The holiday of Juneteenth has long been celebrated in the African-American community, but with the establishment of June 19 as a federal holiday in 2021, many more books on this topic and others of a positive, hopeful outlook have been published. We carefully pored over the recent additions to the Children’s and YA collection, and while not every title below is brimming with joy, many highlight resilience and the belief in a brighter future. Please check out these books and those from our 2021 blog as well as other books on Black history and culture.

Fiction and Graphic Novel Recommendations 

Count To Love! | Davis, Andrea Pinkney & Brian Pinkney   Recommended for ages 0-3
This charming board book from a writer-illustrator couple celebrates sweet baby love with bouncing, rhythmic text, and whimsical illustrations of Black babies.

The King of Kindergarten & The Queen of Kindergarten | Barnes, Derrick   Recommended for ages 3-6
Instilled with confidence by their parents, two kids each have a great first day of kindergarten.

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures, Off to See the Sea, & Playtime for Restless Rascals | Grimes, Nikki    Recommended for ages 3-7 
In this trilogy of titles, effervescently illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, Black children resist going to bed, enjoy a bath time adventure, and revel in playtime all day long.

Climb On! | Paul, Baptiste   Recommended for ages 3-8
As a Black child and her father enjoy a hike in a tropical setting filled with setbacks, surprises, and stunning views, this warm and humorous story highlights in vivid colors their shared experience.

Nigel and the Moon | Eady, Antwan   Recommended for ages 3-8
When Nigel looks up at the moon, he imagines himself as an astronaut, a dancer, a superhero, too! When Career Week comes to school, can Nigel find the courage to share his dreams?

Daddy Speaks Love | Henderson, Leah   Recommended for ages 3-8
A tribute to the joy and grounding that fathers bring to their children's lives.

The Me I Choose to Be | Tarpley, Natasha Anastasia   Recommended for ages 4-8
Each page of this title is an immersive call for self-love that highlights the inherent beauty of all Black and Brown children where the possibilities are endless in the power of their potential.

We Are Here | Charles, Tami   Recommended for ages 4-8
Full of assurance, tenderness, and triumph, this book offers an equally inspirational and arresting ode to the Black women and men who have made momentous contributions since the beginning of time.

The Kindest Red | Muhammad, Ibtihaj   Recommended for ages 4-8 
In this companion to The Proudest Blue, Faizah’s teacher asks her students to envision the kind of world they want, inspiring Faizah and her friends to help one another in ways large and small.

Yellow Dog Blues | Duncan, Alice Faye   Recommended for ages 4-8
Traveling across the Mississippi Delta, Bo Willie searches blues landmarks like Dockery Farms and Beale Street for his missing dog.

When Langston Dances | Langley, Kaija   Recommended for ages 4-8
A young Black boy dreams of dancing in this exuberant, buoyant picture book celebrating the beauty of dance, and the wonder of Black Boy Joy.

Uncle John's City Garden | Ford, Bernette G.   Recommended for ages 4-9
While visiting the city one summer, a Black girl and her siblings help their uncle transform an empty lot into a vegetable garden.

Build a House | Giddens, Rhiannon   Recommended for ages 4-10
Written as a song to commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, this book tells the moving story of a people who would not be moved and the music that sustained them. 

The Year We Learned to Fly & The World Belonged to Us | Woodson, Jacqueline   Recommended for ages 5-8
In the first title, two siblings heed their grandmother’s advice and discover the ability to lift themselves up and imagine a better world. In the second book, a group of kids celebrate the joy and freedom of past summers spent on their Brooklyn block. 

Dream Street | Walker, Tricia Elam   Recommended for ages 5-8 
Author and illustrator cousins pay gorgeous homage to the street they grew up on and the loving community that made their childhood special.

Soul Food Sunday | Bingham, Winsome   Recommended for ages 5-8
Granny teaches her young grandson how to cook the family meal, in this celebration of food, traditions, and gathering together at the table.

The Dragon Thief | Elliott, Zetta   Recommended for ages 7-10
In this sequel to Dragons in a Bag, four kids try to return a baby dragon they found to the realm of magic before anything else goes wrong.

Stuntboy, In the Meantime | Reynolds, Jason   Recommended for ages 7-12
Portico Reeves's secret identity as Stuntboy allows him to use his superpower keep everybody safe, but when his superhero parents start fighting a lot, he feels the responsibility to save them.

Magnolia Flower | Hurston, Zora Neale   Recommended for ages 7-9
Born to parents who fled slavery and the Trail of Tears, Magnolia Flower is a girl with a vibrant spirit. Not to be deterred by rigid ways of the world, she longs to connect with others, who also long for freedom.

Meet Claudie: An American Girl | Bennett, Brit   Recommended for ages 8-11 
Claudie is in awe of the artists all around her. Her father is a talented baker, her mother is a reporter for a renowned newspaper, and her boardinghouse mates include a jazz singer, cornet player, and painter.

Ways to Grow Love | Watson, Renee   Recommended for ages 8-11
Following Ways to Make Sunshine, Ryan Hart continues to grow through changes and challenges, such as waiting for a new baby sister to be born, a summer camp trip, and more.

Nic Blake and The Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy | Thomas, Angie   Recommended for ages 8-12
All Nic Blake wants is to be a powerful Manifestor like her dad. But before he can teach her the gift, a series of shocking revelations and events launch Nic and two friends on an otherworldly journey. 

The Marvellers | Clayton, Dhonielle   Recommended for ages 8-12
Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers practice their cultural arts. Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn't easy.

Swim Team | Christmas, Johnnie   Recommended for ages 8-12
Bree looks forward to attending her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, until she must take the dreaded Swim 101. Lucky for her, an elderly neighbor and former swim team captain, is willing to help.

Out of My Heart | Draper, Sharon   Recommended for ages 9+
In this sequel to Out of My Mind, Melody wants to conquer her fear of horses, so she hopes a summer camp will be the place to welcome someone with cerebral palsy who wants to learn to ride.

Freewater | Luqman-Dawson, Amina      Recommended for ages 9-13  
History inspired this award-winning, riveting tale propelled by the strength, hope, and ingenuity of the children seeking and defending their freedom from enslavement in a community in the Great Dismal Swamp.

Maya and the Return of the Godlings | Barron, Rena   Recommended for ages 10+
Maya and the godlings must return to the sinister world of The Dark to retrieve the one thing keeping the veil between the worlds from crumbling: her father's soul. Sequel to Maya and the Rising Dark.

Fast Pitch | Stone, Nic   Recommended for ages 10-13
Shenice Lockwood dreams of leading her team to the softball regional championship. But her focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals some family secrets. Can she right the past wrongs in time?

A Girl's Guide to Love & Magic | Rigaud, Debbie   Recommended for ages 12+ 
Cicely is excited to celebrate the West Indian Day Parade, but when voodoo dabbler Mimose's spells goes awry and she becomes possessed by a spirit, they must find a way to set things right.

Yesterday is History | Jackson, Kosoko   Recommended for ages 13+
After a liver transplant, Andre suddenly becomes a time traveler, but is his soulmate Michael, who lives in 1969, or Blake, his donor's brother, who is training him in the art of time travel in 2021?

Instructions for Dancing | Yoon, Nicola   Recommended for ages 13+
Evie Thomas doesn't believe in love anymore, yet she finds herself at La Brea Dance studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X, and she begins to wonder, is love worth the risk?

Whiteout | Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon   Recommended for ages 13+
In Atlanta, just before Christmas, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life during the storm of the century.

Rust in the Root | Ireland, Justina   Recommended for ages 13+
In 1937, Laura Ann lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, the country has been rebuilding for a future without mysticism.

Bloodmarked | Deonn, Tracy   Recommended for ages 14+
In this sequel to Legendborn, Bree and her friends must go on the run so she can learn how to control her devastating new powers as they prepare for the approaching demon war.

Happily Ever Afters | Bryant, Elise   Recommended for ages 14+
When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program, she's thrilled until she loses her words. Thankfully, her friend Caroline has a solution: Tessa needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. 

Non-fiction and Biography Recommendations

H is for Harlem | Johnson, Dinah   Recommended for ages 5-9
A richly informative alphabet picture book celebrating Harlem's vibrant traditions, past and present.

We Wait for the Sun | McCabe, Katie   Recommended for ages 5-9
The late Civil Rights attorney and activist shares a poignant moment from her childhood beside her wise grandmother, who taught her the values of self-worth, strength, and justice.

Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem | Kincaid-Rolle, Sojourner   Recommended for ages 6-9 
Deeply emotional, evocative free verse by poet and activist Sojourner Kincaid Rolle traces the solemnity and celebration of Juneteenth from its 1865 origins in Galveston, Texas to contemporary observances.

Maya's Song | Watson, Renee   Recommended for ages 7-12
This gorgeous picture book introduces young readers to the life and work of Maya Angelou, whose words have uplifted and inspired generations of readers.

Nina: A Story of Nina Simone | Todd, Traci   Recommended for ages 7-12
A biography of Nina Simone, an acclaimed singer whose music gave voice to the struggle for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement.

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler | Zoboi, Ibi   Recommended for ages 10+
Coming of age during the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the dawning Civil Rights Movement, Butler experienced an American childhood that shaped her into a groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller.

Lifting as We Climb | Dionne, Evette   Recommended for ages 10-12
When the epic story of the suffrage movement in the United States is told, most participants discussed are generally white. That's not the whole story.

Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice | Smith, Tommie   Recommended for ages 12+
In this groundbreaking memoir, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest. 

Run | Lewis, John   Recommended for ages 13+
Beginning with the tragic death of Martin Luther King Jr., Run tells the story of how John Lewis entered politics, working within the community, and organizing a campaign that took him to Congress.