Ron's Big Mission, by Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden

Ron's Big Mission strays from the primary mission of this site, in that rather than being a book that just happens to be about a child of color going about his life, it's a book that is that centers on race.  We generally avoid children's books about race.  They're frequently just bad books.  Preachy and boring with no real plot, they're not books that anyone would reach for if reading purely for pleasure. We have many, and my son never wants to read them (and I don't blame him).  I also dislike using children's books as a crutch for discussing race with children.  Discussions about race need to be frequent, frank, and ongoing - but all too often when parents are urged to discuss race and racism with their children they ask for a book recommendation.

All that said, Ron's Big Mission is an incredible book.  Ron McNair wakes up and bravely heads to South Caroline's Lake City Library - which bans black patrons from obtaining library cards.  Once there, he single-handedly stages a protest and refuses to leave until he is allowed to check out a book.  The head librarian realizes that the library's policy is wrong, and Ron becomes the first black person to check out a book from the library.  Ron's Big Mission is based on a true story, and the real Ron McNair went on to become an astronaut.

There are so many reasons we love this book.  For one, it's actually a good book, with beautiful pictures and an engaging fast-moving story that we've read over and over.  My son has pretended to be Ron McNair during several readings - standing on our coffee table and refusing to leave until he is allowed to check out a book.  Ron's bravery and intelligence is tied to his later accomplishments, and we've poured over the Author's Note detailing Ron's career as an astronaut.  Finally, while in our family we openly acknowledge racism is ongoing and protests are often long and violent and not always successful, this book provides a clear and easy to understand portrait of a single protest and it's a joy to revel in Ron's victory with our son.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Edited to add that we recently discovered the book Mae Among the Stars, by Roda Ahmed (a black author).  Although we're not quite as into this story as we are Ron's Big Mission, it's a solid book about Mae Jemison - the first black female astronaut.  And if you have a child interested in space, you should check it out.