A few years ago, I made a commitment to work on diversifying not only my own reading list but what the boys reads as well. Though I think I’ve done a decent job of that, there’s always work to be done. I think one of the best ways to understand the world is to read about perspectives that are different from your own.
Right now in particular, I wanted to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and highlight children’s books by Black creators. I’ve come across a bunch of good lists for these that I’ve posted below, and here’s a non-exhaustive list of Black authors and illustrators to check out if you’re at all interested in children’s literature:
Ibi Zoboi, Elizabeth Acevedo, Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, Lupita Nyong’o, Vashti Harrison, Nic Stone, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Kwame Alexander, Kalynn Bayron, Jerry Craft, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nikki Grimes, Roda Ahmed, Jacqueline Woodson, Laura Freeman, Gloria Jean Pinkney, Jerry Pinkney, Ekua Holmes, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Varian Johnson, Tomi Adeyemi, and Andrea Davis Pinkney.
Book lists: This List is Anti-Racist
An Anti-Racist Children’s and YA Reading List
How have you been diversifying your reading lists lately?
A new picture book by a black author is LET’S DANCE by Valerie Bolling. A darling pb.
I’ll have to check that one out with the kiddos. Thanks for sharing, Sue.