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Our collection of picture books featuring Black and Indigenous Peoples and People of Color (BIPOC) is available to the public.

*Inclusion of a title in the collection DOES NOT EQUAL a recommendation.*

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The Case of the Pilfered Pin

2024

“The Windy Lake First Nation’s lands have been shared with cottagers for fifty years, but no one can agree on where the reserve land ends. The only thing that can prove the boundary is a steel surveyor’s pin with the borders of the Windy Lake reserve etched into its head. When the Mighty Muskrats hear that the pin was stolen years ago—and that it is connected to their grandpa’s mysterious past—they make it their mission to find the missing pin and prove that the land belongs to their people. But the mystery gets tense when Grandpa becomes a suspect. Cousins Sam, Otter, Atim, and Chickadee must find that pilfered pin!” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

All the Yellow Suns

2023

by Malavika Kannan

A coming-of-age story about a queer Indian American girl exploring activism and identity through art, perfect for fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Sixteen-year-old Maya Krishnan is fiercely protective of her friends, immigrant community, and single mother, but she knows better than to rock the boat in her conservative Florida suburb. Her classmate Juneau Zale is the polar opposite: she’s a wealthy white heartbreaker who won’t think twice before capsizing that boat. When Juneau invites Maya to join the Pugilists—a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school—Maya descends into the world of change-making and resistance. Soon, she and Juneau forge a friendship that inspires Maya to confront the challenges in her own life. But as their relationship grows romantic, painful, and twisted, Maya begins to suspect that there’s a whole different person beneath Juneau’s painted-on facade. Now Maya must learn to speak her truth in this mysterious, mixed-up world—even if it results in heartbreak.

Cross Group Oppression & Resilience

Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold

2023

by Jessica Outram

“It’s the summer of 1914. Eight-year-old Bernice lives with her family in a lighthouse on Georgian Bay. One day Bernice wakes up to find a stranger named Tom Thomson sleeping in their living room. When she overhears him talk about gold on a nearby island, Bernice is determined to find it. Inspired by her beloved Mémèr’s stories of their Métis family’s adventures and hardships, Bernice takes the treasure map the stranger left behind and sets out in a rowboat with nothing more than her two dogs for company and the dream of changing her family’s fortunes forever.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

Clouds over California

2023

by Karyn Parsons

“My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich meets One Crazy Summer in this moving and heartfelt novel about how one girl’s family and friendships are turned upside down, just as the world is changing in 1970s Los Angeles—from the author of the highly acclaimed How High the Moon.Stevie’s life is fluctuating rapidly. She’s starting over in a brand new middle school. Quiet and observant, it’s hard for her to make friends. Plus, her mind is too occupied. The tension in her home is building as her parents’ arguments are becoming more frequent. To top it all off, Stevie’s older cousin Naomi is coming to live with the family in an attempt to keep her from a “bad” crowd—The Black Panthers.Stevie agrees to keep Naomi’s secrets. She’s the cool big cousin, after all, and Stevie can’t help but notice the happy, positive effect the Black Panthers are having on Naomi’s confidence and identity—just like how Mom is making decisions for herself, even when Dad disapproves.Stevie feels herself beginning to change as well. But one thing remains the same: she loves both of her parents, and she loves them together. Can her family stay in one piece despite the world shifting around them?”–publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Cross Group

Come Home Safe

2023

by Brian G. Buckmire

“A normal day. Until two siblings are accused of crimes they didn’t commit. Come Home Safe explores the pain, the truths, and the hopes that come with growing up as a person of color in America, as well as why “the talk” and discussions about social justice are so important in the community. This engaging YA novel from ABC News legal analyst Brian Buckmire is told in a way that can help foster conversations about what it means to navigate today’s world, as well as inspire ways to work toward change. When Reed and Olivia left home, they never imagined they’d find themselves questioned, searched, and thrown to the ground by police looking for suspects in recent crimes. As their worst fears become reality, they must find a way to “prove” their innocence and make it home safe once again.” — publisher

Cross Group Informational Oppression & Resilience

Infinity Blast and the Space Weapon of Doom

2023

by Brad Wright and Daniel O’Brien

“Self-proclaimed space nerds Infinity, his best friend Gabriel, and his sister Twilight are on the run, spurred by the arrest of their astrophysicist parents who have decoded a mysterious message from the long dormant Opportunity rover on Mars. Pursued by President Harker’s secret agents, they piece together clues pointing to the existence of a galaxy-wide conspiracy. In need of help, the three kids track down legendary astronaut Gerald ‘Fox’ Fuller who has retired to a life of surfing and yelling at anyone who interrupts his surfing. When Fuller tells them the space shuttle on display at the science museum is fully operational and ready to launch, they know they must steal it and blast into orbit. Their mission: Destroy the military’s orbital space weapon before Harker can deploy it against the peaceful aliens approaching earth. Heroism does not come easily to Infinity, Gabe, or Twilight. They feel big feelings but find a way to be brave, fight through it all, and triumph in the end.” — publisher

Any Child/Teen

Lalo Lespérance Never Forgot

2023

by Phillippe Diederich

“Lalo Lesperance lives with his older brother and Mexican American mother in a low-income apartment building in Fort Myers. They moved there from a subdivision after the family lost Lalo’s Haitian American father. At school, Lalo is known as the boy who can’t remember anything and needs special help in all his classes. But when the first COVID lockdown hits, he finds himself in a friendship of convenience with Vivi, a Mexican American kid his age who gets perfect grades and who never gave him a second thought when they were in school. Vivi’s abuela watches the kids while their mothers work long shifts as nurses at a clinic slammed by COVID. As Lalo navigates his much smaller pandemic world, he discovers his apartment building has its own mysteries, like a sinister stranger in an old RV and a storage closet full of junk, including an old radio that just might hold the key to remembering why Lalo’s family moved to the apartment and what happened to his father.” -publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Race/Culture/Identity Concepts

The Girl in the Lake

2023

by India Hill Brown

“Celeste knows she should be excited to spend two weeks at her grandparents’ lake house with her brother, Owen, and their cousins Capri and Daisy, but she’s not. Bugs, bad cell reception, and the dark waters of the lake… no thanks. On top of that, she just failed her swim test and hates being in the water—it’s terrifying. But her grandparents are strong believers in their family knowing how to swim, especially having grown up during a time of segregation at public pools. Soon strange things start happening—the sound of footsteps overhead late at night. A flickering light in the attic window. And Celeste’s cousins start accusing her of pranking them when she’s been no where near them! Things at the old house only get spookier until one evening when Celeste looks in the steamy mirror after a shower and sees her face, but twisted, different… Who is the girl in the mirror? And what does she want?” -publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Oppression & Resilience

The King Is Dead

2023

by Benjamin Dean

“In this YA romantic thriller, James—the shy, handsome, mixed-race heir to the British throne—must choose between love and duty amidst a dangerous scandal and a tabloid media desperate for his downfall. Perfect for fans of Ace of Spades. Heavy is the crown James has been born to wear, especially as the first Black heir to the British throne. But with his father’s recent passing, and with a new boyfriend to hide, James is woefully unprepared for the sudden shine of public scrutiny. When his secrets come spilling forth across tabloid pages and the man he thought he loved has suddenly disappeared, James finds himself on the precipice of ruin. As every detail of his life becomes public knowledge, his sense of safety is shattered and the people he trusts the most become the likeliest suspects. What dangers lurk behind the palace walls—and will the new king find out before it’s too late?” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Cross Group

The Light She Feels Inside

2023

by Gwendolyn Wallace and Olivia Duchess

“Maya feels two types of glowing—a warm glow when she picks strawberries in the community garden or hears music in her neighborhood, and a different kind of glow when she gets pushed down on the playground or sees her favorite cousin get stopped by the police. Sometimes that glowing seems like too much to carry… But then Maya learns that others feel the same light she does—Black women like Ida B. Wells, Nina Simone, and Maya’s own ancestors—and they always found ways to honor their glow. They were all guided by their light to make a difference, so Maya decides to share her own light and work toward a brighter world.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

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