Last year, when a school near my work in Baltimore wanted more books for their library, I happily got to work looking for books. Girls, brown kids, black kids, and urban environments are under-represented in children’s books, so I wanted to even things up by looking for books in those categories. My goal: find excellent children’s books with diverse characters, settings, and stories.
#brownkids #blackkids #girls #urban #financialhardship
My friend recently posted a link to a Women’s Day article by Jamie Ballard titled 18 Children’s Books About Race and Racism That Can Spark Conversation “These books about race and racism can help start important conversations in an age-appropriate way.”
Looking at that list of books, (which I can’t wait to read!) reminded me of the books I read and loved last year. Most of them don’t explicitly touch on the topic of race, and not all of them are racially diverse. However, they are excellent books that will bring balance to many home libraries.
Please check out some of these books even if you have white, boy, suburban kids! It’s good for all kids to see a wide variety of colors and circumstances. I give my honest reviews below.
April’s bookshelf: Balancing Your Library of Children’s Books
I highly recommend this book to everyone. The writing immediately dropped me into the main characters experience. [spoilers removed] What an excellent book.
This trilogy gives a tour of the entire country in (I think the 1960’s… early 1970’s?) through the stories of three sisters and their family. They seem so real and I rooted for them every step of the way. A great book worth reading.
Sequel to One Crazy Summer – the girls are back home. Lovable and resourceful as ever. I sometimes find their non-perfect family situation hard to take, but these girls are resilient.
#brownkids
#kidsofcolor
#girls
#maingirls
#urbansetting
Life can be heartbreakingly unfair. This is the story of one kid who got a bum deal. For us readers, it is a rare and wonderful opportunity to be inside the bright mind of Melody – cheering her on in the midst of her serous trials.
#gir…
Sweet, simple book that is fun to read out-loud and may inspire a fun outing.
#kidsofcolor
#urbansetting
#mom
This five start reviews = “I loved it” rather than “it was amazing”.
A toddler tries her best to communicate, but it takes awhile for her parents to understand her EXTREMELY important message. Very sweet and fun to read.
I’ve been loo…
So cute! So fun! A little family enjoys the day and the whole neighborhood wishes Oscar a happy birthday.
#kidsofcolor
#urbansetting
#momanddad
#mixedrace
Max uses sticks to make a rhythm that matches all the events in the neighborhood. 3.5 stars
#kidsofcolor
#urbansetting
#momanddad
This true story manages to avoid sounding preachy as it tells the story of Anna Howard Shaw who grew up in the wilderness and eventually traveled the world working to win the right to vote. (It is now 100 years since women won that right…
This is a beautiful, lyrically written book. I don’t know what kids will think of it, but I think older kids and adults will find it inspiring and haunting.
I hope there is a very realistic TV series about Harriet Tubman’s life someday…
Such a clever book! It uses a children’s book format to show how to create a children’s book. Very useful and inspirational for kids (and adults!) who want to write and illustrate a children’s book.
#peopleofcolor
#maingirl
Message: You can draw! Simple and inspirational. (Maybe slightly more for adults than kids.)
#maingirl
This is a BEAUTIFUL book. Cassie Louise Lightfoot can fly, and fly she does, all over the beautiful night city. (That part reminded me of Sendak’s The Night Kitchen.)
#urbansetting
#economicjustice
#maingirl
#peopleofcolor
Remember how sweet it was to have best friends and do everything together – back before you were cynical and the new friend you just met could mean everything to you? This book illustrates those days in a book for little kids- fun to rea…
This is kind of like the sub-plot of Go Dog Go! in which one dog keeps asking another dog if he likes her hat. He does not – so she keeps trying new hats until he finally like one. Except, this story the exact opposite.
Ella Sarah does…
I liked it a lot. A plucky young inventor that I’d never heard of before. Inspiring!
#brownkids
#kidsofcolor
#girls
#maingirls
#urbansetting
Sweet book about Suki spending time with her Grandma and then wearing her new kimono to school.
#brownkids
#kidsofcolor
#girls
#maingirls
A sweet book about the joy of an everyday item – a big comfy chair! Beautiful pictures.
#brownkids
#kidsofcolor
#girls
#maingirls
#urbansetting
A sweet book that would be really fun to read out loud to a little kid. Very fun, cute illustrations that remind me a bit of Dr. Seuss.
#brownkids
#kidsofcolor
#girls
#maingirls
This is a beautiful, sweet book to read to kids. It’s also sweet for adults too. The illustrations are gorgeous enough that I want to buy a big print of some of them and hang them on my walls.
#brownkids
#kidsofcolor
#girls
#maingirls
#…
3.5 for this sweet, short book about a very generous little boy who lets other kids draw on his picture.
#brownkids
#kidsofcolor
I love this book that shows the joys of being a sibling – and the sad times of being left out by older siblings – something that many little kids can relate to. It’s a warm, safe, sweet book that would be fun to read out loud. I love the…
I love this sweet, simple story of a little girl who goes to the post-office and says hi. The illustrations make it magical because they show so clearly how Margarita gets sadder and sadder as no one notices her “hi!” At last, her greeti…
A somewhat heart-breaking book which makes more sense now that I see that this is the author of Bridge to Terabithia! Luckily it’s not Bridge to Terabithia sad. Gilly Hopkins, foster kid, stinker, racist, and survivor extraordinaire, fin…
