Finding Diverse Books 2024 | Children's Fiction & Graphic Novels

Updated December 13, 2023
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The ghosts of Rancho Espanto
Cuevas, Adrianna
Paper Book
An Edgar Award winning middle grade mystery by Adrianna Cuevas--author of the Pura Belpré Honor Book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez--perfect for fans of Claribel Ortega's The Ghost Squad and Louis Sachar's Holes. ' Rafa would rather live in the...

Gamers will find a lot to relate to in RPG-obsessed Rafa in this spooky mystery novel about a kid sent to a mysterious ranch in New Mexico after a school prank goes wrong. A great choice for fans of Holes!

Race & Ethnicity | Latine

Farewell Cuba, mi isla
Diaz, Alexandra
Ebook
Two starred reviews! "Perfect for fans of Margarita Engle and impactful historical fiction" (School Library Journal, starred review), this "evocative and transportive" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) middle grade novel follows two girls fleeing 1960 Cuba with...

Two cousins experience the rise of Cuban communism as one family flees and the other stays behind. While set in the 1960s, themes of family separation under strife are all-too-common for immigrant and refugee families from many regions. A Spanish edition is available as Hasta siempre Cuba, mi isla.

Language | Spanish

The girl who lost a leopard
Farook, Nizrana
Paper Book
From the author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant comes another thrilling escapade set in fictional Sri Lanka. Selvi is a free spirit who loves climbing in the beautiful mountains behind her home. There, she befriended Lokka, a leopard with a beautiful coat and huge golden...

Fans of animal stories like Pax and A Wolf Called Wander will enjoy the latest novel from Sri Lankan author Nizrana Farook, in which a young girl protects a beloved wild leopard from local poachers. This novel stands alone, but readers who enjoy it will also want to check out the companion novels The Girl Who Stole an Elephant and The Boy Who Met a Whale.

Race & Ethnicity | Asian & Pacific Islander

A sky full of song
Meyer, Susan
Paper Book
This heartwarming, beautifully written middle-grade historicalnovel about an untold American frontier story is destined to be a cherished classic.    North Dakota, 1905   After fleeing persecution in the Russian Empire,...

A Ukrainian Jewish family flees their shtetl as pogroms sweep the Russian Empire and seeks refuge in North Dakota, where 11-year-old Shoshana struggles to fit in with her Christian classmates. Pair this with Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park, and Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich for a multidimensional exploration of the pioneer era.

Religion | Jewish

Lasagna means I love you
O'Shaughnessy, Kate
Paper Book
What are the essential ingredients that make a family? Eleven-year-old Mo is making up her own recipe in this unforgettable story that's a little sweet, a little sour, and totally delicious. Nan was all the family Mo ever needed. But suddenly she's gone, and Mo finds...

Every family has special food traditions that connect them to their cultural heritage and beloved elders. In search of her own connections, foster kid Mo begins compiling other people's family recipes online. This provides a great opportunity for kids to reflect on their own family's traditions. Recipes can also be used to support procedural writing activities, math lessons exploring fractions, and health lessons related to nutrition.

Income Inequality

Haru, zombie dog hero
Oh, Ellen
Paper Book
"Tender character relationships between both pup and human, and the myriad fully realized animals Haru meets along his journey, combine for a multilayered and thoroughly heartfelt must-read."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Oh covers heavy, relevant topics in this tense middle-grade...

Scooby-Doo meets Stranger Things in this spooky mystery from We Need Diverse Books co-founder Ellen Oh, in which a loyal canine saves his human companion from an evil billionaire whose sinister lab is polluting their small town. Hand this one to fans of Last Kids on Earth and some animal lovers (although especially sensitive readers will probably want to steer clear).

Race & Ethnicity | Asian & Pacific Islander

Grounded
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
Four kids meet at an airport for one unforgettable night in this middle-grade novel by four bestselling and award-winning authors--Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and S. K. Ali. A Walter Award Honor Book When a...

How do you reflect the diversity of Muslim experiences in a single book? Team up with three other Muslim authors to tell the story of four kids stuck in an airport when a storm cancels their flights home from a Muslim convention. The airport setting creates a unique setting and the "locked in" element could appeal to fans of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler or Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library.

Religion | Muslim

Speculation
Shawl, Nisi
Paper Book
A wonderful middle-grade fantasy debut about Black families, family history, family curses ... and a really marvelous pair of spectacles. After Winna's little sister breaks her glasses, her grandfather gives her an old-timey pair of spectacles that belonged to her great-aunt Estelle...

A pair of magical spectacles helps a young Black girl explore her family's legacy in this historical novel from Nisi Shawl, a well-known writer of science fiction and fantasy books for adults. Set in 1962 as Winna investigates her ancestors' escape from slavery with the help of family ghosts, the story shines a light on two significant periods in American history.

Race & Ethnicity | Black

Finally seen
Yang, Kelly
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes a "involving, realistic" (Booklist, starred review) middle grade novel about a young girl who leaves China to live with her parents and sister, after five years apart, and learns about family, friendship, and the...

In children's books, it's common for immigrant kids to relocate with their entire families or for the rest of the family to join an immigrant parent. But what about a kid who's left behind with another relative while both parents put down roots in a new place? When her aging grandmother is no longer able to care for her, 10-year-old Lina finally joins her parents and younger sister (who she's never met) in California after 5 years apart and discovers that they've been misleading her about their new life in America. While Lina's situation is unique, Kelly Yang does an amazing job of conveying her feelings of loneliness and jealousy--feelings all kids can relate to.

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