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

Black Boy Joy

An anthology of stories regarding black boyhood and the experiences and joys of growing up as a person of color. Black Boy Joy brings together stories from 17 non-binary and black male authors.

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

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)

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)

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)

In the Key of Nira Ghani

Nira, an aspiring trumpeter, fights to pursue her musical passions, which oppose the expectations of her traditional Guyanese parents. With its themes of family, friendship, and romance, this coming-of-age story explores the realities of a…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); white, assumed (secondary characters); young adult fiction

The Boi of Feather and Steel

This book is the second one in the queer witchy fantasy duologyMetamorphosis(sequel toThe Girl of Hawthorne and Glass). The three main characters are Eli, a female white assasin, Tav, a black magic queer boi, and Kite, a blue-skinned witch. In the…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; LGBTQ+ (primary character); non-binary (primary character); non-human (primary character); white, assumed (primary character); young adult fiction

Such a Fun Age

Such a Fun Age is a novel about a young black woman named Emira Tucker, a babysitter who is accused of kidnapping the white child she is babysitting. She begins working for a wealthy white woman named Alix Chamberlain who, is only concerned about her…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters); white, confirmed (secondary characters); young adult fiction

The Other Black Girl

The Other Black Girl is about a twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant named Nella Rogers. Rogers is tired of being the only black employee at Wagner Books, where she works. She becomes friends with Hazel, another black girl who she quickly becomes…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); wh; white, confirmed (secondary characters); young adult fiction

Hair Love

A Black American girl learns to style and care for her curls. The stylish hairdos build her self-esteem. This story was made into an Academy Award-winning short film by the same title.

Tags: Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (secondary characters); picture book; straight (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (primary character)

My Heart Beats

Explores the sounds that children's heartbeats make when they experience love and laughter. It features children from all around the world and demonstrates that our heartbeats unite us.

Tags: Asian (primary character); Black/African (primary character); board book; group (characters); human (primary character); language: English; unspecified gender (primary character); unspecified sexuality (primary character); white (primary character)

Remember to Dream, Ebere

Ebere's mother tells her to always dream as big as possible, and she does. This book praises imagination, hope, and a child's potential for greatness.

Tags: Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight

Switches between the perspectives of Leena and Campbell, two teenagers trying to make it home from a football game in Atlanta, through a race-related protest-turned-riot with police presence.

Tags: Black/african (author); Black/African (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; white (author); white (primary character); woman (author)

We Are Not Broken

A memoir covering family relationships, love, loss, queerness, and racism experienced during the author’s time growing up in New Jersey with their brother and cousins, as they are raised together by their grandmother, whose legacy the book…

Tags: Black/african (author); Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; LGBTQ+ (author); LGBTQ+ (primary character); non-binary (author); non-binary (primary character)

You Should See Me in A Crown

Living in a rich white town, high school senior and anxious introvert Liz Lighty loses her financial aid for college and runs for prom queen to win a scholarship. She grapples with school drama, romance, and family issues.

Tags: Black/african (author); Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; LGBTQ+ (author); LGBTQ+ (primary character); LGBTQ+ (secondary characters); straight (secondary characters); white, assumed (secondary characters)

Concrete Rose

This novel is a prequel to Thomas’ The Hate U Give. It follows Maverick, the father of Starr Carter in The Hate U Give, as a seventeen-year-old highschool student. He is a senior and a member of the King Lords gang in a fictional Black neighborhood…

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

Chill Wind

The main character, Aisha, is a nineteen-year-old black single mother of two living in the New York Projects. She does not take life too seriously and tries to enjoy it as much as she can -- that is, until she receives a welfare benefits termination…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; young adult fiction

Pride

This novel is an updated version of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It brings in themes of cultural identity, class, and gentrification in a romance setting. It discusses diversity and hardship in the teenage years and reimagines a classic story.

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

Beatrice and Croc Harry

Beatrice is a young girl who wakes up in a treehouse in the magical forest of Argilia with no knowledge of who she is and how she got there. She wakes up alone with amnesia but quickly finds an ally in a crocodile... While working together to…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); cognitive/neurological disability/condition (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; middle grade book (ages 8-12); non-human (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

Children of Blood and Bone

Zélie's mother is killed under the rule of an evil king. To avenge her, she must battle the crown prince and the royal family to bring magic back. Danger lurks as Zélie struggles to control her powers.

Tags: Black/african (author); Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; young adult fiction

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

A reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped from the Beginningfor a younger/teen audience.This is a book about race to better help us understand today's climate. It also takes the time to discredit racist ideologies to help readers unlearn any…

Tags: Black/african (author); Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); group (characters); language: English

Amari and the Night Brothers

Amari, an outcast, is convinced that her brother Quinton is missing. While searching for him, despite everyone's prejudiced opinions, she discovers a whole new world of supernatural affairs. Throughout her journey, she faces friendships, doubt,…

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

Blood Like Magic

A teen with is forced to sacrifice the love of her life in order to preserve her family's magical powers. Being a teen, she has never been in love and is tasked with finding Mr. Right in order to kill him. She applies for a matchmaking program and is…

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

For All Time

Together, Tamar and Fayard live through a thousand lives and have seen the ups and downs of life. Through all these lives lived, one thing never changed, which is their passionate love for one another. The problem is they can never see how their love…

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

The Scapegracers

Sideways Pike is a teenage lesbian witch who finds an unlikely friendship in the three most popular girls of her school. Together, the diverse group of friends form a powerful coven in which they explore friendship, love, and magic.

Tags: Asian (primary character); Black/African (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; LGBTQ+ (primary character); LGBTQ+ (secondary characters); white, assumed (secondary characters); white, confirmed (primary character); young adult fiction

A Bear to Share

When her mother suggests she give up her favourite teddy bear, Bach, to make room for a brand new one, Tiana doesn’t know what to do. Tiana’s character acts as the perfect example of selflessness, generosity, and the value of giving to others. The…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); early reader (ages 5-9); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); white, confirmed (secondary characters)

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