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

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

The Bookshop Cat

A cat finds a job in a children's bookshop, where he helps children of many races and genders come together over books.

Tags: Asian (secondary characters); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); brown skin (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; 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

Cilla Lee-Jenkins, Future Author Extraordinaire

Cilla Lee-Jenkins knows she is destined to be a great author; her first-person narrative demonstrates her working at her craft while also learning about her biracial (Chinese/White) identity.

Tags: Asian (secondary characters); Black/African (secondary characters); 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); multiracial (primary character); white, confirmed (secondary characters)

Made in Korea

Two entrepreneurial Korean American teens fall in love as they compete in sales at their respective Korean beauty businesses. Despite their blossoming relationship, the rivalry is strong and only one business can succeed!

Tags: Asian (primary character); Asian (secondary character); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters)

They Both Die at the End

They Both Die at the End is a story about two young men named Mateo and Rufus whose lives intersect when each gets a call telling him he is going to die that day and they connect via an app called Last Friend. This book allows readers to follow along…

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

Kaleidoscope

An unnamed protagonist must continue life without his friend James. A fantastical story about love, friendship, and grief between two teenage boys. Non-linear storytelling told through recollections of memories and dreams. Biblical and mythological…

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

Mother Goose Goes to India

A colourfully illustrated book which combines timeless nursery rhymes with an introduction to Indian culture.

Tags: Asian (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); picture book

Daniel Misses Someone

Daniel misses Grandpere because he lives so far away! What can he do to cope with this feeling? Follow Daniel as he discovers there are tons of things to do to feel better about missing Grandpere.

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

Richard Scarry's A Day at the Police Station

Follow Sergeant Murphy, Busytown's favourite police officer, as he helps Busytown citizens find their lost items, handle huge traffic jams, and teach the town about safety. Children of all ages will love this fun and exciting story from the one and…

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

The Frozen Monster (Disney Frozen)

Follow Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven as they go on a very cold journey through the Mountains. Kristoff and Sven are convinced that they saw a very scary monster and want their friends the help find him again. But what if their eyes fooled them,…

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (secondary characters); picture book; straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters); white, confirmed (primary character); white, confirmed (secondary characters)

Peppa’s Pizza Party

It's Pizza Time! Based on the TV/Cartoon show, Peppa’s Pizza Party is a tie-in that follows Nick Jr’s Peppa Pig and her family as they make the dough, prepare the ingredients, and assemble their own homemade pizzas.

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

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

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)

Better Than the Movies

Now that her long-term crush, Micheal, is back in town, Liz Buxbaum is desperate to get him to notice her – desperate enough to seek help from her annoying next-door neighbor, Wes Bennet. As the two scheme and plot to win Liz her dream prom date,…

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

Peg+Cat: The Sleepover

Sleepover time! Peg +Cat invites their 4 Pirate + parrot friends over for a slumber soiree. Unfortunately, the pirates get homesick! This causes a big problem… What will they do to save the sleepover?

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

Hopepunk

Hope Cassidy feels out of place in her conservative Christian family. She loves listening to rock, and her sister Faith has a boyfriend. When their little sister tells their parents about Faith's sin, she disappears, and Hope decides to rebel and…

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

Holding Up the Universe

Libby Strout is dubbed "America's Fattest Teen," but after her mom's death, she hopes to start the new school year as the girl who can do anything no matter her weight. Jack Masselin has the skill of fitting in except he can't recognize faces, and…

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

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

This book was on Reese Witherspoon's book club list. This book is a heartfelt romantic novel about a Cuban girl finding her way but also finding a boyfriend.

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

The Year of Secret Assignments

This novel follows three young Australian girls, Emily, Lydia and Cassie, who attend a private school. Their English teacher assigns a penpal assignment with boys from a public school who do not have a good reputation. Their names are Seb, Matthew…

Tags: 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 Mary Shelley Club

This novel is about the main character, Rachel, and her recruitment into the Mary Shelley Club. It is a horror/thriller novel for YA audiences about a young girl in a sticky situation.

Tags: Asian (secondary characters); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); language: English; Latinx (primary character); Latinx (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (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

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); Indigenous (primary character); language: English; LGBTQ+ (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); young adult fiction

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