African American Fiction Books for Kids

Updated November 25, 2024
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The undefeated
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal A 2020 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time...
Double bass blues
Loney, Andrea J.
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book! A joyous celebration of family, community, and the unifying power of music, perfect for fans of Last Stop on Market Street. Nic is an aspiring musician whose life spans two different worlds--his suburban school where he wows his friends in orchestra...
Hands up!
McDaniel, Breanna J.
Paper Book
This triumphant picture book recasts a charged phrase as part of a black girl's everyday life--hands up for a hug, hands up in class, hands up for a high five--before culminating in a moment of resistance at a protest march. A young black girl lifts her baby hands up to greet the...
Hey black child
Perkins, Useni Eugene
Paper Book
HEY BLACK CHILD--do you know who you are? Who you really are? So begins the widely-recited poem by Useni Eugene Perkins, to be illustrated by award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier. An ode to black children, this empowering picture book is a celebration of African-American...
EllRay Jakes is not a chicken
Warner, Sally.
Paper Book
Eight-year-old EllRay Jakes is sick of getting picked on. But every time he tries to defend himself against class bully Jared Matthews, EllRay is the one who winds up in trouble. It's just not fair! Then his dad offers him a deal: If EllRay can stay out of trouble for a week, they'll go to...
Not quite Snow White
Franklin, Ashley
Paper Book
A picture book for magical yet imperfect children everywhere, written by debut author Ashley Franklin and perfect for fans of such titles as Matthew A. Cherry's Hair Love, Grace Byers's I Am Enough, and Lupita Nyong'o's Sulwe. Tameika is a girl who belongs on...
Hair love
Cherry, Matthew A.
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller and tie-in to Academy-Award Winning Short Film "Hair Love"   "I love that Hair Love is highlighting the relationship between a Black father and daughter. Matthew leads the ranks of new creatives who are telling unique stories of the Black...
Crown : an ode to the fresh cut
Barnes, Derrick D.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers A Newbery Honor Book A Caldecott Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book An Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Book An Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor...
Going down home with Daddy
Lyons, Kelly Starling
Paper Book
Set at one young boy's annual family reunion, this Caldecott Honor-winning picture book is a rich and moving celebration of Black history, culture, and the power of family traditions. "On reunion morning, we rise before the sun. Daddy hums as he packs our car with suitcases...
Knock knock : my dad's dream for me
Beaty, Daniel.
Paper Book
Winner of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Medal and the Boston Horn Book Award   A simple, powerful book for children, about an absent father and the love he leaves behind Every morning, I play a game with...
That is my dream! : a picture book of Langston Hughes's "Dream variation"
Hughes, Langston
Paper Book
"Dream Variation," one of Langston Hughes's most celebrated poems, about the dream of a world free of discrimination and racial prejudice, is now a picture book stunningly illustrated by Daniel Miyares, the acclaimed creator ofFloat. To fling my arms wide
King & Kayla and the case of the secret code
Butler, Dori Hillestad
Paper Book
King & Kayla are back on the case in this laugh-out-loud mystery from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award-winning series. King and Kayla receive a mysterious letter written in code. Mason received an almost identical letter. How can they crack the code? Kayla...
Swim, Mo, swim!
Adler, David A.
Paper Book
Mo is going swimming in the perenially popular, Geisel Award-winning readers series by David A. Adler, now with a fresh look! It's Field Day at summer camp and Mo's group, the Guppies, is competing for extra ice cream! He and his friends are doing their best at everything from...
Beach day!
Ransom, Candice F.
Paper Book
Summer sun and fun in this Step 1 reader featuring the family from Pumpkin Day!, Apple Picking Day!, Garden Day, and Snow Day! Family time means it's time to pack up the car and head to the beach! The brother and sister from Pumpkin Day! and its...
Springtime blossoms
Nolen, Jerdine
Paper Book
CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! It's springtime on Bradford Street. Jada and Jamal are searching for signs of spring. So are their best friends, Carlita Garcia and Josh Cornell. But the most surprising sign of spring awaits them at school the next day . . . a  surprise that blossoms into a...
Make way for Dyamonde Daniel
Grimes, Nikki.
Ebook
Mia Mayhem is a superhero!
West, Kara
Paper Book
Meet Mia Macarooney, an ordinary eight-year-old who finds out she has an extraordinary super-secret in this first chapter book in the brand-new Mia Mayhem series! Mia Macarooney is a regular eight-year-old girl who finds out that she's A SUPERHERO! Her life literally goes...
Dragons and marshmallows
Citro, Asia
Paper Book
A New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2017 Pick With magical animals, science, mystery, and adventure -- the brand new series Zoey and Sassafras has something for everyone! Easy-to-read language and illustrations on nearly every page make this series perfect for a wide range of...
Dragons in a bag
Elliott, Zetta
Paper Book
The dragon's out of the bag in this diverse, young urban fantasy from an award-winning author! When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she's not his grandmother--but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering...
Ways to make sunshine
Watson, Renée
Paper Book
From Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson, the first book in a young middle grade series about Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit, kindness, and sunshine. Ryan Hart can be and do anything. Her name means "king", that she is a leader, and she...
Finding Langston
Cline-Ransome, Lesa
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction When eleven-year-old Langston's father moves them from their home in Alabama to Chicago's Bronzeville district, it feels like he's giving up everything he loves.
Sugar
Rhodes, Jewell Parker.
Paper Book
From Jewell Parker Rhodes, the author of Towers Falling and Ninth Ward (a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and a Today show Al's Book Club for Kids pick) comes a tale of a strong, spirited young girl who rises beyond her circumstances and inspires others to work toward a brighter...
Clean getaway
Stone, Nic
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a timely middle-grade road-trip story through landmarks of the Civil Rights movement and the map they lay for contemporary race relations. How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma: Grab a...
One crazy summer
Williams-Garcia, Rita.
Paper Book
In this Newbery Honor novel, New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. A strong option for summer reading--take this book along on a family road trip or enjoy...
Spirit week showdown
Allen, Crystal.
Ebook
A hilarious and spunky new heroine in the vein of the heroines of such beloved books as Ramona the Pest, Ivy and Bean, and Clementine, from Crystal Allen--the acclaimed author of How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy. Nine-year-old Mya Tibbs is boot-scootin' excited for the best...
The Parker inheritance
Johnson, Varian
Paper Book
A Boston Globe / Horn Book Honor winner * Four Starred Reviews * Over Ten Best-of-Year Lists"Powerful.... Johnson writes about the long shadows of the past with such ambition that any reader with a taste for mystery will appreciate the puzzle Candice and Brandon must solve." -- The New York Times...

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