I don’t have children, so many of these books are indies or were offered for free via eBook.
Golden Girls of Rio by Nikkolas Smith. Published by Sky Pony. This is a pretty good look at the female athletes,
with an emphasis, understandably so, on
Simone Biles. A belief look at Smith’s
works indicates that he has other titles dealing with women in sports or about
POC issues.
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| Mae Jemison |
Mae Jemison by Mary Nnih. Indie.
This is a brief biography of Mae Jemison. This is a cut above most indie books.
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. Harpercollins. This is the children’s edition of Shetterly’s
history. While it is a bit heavy on words
for the youngest readers, it is an excellent adaption.
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| Mary Browser via Wikipedia |
Spies: Mary Browser by Kyandria Jones. CYOA. Choose
Your Own Adventure seems to be reinventing itself. Jones’ work is based on the real life Mary
Browser who spied for the Union during the Civil War. Jones makes use of Native American and African
mythology and belief. #OwnVoices.
Mulatto Girl Aggie, 13: Name on a Ledger by LaKesa Cox.
Indie. If you have read Jane Yolen’s Devil’s Arithmetic and
enjoyed it, you should like this book that functions along the same idea. It is too Cox’s credit that while she is writing
for a younger audience, she addresses the harshness of slavery bluntly.
Save the Earth Series by Bethany Stahl. Indie.
These books detail the reasons why protecting the environment is a good
thing. While perhaps not as polished as
books from a major publishing house, it is worth noting that Stahl always includes
people of color and is one of the few authors that show minorities in nature.
Princess Farisai’s Adventure by Nmema Bryd and Yvonne
Robinson. Indie. This book tells the story of a princess saving
her kingdom, an actual African Kingdom.
Bryd and Robinson include facts about the history and culture as well. Highly recommended. #OwnVoices
Dana’s Purple Discovery by Pamela Rice. Indie.
A charming story about a young girl’s love for the ocean. Notable for its use of nature. #OwnVoices.
My Nana and Me by Irene Smalls. This lovely children’s book details what a
grandmother and granddaughter get up to.
It’s quite a lovely book, both in design and plot. #OwnVoices.
Kid Series published
by Quirk books. Quirk has a variety of
titles in this, and the people included are of all race, but they do include a
good representation. Each book in the
series details the lives of famous people when they were children.
Celestina the Astronaut Ballerina by Donald Jacobson. Indie
This is a pretty straight forward story about a girl who wants to be two
things. What is noteworthy about this
book is the inclusion of Black teacher who encourages the girl. Considering the need for poc teachers, I
found this to be a nice touch.
The Adventures of Little Miss Crazy Hair: The Girl with the
Curl by Christopher Garcia-Halenar.
Indie. A young black girl
celebrates her life and hair.
The Legendary Miss Lena Horne by Carole Boston Weatherford. Atheneum Books. A pretty good children’s
biography of the legend. Weatherford
also has several other books about famous Black Americans. #OwnVoices
Charlie and Kiwi: An Evolutionary Adventure by New
York Hall of Science. Atheneum Books. What is notable about this look at Darwin is
that his descendant is African-American. Nice use of history as well.
Lift Your Light a Little Higher: The Story of Stephen
Bishop: Slave-Explorer by Heather Henson.
Atheneum Books. A very good look
at the life of Stephen Bishop.
The Ghanaian Goldilocks by Tamara Pizzoli. Indie.
This retelling of Goldilocks incorporate Ghanaian traditions and
costumes.
Help Wanted Must Love Books by Janet Sunner Johnson. Capstone.
This children’s book details the story of a young girl who wants to find
another reader for bedtime stories. She
auditions various famous literary figures.
A Dreadful Fairy Book by Jon Etter. Amberjack.
Don’t let the title fool you, this book is anything but dreadful. It is also one of the few books I have seen where
the fairy is black. There is lots humor here,
even for adults.
The Faithful Friend by Robert San Souci. Atheneum.
A retelling of a zombie story set in the Caribbean. Souci’s other work includes several books
featuring Black characters.
Please Louise by Toni Morrison. A magical book about the magic of
reading. #OwnVoices.
The Magic Flyswatter by Aaron Shepherd. Indie.
This is a pretty good retelling of part of the Mwindo Epic.
Pickin Peas by Margaret Read MacDonald. Harpercollins. What is a girl to do when a rabbit steals from
her garden? Read this and find out.
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