Dec 9, 2020
#3. Diverse book recommendations for children and teenagers
Book recommendations for ~ kindergarten — second grade
(For book recommendations for teenagers, scroll all the way to the bottom)
Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea
Book by Meena Harris
A beautiful, empowering picture book about two sisters who work with their community to effect change, inspired by a true story from the childhood of Meena Harris’s aunt, US Senator Kamala Harris, and Meena’s mother, lawyer and policy expert Maya Harris.
Recommended by Eva Chen, whose 4 year old daughter is currently enjoying the book: “ Very good for sight word practice, lots of can/do/be in there 😍”
Thank You, Omu!
Book by Oge Mora
The story is about Omu, who cooks a stew and shares it with her neighbors; they show their gratitude by bringing her food.
Recommended by Ali Wong, a list of books that her children are enjoying (3 and 5 year old)
A Big Mooncake for Little Star
Book by Grace Lin
The story is about Little Star gradually eating the mooncake that her mother has baked.
Recommended by Ali Wong, a list of books that her children are enjoying (3 and 5 year old)
The Truly Brave Princesses
Book by Dolores Brown
The book feels modern in its references and social cornerstones while retaining a classic, elegant style thanks to Wimmer’s gorgeous portraits of the princesses in their crowns, each facing a page of that princess in action.
Recommended by Ali Wong, a list of books that her children are enjoying (3 and 5 year old)
123s of Art
Book by Sabrina Hahn
Learn numbers through fine art! Spark your child’s creativity and curiosity with this delightfully curated counting book featuring some of the world’s most iconic paintings. In this collection, your child will discover artwork by Gustav Klimt, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Maria Sibylla Merian, and many others.
Recommended by Ali Wong, a list of books that her children are enjoying (3 and 5 year old)
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music
Book by Margarita Engle
Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule — until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.
Recommended by Ali Wong, a list of books that her children are enjoying (3 and 5 year old)
Hair Love
Book by Matthew A. Cherry
Based on the Oscar winning short film! It’s up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hair style in this story of self-confidence and the love between fathers and daughters. Zuri knows her hair is beautiful, but it has a mind of its own! It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Mum always does Zuri’s hair just the way she likes it — so when Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he’ll do anything to make her — and her hair — happy. Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair — and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.
Recommended by Ali Wong, a list of books that her children are enjoying (3 and 5 year old)
The Life of — La Vida de Walter
Book by Ariana Stein and Patty Rodriguez
Introduce little ones to the life of a cherished icon, Walter Mercado, in both English and Spanish!
Walter was a Puerto Rican astrologer, actor, dancer, and writer, best known as a television personality for his shows on daily astrology.
Recommended by Ali Wong, a list of books that her children are enjoying (3 and 5 year old)
The Shadow in the Moon
Book by Christina Matula
A unique blend of traditional folklore and contemporary customs brings the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival to life.Two sisters and their grandmother celebrate a popular Chinese holiday with family. Their favorite part? Mooncakes, of course — along with Ah-ma’s story of the ancient Chinese tale of Hou Yi, a brave young archer, and his wife, Chang’E. A long, long time ago, Hou Yi rescued the earth from the heat of ten suns. The Immortals rewarded him with a magic potion that could let him live in the sky with them forever. But when a thief tries to steal the potion, what will Chang’E do to keep it out of dangerous hands? The sisters are mesmerized by Ah-ma’s retelling and the fact that the very mooncakes they enjoy each holiday are a symbol of this legend’s bravest soul.
Recommended by Ali Wong, a list of books that her children are enjoying (3 and 5 year old)
I Am Every Good Thing
Book by Derrick Barnes
The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He’s got big plans, and no doubt he’ll see them through — as he’s creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. And other times he’s afraid, because he’s so often misunderstood and called what he is not. So slow down and really look and listen, when somebody tells you — and shows you — who they are. There are superheroes in our midst!
From a teacher’s wish list on DonorsChoose.org
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family
Book by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali
With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab — a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.
From a teacher’s wish list on DonorsChoose.og
Papa, Daddy, and Riley
Book by Seamus Kirst
Riley is Papa’s princess and Daddy’s dragon. She loves her two fathers! When Riley’s classmate asks her which dad is her real one, Riley is confused. She doesn’t want to have to pick one or the other. Families are made of love in this heartwarming story that shows there are lots of ways to be part of one.
From a teacher’s Amazon wish list
Mango, Abuela, and Me
Book by Meg Medina
Mia’s abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can’t read the words inside. So while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English (“Dough. Masa”), and Mia learns some Spanish too, but it’s still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet-shop window and has the perfect idea for how to help them all communicate a little better. An endearing tale from an award-winning duo that speaks loud and clear about learning new things and the love that bonds family members.
From a teacher’s Amazon wish list
A is for Awesome!: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World
Book by Eva Chen (author) and Derek Desierto (illustrator)
Why stick with plain old A, B, C when you can have Amelia (Earhart), Malala, Tina (Turner), Ruth (Bader Ginsburg), all the way to eXtraordinary You―and the Zillion of adventures you will go on?
Instagram superstar Eva Chen, author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, is back with an alphabet board book depicting feminist icons in A Is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World, featuring spirited illustrations by Derek Desierto.
From a teacher’s wish list on DonorsChoose.og
Your Name Is a Song
Book by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl’s mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city. Empowered by this newfound understanding, the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class. Your Name is a Song is a celebration to remind all of us about the beauty, history, and magic behind names.
From a teacher’s wish list on DonorsChoose.og
Book recommendations for teenagers
The Hate U Give
Novel by Angie Thomas
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does — or does not — say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
From a teacher’s Amazon wish list (Ms. Prusky)
On the Come Up
Novel by Angie Thomas
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill.
But it’s hard to get your come up when you’re labeled a hoodlum at school, and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral . . . for all the wrong reasons.
Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn’t just want to make it — she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.
From a teacher’s Amazon wish list (Ms. Prusky)
Are there any books that you would recommend? Please comment below!
You can purchase them from these Black-owned, independent bookstores online:
- https://www.kizzysbooksandmore.com
- https://44thand3rdbooksellers.indielite.org
- https://keybookstore.com
Here’s a list of Black-owned, independent bookstores by US state: https://lithub.com/you-can-order-today-from-these-black-owned-independent-bookstores/
Other independent book stores:
- Use IndieBound to search for independent bookstores in your area
- Check out this crowdsourced list from Publishers Lunch
- Use Bookshop, an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores.
#365ways is a blog series to document 365 actions we can take for racial justice and equality.
It’s a continuously updated action item list: to hold myself accountable, to sustain Black Lives Matter and civil rights movement for racial justice and equality, and to inspire others to do the same.
If it’s on this list, then I did it myself, and I hope that you do it, too. Change starts with me. Change starts with you. Together, we can change the world.
#365ways #takeaction #racialjustice #racialequality #blacklivesmatter #pride #empathy #humanrights #equalrights
