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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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Find titles using a keyword search below (e.g. adoption, birthday, holidays, etc.), or by selecting one or a combination of filters on the left-hand sidebar below.

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Blue Camas! Blue Camas!

2023

by Danielle S. Marcotte and Alyssa Koski

“Blue Camas! Blue Camas! tells the story of a flower that is native to the Northwest Coast of North America. For thousands of years, it has been considered a sacred and valuable plant by the Indigenous Peoples of this region, who harvested and traded Blue Camas bulbs all along the west coast. At the height of this period, meadows would come alive with the bright wildflowers, which would attract dozens of species of butterflies and birds, and entire villages would work together to harvest the plant and ensure its continued growth. When Europeans arrived and began to colonize the land, they did not see the value of the Blue Camas plant, and in fact saw the meadows where the plant had been harvested as ideal terrain to grow their own crops. The story takes place at the point of contact between a Lkwungen community and a group of Irish settlers, who see the land in very different ways. This beautifully illustrated picture book is an ode to a way of life that was threatened and nearly destroyed through miscommunication and colonization. It also raises awareness for food rights, biodiversity, and the preservation of ecosystems, offering children and teachers the opportunity to discuss these important themes in an open and constructive way.” — publisher

Cross Group

Nigeria Jones

2023

by Ibi Zoboi

“Warrior Princess. That’s what Nigeria Jones’s father calls her. He has raised her as part of the Movement, a Black separatist group based in Philadelphia. Nigeria is homeschooled and vegan and participates in traditional rituals to connect her and other kids from the group to their ancestors. But when her mother—the perfect matriarch of their Movement—disappears, Nigeria’s world is upended. She finds herself taking care of her baby brother and stepping into a role she doesn’t want. Nigeria’s mother had secrets. She wished for a different life for her children, which includes sending her daughter to a private Quaker school outside of their strict group. Despite her father’s disapproval, Nigeria attends the school with her cousin, Kamau, and Sage, who used to be a friend. ­There, she begins to flourish and expand her universe. As Nigeria searches for her mother, she starts to uncover a shocking truth. One that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about her life and her family.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Cross Group Oppression & Resilience Race/Culture/Identity Concepts

Bad Things Happen Here

2022

by Rebecca Barrow

“Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island. To the outside world, Parris is an exclusive, idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent. There’s nothing idyllic about its history, though, scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women—deaths Parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer. But Luca can’t ignore them. Not when the curse that took them killed her best friend, Polly, three years ago. Not when she feels the curse lingering nearby, ready to take her next. When Luca comes home to police cars outside her house, she knows the curse has visited once again. Except this time, it came for Whitney, her sister. Luca decides to take the investigation of Whitney’s death into her own hands. But as a shocking betrayal rocks Luca’s world, the identity of Whitney’s killer isn’t the only truth Luca seeks. And by the time she finds what she’s looking for, Luca will come face to face with the curse she’s been running from her whole life.” — publisher

Any Child/Teen Cross Group

Celebrate with Me!: Recipes, Crafts, and Holiday Fun from Around the World

2022

by Laura Gladwin and Dawn M. Cardona

“Celebrate at the tables of artists, designers, and chefs with this book that offers families the chance to share in a world of parties, festivals, and holidays. Each spread features a different holiday and offers a step-by-step recipe, a craft activity, a personal story, and different ways to observe the holiday. With contributions from chefs such as Erin Gleeson and Joanne Chang; artists and authors including Dow Phumiruk and Queenie Chan; and designers such as Marta Veludo and Juliet Sargeant, Celebrate with Me! brings together personal stories and parties from around the world in a unique and engaging way that is sure to delight children and their families.” — publisher

Any Child/Teen Centering Culture & Identity Informational

Gold Mountain

2022

by Betty G Yee

Growing up in 1860s China, Tam Ling Fan has lived a life of comfort. Her father is wealthy enough to provide for his family but unconventional enough to spare Ling Fan from the debilitating foot-binding required of most well-off girls. But Ling Fan’s life is upended when her brother dies of influenza and their father is imprisoned under false accusations. Hoping to earn the money that will secure her father’s release, Ling Fan disguises herself as a boy and takes her brother’s contract to work for the Central Pacific Railroad Company in America. Life on “the Gold Mountain” is grueling and dangerous. To build the railroad that will connect the west coast to the east, Ling Fan and other Chinese laborers lay track and blast tunnels through the treacherous peaks of the Sierra Nevada, facing cave-ins, avalanches, and blizzards—along with hostility from white Americans. When someone threatens to expose Ling Fan’s secret, she must take an even greater risk to save what’s left of her family . . . and to escape the Gold Mountain alive.

Cross Group Oppression & Resilience

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