Fatima's Great Outdoors, by Ambreen Tariq and illustrated by Stevie Lewis

 

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)

The Boy Who Grew a Forest, by Sophia Gholz and illustrated by Kayla Harren

 

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)

Iqbal and his Ingenious Idea: How a Science Project Helps One Family and the Planet, by Elizabeth Suneby

 

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library)

The Day You Begin, by Jacqueline Woodson

The Day You Begin focuses on children who feel different, for reasons such as the way they look, how much money their family has,  or the language they speak. It truly captures the feeling of aloneness and otherness, as well as the courage it takes to announce your otherness to the world and go forth and find commonality with others.  This isn't the type of book I'd typically recommend - it doesn't have a linear plot - but my son and I were both entranced by the emotions so perfectly captured in this book that, for once, it didn't matter.  

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library)

Another Important Book, by Margaret Wise Brown

It's been a while since I've read or recommended a book for infants, but we stumbled across Another Important Book at the library and picked it up because we adore the author Margaret Wise Brown (her book Little Fur Family was an early favorite of ours).  My 6 year old was, of course, way too old but listened gamely (and I was a huge fan).  The illustrations are of tumbling, crying, dancing, giggling babies of all different colors, and I'm positive the lyrical and repetitive text would have appealed to my son if he had been a few years younger.  I'm sad we stumbled onto this book too late to add it to our bedtime collection, but perhaps it isn't too late for you!

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)

Silent Night, by Lara Hawthorne

This book combines the words to Silent Night with beautifully illustrated pictures of the Nativity, a Nativity scene full of people with black and brown skin.  I was thrilled when we came across this book at the library, and given that Silent Night is one of our favorite lullabies to sign at bedtime it's already been read repeatedly.  A simple, lovely Christmas story.

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)

Sergio Sees the Good, by Linda Ryden

I don't know how it's possible we hadn't come across this book previously - I love it, my son loves it, and it teaches an amazing lesson - it really should be a classic.  Sergio comes home fuming about his awful day at school, but his mom proposes a test of sorts - why don't they take a scale and put marbles on the 'good' and 'bad' sides representing everything that happened to him during his day.  The details are ones that will engage kids, such as mean kids stealing a basketball at the playground.  Sergio takes his mom through his day and realizes that maaaybe things weren't so bad after all.  There's a bit of an over-explanation of the concept of 'negativity bias' at the end of the book that I rush through as my son's eyes glaze over, but maybe an older child would be more into the concept - which is nicely illustrated through the story.

A couple times when we've read this book my son has enthusiastically tested out his own day - stacking magnatiles to represent 'good' and 'bad' things that happened to him and marveling at how much taller the good pile is!  This would be an especially good book if you happen to have a 'glass half full' type of kid.  

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)

Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol Series, by Andrew Miedoso

Andres Miedoso moves next door to Desmond Cole and shortly thereafter, and somewhat reluctantly, finds himself part of the Ghost Patrol.  The town of Kersville is filled with not-too-frightening ghosts, zombies, and other odd creatures and best friends Andres and Desmond seemingly can't go anywhere without bumping into something scary, though at the end of the books the duo always ends of befriending these initially scary creatures.

Someone recommended these to me when I was searching for easy, fun chapter books with a main character who wasn't white, and when I brought the first one home from the library my son was thrilled and asked to read it immediately.  It wasn't until the end of the first book that he casually asked if Desmond was black like him.  Race isn't discussed in the books, but based on illustrations Desmond is black and based on Andres Miedoso's name he is Latino (the author's name is also Andres Miedoso and his bio notes that he returns to Kersville as needed to visit Desmond - which my son found thrilling).  This series is EXACTLY what we wanted - exciting, plot-driven books that are always fun to read and just happen to feature children of color as the main characters.  We've read the first 5 books in the series in the last two weeks; sadly there are only 7 available currently but there are 2 more slated to be released shortly and I hope this series continues for a long time!

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Hey-Ho, To Mars We'll Go, by Susan Lendroth

This book is a perfect read for any child obsessed with space travel or outer space (or Mars in particular, like my son).  Featuring 4 children (two of them children of color) on a hypothetical trip to Mars, there are several ways to read this book.  The fun illustrations accompany the song "to Mars we'll go" (sung to the tune of Farmer in the Dell) - with verses such as "We sleep on the walls, We sleep on the walls, Hey-ho, to Mars we'll go -- We sleep on the walls."  My son usually joins in with me after the first line.  For younger kids, or when you're in a rush, singing through the book is quick and fun.  For older kids (or when you're not trying to rush your kid to bed), each page contains interesting facts about what would be necessary for such a journey - like growing fresh vegetables in bags, or how it would be easier to build and launch a spaceship to Mars in space.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Karate Hour, Soccer Hour, and Baseball Hour, all by Carol Nevius

This three book series is notable for its inclusivity and appealing to children who love sports.  All three books includes coaches and players of both genders and multiple races.  Karate Hour also includes a student using a walker (albeit just in the background in one photo).  The illustrations are realistic and gorgeous - the children look like your son or daughter's friends.

The books take children through practice (or class, in the case of Karate Hour) from beginning to end.  The prose is simple, descriptive, and rhyming, perhaps better for younger children - my 4 (nearly 5 year old) is a bit bored by the simplistic narration of what the children are doing, despite the fact that he is very athletic and takes similar classes himself.  However, if he encountered these books at age 2 or 3 I think he would have spent much longer pouring over them.

BUY SOCCER HOUR, BASEBALL HOUR, AND KARATE HOUR

(or request at your local library!)

The Boy and the Whale, by Mordicai Gerstein

Abelardo and his father head out on their panga (boat) only to discover that a whale is tanged in their only fishing net.  The father is furious - they don't have enough money to repair the net and fishing is their only source of income.  Despite the fact that his father forbids him from doing so, Abelardo takes the panga back out and, despite the danger, repeatedly dives and cuts the whale free.  He is thanked by the whale's joyous leaps and spins.  His father pronounces what he did both foolish and brave, before quickly getting back to work.  

Part of the appeal of The Boy and The Whale is that it doesn't pander to its audience.  The story is exciting and tense - Abelardo is facing real danger, diving underwater with a knife near a giant whale (his size repeatedly illustrated in impressive drawings).  My son carefully listens each time we read this book, quietly absorbed (despite typically being chatty and full of questions while we read).  That said, I think I may enjoy this story more than him.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Teddy's Favorite Toy, by Christian Trimmer

I was so skeptical of this book - we once read a book about a boy who preferred to wear dresses and I think it had the opposite of its intended effect.  My son went from thinking that there was absolutely nothing unusual about a boy wearing a dress, to being a bit suspicious based on the reactions of all the children in the book.

This book is at the same time subtle and straightforward in addressing the fact that Teddy's favorite toy is a doll.  It starts by noting that Teddy has lots of cool toys such as a fire engine he can ride on (my son was blown away by this), a rocket ship, puzzles, a hula hoop . . . but his favorite one is a doll named Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of the Pacific.  Bren-Da enjoys a tea party and dressing up but also has the "sickest fighting skills."  When Teddy's mom accidentally throws away Bren-Da while cleaning his room, his mom uses all of Bren-Da's various talents (manners, cool moves!) to rescue Bren-Da from the garbage truck.  All in all, a pretty perfect introduction to a boy who just happens to love his doll.

In addition to all of the wonderfulness above, Teddy is a child of color and, if you choose, can be read as either adopted or biracial (his mom is the only parent pictured and appears to be white).

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

We Are Family, by Patricia Hegarty

I typically don't like books without a plot, but this one is an exception.  It follows ten different types of families - two moms, two dads, parents with four children, a single mother and child, a child raised by his grandparents, and so on.  In addition, these families are made up of various races.  Our son was beyond delighted to find a family exactly the same as ours (a transracial adoption) and follow it through various activities and note the similarities - we also eat croissants! we all ride bikes! we like to cuddle on the sofa too, how did they know?!  If by chance your family is one of those pictured, I highly recommend this book.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)

Shawn Loves Sharks, by Curtis Manley

Shawn, a boy of color, is obsessed with sharks.  He reads about sharks, eats like a shark, and chases other kids like a shark - especially Stacy, an Asian girl.  However, when doing a class project on predators, Shawn is dismayed when Stacy is assigned the shark and he is assigned the leopard seal.  The tables are turned, as Stacy the shark chases her prey, Shawn the leopard seal.  However, Shawn slowly learns to appreciate the leopard seal and befriends Stacy in the process.

Aside from the fact that it's a really enjoyable book (that, despite regular readings over the last 3 months, we still haven't tired of), this story really has everything.  It's about a child obsessed (what child doesn't have a passion that everyone else is a bit tired of?) but also begrudgingly expanding and eventually embracing new interests, the complexities of friendship. the fun of pretending to be an animal (lots of shark-chomping), a multicultural classroom, and simple, arresting illustrations.

BUY HERE (or request at your local library!)