Black and Bold: Books By Black Authors featuring Black Protagonists
Title: The Electric Slide and Kai
By: Kelly Baptist
Published: 2021
Everyone in the Donovan family can dance--and has a dance nickname--except Kai, but his family helps him practice his moves to prepare for his aunt's wedding reception.
Ages: 5-8 years
JPicture Bapti.K
Title: The Me I Choose to Be
By: Natasha Tarpley
Published: 2021
An uplifting story about self-confidence and a child's limitless potential.
JPicture Tarpl.N
Ages: 4-8 years
Title: I Am Okay to Feel
By: Karamo Brown
Published: 2022
While going for a walk a father and son experience and talk about different feelings
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Brown.K
Title: Octopus Stew
By: Eric Velasquez
Published: 2019
Ramsey dons his superhero cape to rescue Grandma from the huge octopus she is trying to cook--or is he simply telling a story? Includes author's note on the story's origin and a recipe for Octopus stew.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Velas.E
Title: Fresh Princess
By: Denene Millner
Published: 2019
When Destiny, the Fresh Princess, moves to a new neighborhood, she must be courageous as she makes new friends.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Milln.D
Title: Keyana Loves Her Family
By: Natasha Tarpley
Published: 2022
Keyana's latest big idea is to have backyard movie soiree for all her relatives! When her twin cousins' fighting knocks over the projector movie night seems heading for disaster--until Keyana comes up with an even better idea.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Tarpl.N
Title: Delphine Denise and the Mardi Gras prize
By: Brittany Mazique
Published: 2022
Delphine Denise Debreaux loves everything about the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration, especially riding bikes with her friends in the parade, but this year she is determined to win the prize for best float, with or without them. Includes notes about Mardi Gras and New Orleans.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Maziq.B
Title: The Big Bed
By: Bunmi Laditan
Published: 2018
A young girl tries to persuade her father that he is the one who should sleep in a special, little bed while she shares the big bed with Mommy.
Ages: 4-6 years
JPicture Ladit.B
Title: Marley and the Family Band
By: Cedella Marley
Published: 2022
Marley and her siblings plan to put on a community concert after moving from Jamaica to Delaware, but when rain threatens to ruin the day, they learn the power of lending a helping hand.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Marle.C
Title: Mermaid Kenzie: Protector of the Deep
By: Charlotte Watson Sherman
Published: 2022
When Kenzie slips on her mermaid tail, she becomes Mermaid Kenzie, protector of the deeps. One day as Kenzie snorkels around a shipwreck, she discovers more plastic bags than fish. Grabbing her spear and mermaid net, she begins to clean up the water and the shore--inspiring other kids to help.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Sherm.C
Title: Mama's Home
By: Shay Youngblood
Published: 2022
Home can be a blue house with white trim you share with your mama. But it can be bigger than that, with lots of Big Mamas to take care of you when your mom works--different houses for every day of the week. Mondays mean Nurse Louella and bike riding. Tuesdays mean eating fufu with your fingers with Miss Zikora. And Wednesdays . . . well, no matter where you are, as long as you are with your Big Mamas, you are home.
JPicture Young.S
Ages: 4-8 years
Title: Indigo Dreaming
By: Dinah Johnson
Published: 2022
A young girl living on the coast of South Carolina dreams of her distant relatives on the shores of Africa and beyond. Indigo Dreaming is a poetic meditation between two young girls--on different sides of the sea--who wonder about how they are intricately linked by culture, even though they are separated by location. The girls' reflections come together, creating a vision of home, as well as a celebration of the Black diaspora.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Johns.D
Title: Grandma's Purse
By: Vanessa Newton-Brantley
Published: 2018
When Grandma Mimi comes to visit, her granddaughter cannot wait to see what treasures she has hidden in her purse.
Ages: 3-5 years
JPicture Brant.V
Title: We Had a Picnic This Sunday Past
By: Jacqueline Woodson
Published: 1997
A young girl describes her various relatives and the foods they bring to the annual family picnic.
Ages: 5-9 years
JPicture Woods.J
Title: Magic Like That
By: Samara Cole Brown
Published: 2021
While her mother works magic styling her hair, a young Black girl recalls how her hairstyles can reflect the natural world and show that her hair can be elegant, mischievous, or whimsical.
Ages: 5-8 years
JPicture Doyon.S
Title: Me and Muhammed Ali
By: Jabari Asim
Published: 2022
Langston's joyous encounter with his hero, boxing champion and poet Muhammad Ali, is everything he dreamed it would be and more.
Ages: 3-7 years
JPicture Asim.J
Title: Me & Mama
By: Cozbi A. Cabrera
Published: 2020
For a little girl on a rainy day, the best place to be is with Mama.
JPicture Cabre.C
Ages: 4-8 years
Title: Bedtime Bonnet
By: Nancy Amanda Redd
Published: 2020
As family members braid, brush, twirl, roll, and tighten their hair before bedtime, putting on kerchiefs, wave caps, and other protective items, the little sister cannot find her bonnet.
Ages: 3-7 years
JPicture Redd.N
Title: Shhh! The baby's asleep
By: JaNay Brown-Wood
Published: 2021
Baby is finally asleep, and Mama is trying to shush the rest of the family; but when they are all finally quiet baby wakes up--and it is up to big brother Dante to find the right book to read so everyone can get some rest.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Brown.J
Title: Rocket Says Looks Up!
By: Nathan Bryon
Published: 2019
Aspiring astronaut Rocket draws her community together to see a rare appearance of the Phoenix Meteor Shower, hoping especially that her big brother, Jamal, will look up from his phone.
Ages: 3-7 years
JPicture Bryon.N
Title: Raising Dragons
By: Jerdine Nolen
Published: 1998
A farmer's young daughter shares numerous adventures with the dragon that she raises from infancy.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Nolen.J
Title: Saturday
By: Oge Mora
Published: 2019
When all of their special Saturday plans go awry, Ava and her mother still find a way to appreciate one another and their time together.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Mora.O
Title: Milo Imagines the World
By: Matt de la Peña and Christain Robinson
Published: 2021
While Milo and his sister travel to a detention center to visit their incarcerated mother, he observes strangers on the subway and draws what he imagines their lives to be.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Delap.M
Title: Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut
By: Derrick Barnes
Published: 2017
This picture book celebrates the magnificent feeling that comes from walking out of a barber shop with newly-cut hair.
Ages: 3-8 years
JPicture Barne.D
Title: A Girl Like Me
By: Angela Johnson
Published: 2020
Empower young readers to embrace their individuality, reject societal limitations, and follow their dreams. This inspiring picture book brings together a poem by acclaimed author Angela Johnson and Nina Crews's distinctive photocollage illustrations to celebrate girls of color.
Ages: 5-9 years
x811.54 Johns.A
Title: Olu and Greta
By: Diana Ejaita
Published: 2021
Two cousins--one in Lagos, Nigeria, and the other in Milan, Italy--have different lives, but they share a dream of meeting and being together.
Ages: 3-5 years
JPicture Ejait.D
Title: Princess Hair
By: Sharee Miller
Published: 2017
Little girls pretending to be princesses celebrate the different shapes, textures, and styles of their black hair.
Ages: 4- 8 years
JPicture Mille.S
Title: The Thing about Bees: A Love Letter
By: Shabazz Larkin
Published: 2019
A love poem from a father to his two sons, and a tribute to the bees that pollinate the foods we love to eat.
Ages: 3-7 years
JPicture Larki.S
Title: Jayden's Impossible Garden
By: Mélina Mangal
Published: 2021
Nine-year-old Jayden loves the outdoors, but his mother is nervous about him playing in their neighborhood. With the help of his neighbor Mr. Curtis, can Jayden help Mama see that nature and beauty are all around?
Ages: 4-9 years
JPicture Manga.M
Title: Soul food Sunday
By: Winsome Bingham
Published: 2021
Granny teaches her young grandson how to cook the family meal, in this celebration of food, traditions, and gathering together at the table.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Bingh.W
Title: Kick Push
By: Frank Morrison
Published: 2022
When Epic's family moves to a new neighborhood, he has a hard time making friends and fitting in with his skateboard, but the trick to making new friends is to be yourself.
Ages: 3-6 years
JPicture Morri.F
Title: Zuri Ray Tries Ballet
By: Tami Charles
Published: 2021
Zuri Ray loves trying extraordinary new things but when Jessie, her Best Friend From Diapers, chooses ballet Zuri Ray finds it too challenging until the teacher encourages her to be herself.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Charl.T
Title: Max and the Tag Along Moon
By: Floyd Cooper
Published: 2013
When Max leaves his grandfather's house, the moon follows him all the way home, just as Grandpa promised it would.
Ages: 3-7 years
JPicture Coope.F
Title: The King of Kindergarten
By: Derrick Barnes
Published: 2019
This fun tale pictures a kid's royally good first day of school.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Barne.D
Title: Mommy's Khimar
By: Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Published: 2018
A young Muslim girl puts on a head scarf and not only feels closer to her mother, she also imagines herself as a queen, the sun, a superhero, and more.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Thomp.J
Title: Hair Love
By: Matthew Cherry
Published: 2019
A little girl's daddy steps in to help her arrange her curly, coiling, wild hair into styles that allow her to be her natural, beautiful self.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Cherr.M (also in Spanish under - Spanish JPicture Cherr.M)
Title: Parker Shines On: An Extrodinary Moment
By: Parker Curry
Published: 2021
Parker Curry wonders about what it takes to be a real ballet dancer. The first step may be opening her heart.
Ages: 4-8 years
JPicture Curry.P
Title: El violín mágico / The Magic Violin
By: Christine Platt
Published: 2021
Ana & Andrew are learning to play the violin! They are excited to join the youth orchestra. At first it is fun. But when they start to lose interest, Ana & Andrew learn from an important African American about the importance of practicing.
Ages: 5-8 years
Spanish JEasy Platt.C (in our Children's World Languages section)
Title: King of the Ice
By: Kelly Starling Lyons
Published: 2022
When his friend RJ bets that Miles will wipe out at the ice rink, he is determined to prove him wrong.
Ages: 6-8 years
JChapter Lyons.K
Title: Sadiq and the Desert Star
By: Siman Nuurali
Published: 2020
Sadiq's father is going on a business trip, but before he goes he tells Sadiq a story of the Desert Star, which fits in perfectly with Sadiq's third grade class field trip to the planetarium, and inspires Sadiq to build a simple telescope to study the stars when his father returns.
Ages: 6-8 years
JChapter Nuura.S
Title: Nikki and Deja
By: Karen English
Published: 2007
When an arrogant new girl comes to school, third-graders and best friends Nikki and Deja decide to form a club that would exclude her but find the results not what they expected.
Ages: 4-7 years
J Engli.K
Title: Class Act
By: Kelly Starling Lyons
Published: 2019
Fourth-grader Jada's campaign for class representative leads to rumors about her fear of public speaking, the pressure to make promises she cannot keep, and conflict between friends.
Ages: 6-8 years
JChapter Lyons.K
Title: The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane
By: Nikki Shannon Smith
Published: 2020
Azaleah loved her class field trip to the National Zoo in Washington D.C, and is looking forward to earning extra credit by building a diorama of a tiger in his natural habitat for extra credit--but before she can even begin her task she has to solve the mystery of her younger sister's favorite missing stuffed animal.
Ages: 5-7 years
JChapter Smith.N
Title: How to test a friendship
By: Theanne Griffith
Published: 2020
With the help of a fun, odd scientist, third graders Violet, Pablo, and Deepak embark on an adventure in the Maker Maze, a magical laboratory full of robots, an antigravity chamber, 3-D printers, and more.
Ages: 7-10 years
JChapter Griff.T
Title: Too Small Tola
By: Atinuke
Published: 2020
Presents three tales of an endearing and enduring character, Tola, who lives in an apartment in the busy city of Lagos, Nigeria, with her sister, brother, and grandmommy.
Ages: 7-9 years
JChapter Atinuke
Title: Clubhouse Mysteries: The Buried Bones Mystery
By: Sharon Draper
Published: 2011
After the neighborhood basketball court is vandalized, Ziggy and his friends decide to form a club called the Black Dinosaurs and build their clubhouse in Ziggy's backyard.
Ages: 7-10 years
JChapter Drape.S
Title: J.D and the Great Barber Battle
By: J. Dillard
Published: 2021
Eight-year-old J.D. turns a tragic home haircut into a thriving barber business in this hilarious new illustrated chapter book series.
Ages: 6-8 years
JChapter Dilla.J
Title: Little Shaq
By: Shaquelle O' Neal
Published: 2015
Seven-year-old Shaquille O'Neal, a talented basketball and video game player, learns to share the spotlight with his cousin Barry when the youngsters work together to earn money by watering plants.
JChapter Oneal.S
Ages: 5-7 years
Title: Twins
By: Varian Johnson
Published: 2020
Maureen and Francine are more than sisters, they are each other’s best friends, but at the start of middle school a rift threatens to tear these two sisters apart. Can Maureen and Francine go back to the way they were or will middle school change everything forever? After all, sisters are forever.
Ages: 8-12 years
JGraphic Johns.V
Title: Fibbed
By: Elizabeth Agyemng
Published: 2022
After telling too many far-fetched tales, Nana Busumuru is sent to spend the summer with relatives in Ghana, where she must join forces with the trickster spider Ananse to prevent an evil corporation from stealing the magic in the village forest.
Ages: 8-12 years
JGraphic Agyem.E
Title: Miles Morales. Shock waves: A Spider-Man graphic novel
By: Justin A. Reynolds
Published: 2021
Miles Morales is a normal kid who happens to juggle school at Brooklyn Visions Academy while swinging through the streets of Brooklyn as Spider-Man. After a disastrous earthquake strikes his mother's birthplace of Puerto Rico, Miles springs into action to help set up a fundraiser for the devastated island. But when a new student's father goes missing, Miles begins to make connections between the disappearance and a giant corporation sponsoring Miles' fundraiser.
Ages: 8-12 years
JGraphic Spiderm Reyno.J
Title: Black Boy Joy
By: Author/Editor: Kwame Mbalia
Published: 2021
From seventeen acclaimed Black male and nonbinary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.
Ages: 9-12 years
x808.83 Black
Title: Jayla Jumps In
By: Joy Jones
Published: 2020
After learning that her mother was a Double Dutch champion, eleven-year-old Jayla forms a team hoping to stand out in her big, quirky family, and finds her life changed in ways she never imagined.
Ages: 7-11 years
J Jones.J
Title: Maya and the Robot
By: Eve Ewing
Published: 2021
In desperate need of a friend--and a science project--Maya finds a robot named Ralph in Mr. Mac's convenience store, and once she gets him up and running, a new world of connection opens up.
Ages: 8 -12 years
J Ewing.E
Title: Simon B. Rhymin'
By: Dwanye Reed
Published: 2021
A humorous and heartwarming bounce-to-the-beat underdog story about a young rapper whose rhymes help bring his community together.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Reed.D
Title: My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
By: Ibi Anu Zoboi
Published: 2019
Ebony-Grace Norfleet Freeman is a Trekkie from Huntsville, AL, who is spending the summer with her father in Harlem. Her love of all things Star Trek and space collides spectacularly with a newly emerging hip-hop culture and an ailing friendship. Ebony spends the summer learning new dance moves and what it means to be true to yourself.
Ages: 9-12
J Zoboi.I
Title: The Sweetest Sound
By: Sherri Winston
Published: 2017
Shy ten-year-old Cadence grapples with an overprotective father, a mother who's skipped town to pursue stardom, and what to do when a recording of her amazing voice leaks before she's ready to share it with the world.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Winst.S
Title: The Last-Last Day of Summer
By: Lamar Giles
Published: 2019
When adventurous cousins Otto and Sheed Alston accidentally extend the last day of summer by freezing time, they find the secrets between the unmoving seconds are not as much fun as they expected.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Giles.L
Title: Planet Middle School
By: Nikki Grimes
Published: 2011
A series of poems describes all the baffling changes at home and at school in twelve-year-old Joylin's transition from tomboy basketball player to not-quite-girly girl.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Grime.N
Title: Amari and the Night Brothers
By: B.B Alston
Published: 2020
Thirteen-year-old Amari gets an invitation from her missing brother to join the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and join in the fight against an evil magician.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Alsto.B
Title: It's The End of the World and I'm in my Bathing Suit
By: Justin Reynolds
Published: 2022
When the electricity goes out, twelve-year-old Eddie and his friends set out to investigate what is going on when they make the startling discovery that they are the only ones left in their neighborhood--and perhaps the only people left anywhere.
Ages: 8-12 years
Call number: J Reyno.J
Title: The Swag is in the Socks
By: Kelly Baptist
Published: 2021
Xavier has never had the courage to apply to the elite after-school boy's club that his father, great-uncle, and grandfather belonged to, but his wild socks are getting him some big attention, so maybe it's time to come out of the shadows and follow in his family's footsteps. Or maybe Xavier will march down a new path altogether.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Bapti.K
Title: Something to Say
By: Lisa Moore Ramée
Published: 2020
This book follows a young girl who has difficulties finding and expressing her voice and making friends. She’s comfortable being invisible and she’d rather stay that way. But she meets a new kid in her class who’s determined to be her friend and all of a sudden, she’s not so invisible anymore.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Ramee.L
Title: The Wall of Fame
By: Crystal Allen
Published: 2017
As she awaits the arrival of a new baby sister, Mya is cornered into a bet with her enemy that forces her to spend every night studying and enters a chili cook-off despite her limited culinary skills.
Ages: 8-12
J Allen.C
Title: Jake the Fake goes for laughs
By: Craig Robison
Published: 2019
Having discovered his natural talent for comedy at his school's end-of-semester talent show, Jake decides to pursue "his art," but can his comedian-mentor teach Jake humility as well as humor?
Ages: 9-12 years
J Robin.C
Title: Mango Delight
By: Fracaswell Hyman
Published: 2017
When seventh-grader Mango Delight Fuller accidentally breaks her BFF Brooklyn's new cell phone, her life falls apart. She loses her friends and her spot on the track team, and even costs her father his job as a chef. But Brooklyn's planned revenge--sneakily signing up Mango to audition for the school musical--backfires when Mango not only wins the lead role, but becomes a YouTube sensation and attracts the attention of the school's queen bee, Hailey Jo. Hailey Jo is from a VERY wealthy family, and expects everyone to do her bidding. Soon Mango finds herself forced to make tough choices about the kind of friend she wants to have . . . and, just as important, the kind of friend she wants to be.
Ages: 9-13 years
J Hyman.F
Title: The Magic in Changing Your Stars
By: Leah Henderson
Published: 2020
After bungling his audition to play the Scarecrow in The Wiz, fifth-grader Ailey is magically transported to 1930s Harlem where he meets his own grandfather and legendary tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.
J Hende.L
Title: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
By: Kwame Mbalia
Published: 2019
Seventh grader Tristan has already been battered by loss – he failed to safe his best friend Eddie from an accident. All he has left of Eddie is his notebook, so when a strange creature tries to steal it, Tristan fights back, following it into a realm of MidPass. Here, he teams up with John Henry and Brer Rabbit, among others.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Mbali.K
Title: Be Real, Macy Weaver
By: Lakita Wilson
Published: 2022
Determined to find a new best friend in Brynn, who's smart, kind, and beautiful, eleven-year-old Macy turns one small lie into a whole new life to win her over until everything falls apart.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Wilso.L
Title: Mwikali and the forbidden mask
By: Shiko Nguru
Published: 2022
12-year-old Mwikali is moving to a new school in Nairobi and just wants her life to be normal. But when she meets Soni, Odwar and Xirsi who reveal that she is descended from an ancient bloodline of legendary Kenyan warriors, all hope of a normal life fades. Now, with an array of malign forces massing, Mwikali must delve deep into the past to discover her ancestry, learn to harness her extraordinary powers, and enter a race against time to defeat a village elder who has turned to dark magic in an effort to gain ultimate power.
Ages: 9-11
J Nguru.S
Title: Flora la Fresca & the art of friendship
By: Veronica Chambers
Published: 2023
Ten-year-old larger-than-life Flora Violeta LeFevre uses humor and a little mischief to navigate her best friend moving away, her sister's overbearing and all-consuming quince preparations, and a surprising new friendship.
Ages: 8-11 years
J Chamb.V
Title: Ikenga
By: Nnedi Okorafor
Published: 2020
In southeastern Nigeria, twelve-year-old Mnamdi is determined to avenge his police chief father, who was murdered while trying to rid the town of criminals, but Nnamdi feels powerless until he receives a magical object which gives him superpowers.
Ages: 10 and up
J Okora.N
Title: Ellie Engle saves the herself!
By: Leah Johnson
Published: 2023
As twelve-year-old Ellie Engle navigates seventh grade and her changing relationship with her best friend, a freak accident occurs and gives Ellie the ability to bring things back to life through touch.
Ages: 8-12
J Johns.L
Title: Two Naomis
By: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Published: 2016
Other than their first names, Naomi Marie and Naomi Edith are sure they have nothing in common, and they wouldn't mind keeping it that way. When Naomi Marie's mom and Naomi Edith's dad get serious about dating, each girl tries to cling to the life she knows and loves, where they might just have to find a way to work with each other--and maybe even join forces to find new ways to define family.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Rhuda.O
Title: Rhythm of Time
By: Questlove
Published: 2023
Seventh grader Rahim Reynolds loves testing out the gadgets invented by his brilliant friend Kasia Collins. First there were the X-ray glasses and all the trouble they caused. Now there's the new cell phone she built for his birthday, even though his parents won't let him have one. But Rahim is excited to use the phone to search for videos of his favorite old-school rap group. What he doesn't know is the phone has a special battery that interfaces with a secret government satellite, which spells trouble when the phone transports him back to 1997.
Ages: 9-12 years
J Questlo
Title: Serena Says
By: Tanita Davis
Published: 2020
After her best friend, JC, has a kidney transplant, Serena feels that they are falling out of touch, especially as JC makes a new best friend in the hospital.
Ages: 7-12 years
J Davis.T
Title: Just Right Jillian
By: Nicole D. Collier
Published: 2022
Fifth-grader Jillian will do just about anything to blend in, including staying quiet even when she has the right answer. After she loses a classroom competition because she won't speak up, she sets her mind on winning her school's biggest competition. But breaking out of her shell is easier said than done.
Ages: 8-12 years
Call number: J Colli.N
Title: Ansley's Big Bake Off
By: Camryn Pitts, Kaitlyn Pitts, and Olivia Pitts
Published: 2020
After their mother's death, the four Daniels sisters make a fresh start in a new home and middle-schooler Ansley prays for guidance on which dream to pursue--gymnastics or baking.
Ages: 8-11 years
J Pitts.K
Title: Futureland: Battle for the Park
By: H.D Hunter
Published: 2022
Cam Walker, the 12-year-old son of the creators of a traveling theme park called Futureland, must stop an unknown enemy from stealing his parent's cutting-edge technology and using it for sinister purposes.
Ages: 8-11
J Hunte.H
Title: Operation Sisterhood
By: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Published: 2022
Eleven-year-old Bo is used to it being just her and her mom in their cozy New York apartment, but when her mom gets married, Bo must adjust to her new sisters and a music-minded blended family that is much larger, louder, and more complex than she ever imagined.
Ages: 8-12 years
Call number: J Rhuda.O
Title: Maya and the Rising Dark
By: Rena Baron
Published: 2020
A twelve-year-old girl discovers her father is the keeper of the gateway between our world and The Dark, and when he goes missing she'll need to unlock her own powers and fight a horde of spooky creatures set on starting a war.
Ages: 8-11
J Barro.R
Title: Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms
By: Jamar Perry
Published: 2022
Cameron Battle grew up reading The Book of Chidani, cherishing stories about the fabled kingdom that cut itself off from the world to save the Igbo people from danger. Passed down over generations, the Book is Cameron's only connection to his parents who disappeared one fateful night, two years ago. Ever since, his grandmother has kept the Book locked away, but it calls to Cameron. When he and his best friends Zion and Aliyah decide to open it again, they are magically transported to Chidani. Instead of a land of beauty and wonder, they find a kingdom in extreme danger, as the Queen's sister seeks to destroy the barrier between worlds. The people of Chidani have been waiting for the last Descendant to return and save them... is Cameron ready to be the hero they need?
Ages: 8-11
J Perry.J
Title: Squad Goals
By: Erika Kendrick
Published: 2021
Twelve-year-old Magic Pointdexter comes from a long line of cheerleaders, but to follow in their footsteps, Magic must survive summer camp Planet Pom Poms, audition for a spot on the HoneyBee cheer squad, and steer clear of swoon-worthy Dallas Chase.
Ages: 8-11
J Kendr.E
Title: Double Vision
By: Tia and Tamara Mowry
Published: 2015
Cassie and Caitlyn Waters may be identical twins, but everything else about them is completely different. The only thing they can agree on is that neither of them is happy that they have to move to middle-of nowhere Aura, Texas. As the girls' birthday nears, they start experiencing strange visions--and what they see starts coming true! Caitlyn and Cassie first use this new sight for their own fun, but when they each see something serious, the twins must work together to change the future before it happens.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Mowry.T
Title: Pizza My Heart
By: Rhiannon Richardson
Published: 2022
Maya Reynolds has practically grown up in her family's Brooklyn pizza shop, Soul Slice, and is a true city girl. When her family moves to a small town in Pennsylvania to open another pizza place, everything changes. This first-person narrative wonderfully weaves together a budding romance with the story of a girl wanting to live her dream while being the dutiful daughter.
Title: Dragons in a Bag
By: Zetta Elliot
Published: 2018
In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.
Ages: 8-12 years
J Ellio.Z