Browse Items · Windows and Mirrors: Diversity in Books for Young Readers

Ramsey, Dominique

Passionate about animals, nature, and whimsical-mystery storytelling, Ramsey is an award-winning illustrator and designer who specializes in animal art. Her art mostly focuses on symbolism and explores many important themes such as culture and…

Tags: artist; Black/african (illustrator); designer; illustrator; unspecified sexuality (illustrator); woman (illustrator)

Look, Lenore (author)

Making her own picture books since childhood, Lenore found her love of storytelling at a very young age. After her career as a journalist, she started writing childrens books such as the Alvin Ho series.

Tags: Asian (author); author; unspecified sexuality (author); woman (author)

Lost in Time

Mimi is a part of the Blue Bloods family line. She must face a blood trial with her twin brother Jack, where in the end only one of them will survive. However, everything they thought about the gate has turned out to be a lie. Mimi must save the only…

Tags: boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); language: English; straight (primary character); unspecified gender (secondary characters); young adult fiction

De La Cruz, Melissa

Melissa De La Cruz is a New York Times Bestselling author and is an award winning novelist for all ages. Melissa has wanted to write since she was 11 years old and has written many different YA series since she started writing. She graduated from…

Tags: Christian (author); multiracial (author); straight (author); woman (author)

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

Alvin Ho tells the story of an Asain American Second grade boy, Alvin is afraid of a lot of things, including girls and school. At school Alvin is very quiet and hardly there, but when he's home he pretends to be a superhero who shares the qualities…

Tags: Asian (primary character); boy/man (primary character); early reader (ages 5-9); human (primary character); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character)

Yancey, Rick

Rick Yancey is an American writer of suspense, fantasy, and science fiction YA books. He attended Florida Southern College with a major in Communications and transferred a year later to Florida State University and then proceeded to graduate from…

Tags: man (author); straight (author); white (author)

I Love You to the Moon and Back

I Love You to the Moon and Back is a short children’s novel recounting a parent bear and their cub from morning to night as they recall all the ways they show their love.

Tags: early reader (ages 5-9); language: English; non-human (primary character); unspecified gender (primary character); unspecified sexuality (primary character)

The Last Star: The Final Book of The 5th Wave

Is the final book in the 5th wave series. Follows the journey of Cassie fighting against the aliens who have invaded earth. In the remaining few days they have left on earth Cassie and the remaining survivors must decide what is most important,…

Tags: boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); language: English; young adult fiction

Wicked Like A Wildfire

Iris and Malina’s family have magical abilities also known as “gleam” which manipulates beauty. This ability only applies to the women in the family. Iris has the power to see flowers as fractured images and turns these fragmented images into…

Tags: Asian (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); language: English; LGBTQ+ (secondary characters); straight (primary character); young adult fiction

Warnes, Tim

Tim has had a long-time passion for illustrating since childhood and currently drawings inspiration from volunteering at the local school his children go to. He also occasionally writes under the pseudonym “Lily Moon” which allows him to express new…

Tags: Christian (illustrator); illustrator; man (illustrator); straight (illustrator); white (illustrator)

Hepworth, Amelia

Amelia resides in London, England where she enjoys her private life with her partner, little boy and two elderly dogs. She enjoys daydreaming in the garden to help inspire her writing

Tags: author; unspecified sexuality (author); white (author); woman (author)

Popović, Lana

Lana Popovic is an author and literary agent. She studied both psychology and literature at Yale University, studied Law at Boston University, and then graduated from Emerson College with a master’s degree in publishing and writing. Popovic also…

Tags: literary agent; woman (author)

Aaron Slater, Illustrator

Aaron Slater is a young boy who dreams of creating his own stories one day, however, struggles when trying to decipher letters when reading and struggles more than his other classmates due to this. Aaron believes his dream is unreachable however…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); boy/man (primary character); cognitive/neurological disability/condition (primary character); early reader (ages 5-9); human (primary character); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character)

Roberts, David

David Roberts is an English new york times best-selling illustrator who is known for depicting diverse characters in his own unique style as well participated in PROUD an anthology of short stories and poetry created by lgbq+ authors who were paired…

Tags: illustrator; LGBTQ+ (illustrator); man (illustrator); white (illustrator)

Beaty, Andrea

Andrea Beaty’s family ran a grocery store in Benton, Illinois where she developed a love for reading mystery books. After attending Southern Illinois University for computer science where afterwards she obtained a job for a computer software company…

Tags: author; straight (author); white (author); woman (author)

Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola (author)

Currently living in New York after having moved around so much, she says shes been 'the new girl' her whole life. Personal experiences such as this are what inspires her writing. She is a former board member of We Need Diverse Books.

Tags: author; Black/african (author); unspecified sexuality (author); woman (author)

Daughter of the Deep

While leaving for a trial on board a yacht from her marine academy, 15-year-old Ana and her classmates watch their school get destroyed, revealing a battle from the 19th century based on Jules Verne's novels 20,000 Leagues Under the Seaand The…

Tags: Asian (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character); young adult fiction

Naidu, Lavanya

Lavanya is a freelance illustrator for Penguin India and Rupa Publishers as well was a lead animator for Otataa a project from Switzerland

Tags: Asian (illustrator); illustrator; woman (illustrator)

Operation Sisterhood

Bo and her mother lived a quiet life before moving to her stepfather's home in Harlem. With three new sisters, pets, and a new life, she is unsure how to fit in.

Tags: Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); group (characters); human (primary character); language: English; middle grade book (ages 8-12); unspecified sexuality (primary character)

Akpan, Godwin

Self-taught artist, Akpan has skills in digital painting, concept art, comic art, matte painting, photoshop, and illustration. He's not only an illustrator forAmari and the Night Brothers,but he is also a contributor.

Tags: artist; Black/african (illustrator); comic artist; illustrator; man (illustrator); straight (illustrator)

Riordan, Rick

Rick Riordan began writing to create bedtime stories for his eldest son previously he was an English as well as history teacher for middle grade students. He is known for over twenty New York Times best-selling novels often exploring different…

Tags: author; man (author); straight (author); teacher; white (author)

Forever Birchwood

Wolf's and her friend's treehouse hideaway Birchwood, is threatened to be cut down, pushing Wolf to fight harder to protect the environment she cares deeply for. Her passion is fuelled when discovering her family’s indigenous connections as her great…

Tags: girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); Indigenous (primary character); language: English; middle grade book (ages 8-12); unspecified sexuality (primary character); white, assumed (secondary characters)

Curtis, Christopher, Paul (author)

Growing up in Flint, Michigan, he began writing fiction after graduating from the University of Michigan. He has won multiple awards for his past novels although Buxton was his first set in Canada, where he now lives.

Tags: author; Black/african (author); man (author); unspecified sexuality (author)

Daniel, Danielle

Danielle grew up in Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, also known as Sudbury, Ontario, and had an appreciation for nature from a young age. Her family's having indigenous roots to an Algonquin woman further influences her appreciation which is evident in her…

Tags: author; Indigenous (author); Indigenous (illustrator); unspecified sexuality (author); unspecified sexuality (illustrator); woman (author); woman (illustrator)

Elijah Of Buxton

The book follows Elijah Freeman, an 11 year old boy from Buxton, Ontario, a settlement of escaped slaves. After Elijah's friend is robbed of the money he was saving to buy his family out of captivity, Elijah journeys to the US in pursuit of the…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); language: English; middle grade book (ages 8-12); unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

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