and learns to speak out. Perfect for fans for Sharon M. Draper and Lisa Greenwald.

When Life Gives You Mangos

by Kereen Getten

Clara lives on an island that visitors call exotic. But there's nothing exotic about it to Clara. She loves eating ripe mangoes off the ground and running outside in the rain with her Papa during the rainy season. The only thing out of the ordinary for Clara is that something happened to her memory that made her forget everything that happened last summer after a hurricane hit. But this summer is going to be different for Clara. Everyone is buzzing with excitement over a new girl in the village who is not like other visitors in this captivating middle-grade novel.

Twins

by Varian Johnson

Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends in this coming-of-age graphic novel. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran--a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister!

For Black Girls Like Me

by Mariama Lockington

In this lyrical coming-of-age story about family, sisterhood, music, race, and identity, Mariama J. Lockington draws on some of the emotional truths from her own experiences growing up with an adoptive white family. This compelling middle-grade novel is for anyone who has ever asked themselves: How do you figure out where you are going if you don't know where you came from?

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

by Janae Marks

Zoe Washington receives a letter on her twelfth birthday from her biological father, who is in prison for a terrible crime he says he didn’t commit, in this captivating middle-grade mystery about challenging assumptions and standing up for what’s right—even in the face of great opposition.

Saturday

by Oge Mora

In this warm and tender picture book, join a mother and daughter on an up-and-down journey that reminds them of what's best about Saturdays: precious time together.

Look Both Ways

by Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life in this middle-grade novel.

Clean Getaway

by Nic Stone

Take a trip through American race relations past and present with an eleven-year-old boy who is about to discover that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--his G'ma included.

Ways to Make Sunshine 

by Renee Watson

Ryan is all about trying to see the best in people, to be a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend, but even if her life isn't everything she would wish for, she always finds a way forward, with grace, wit, and plenty of sunshine. Newbery Honor-winning author Renée Watson writes her own version of Ramona Quimby, one starring a Black girl and her family, in this start to a charming new middle-grade series.

Clayton Bird Goes Underground

by Rita Williams Garcia

From beloved Newbery Honor winner and three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Rita Williams-Garcia comes a powerful and heartfelt novel about loss, family, and love.

Before the Ever After

by Jacqueline Woodson

ZJ's friends Ollie, Darry and Daniel help him cope when his father, a beloved professional football player, suffers severe headaches and memory loss that spell the end of his career. National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson's stirring novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies.

The Other Side

by Jacqueline Woodson

Two girls, one white and one black, gradually get to know each other as they sit on the fence that divides their town in this moving picture book.