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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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Bless the Blood

2024

by Walela Nehanda

“When Walela is diagnosed at twenty-three with advanced stage blood cancer, they’re suddenly thrust into the unsympathetic world of tubes and pills, doctors who don’t use their correct pronouns, and hordes of “well-meaning” but patronizing people offering unsolicited advice as they navigate rocky personal relationships and share their story online. But this experience also deepens their relationship to their ancestors, providing added support from another realm. Walela’s diagnosis becomes a catalyst for their self-realization. As they fill out forms in the insurance office in downtown Los Angeles or travel to therapy in wealthier neighborhoods, they begin to understand that cancer is where all forms of their oppression intersect: Disabled. Fat. Black. Queer. Nonbinary.” — publisher

Biography/Autobiography Oppression & Resilience

The Secret Library

2024

by Kekla Magoon

“Since Grandpa died, Dally’s days are dull and restricted. She’s eleven and a half years old, and her exacting single mother is already preparing her to take over the family business. Starved for adventure and release, Dally rescues a mysterious envelope from her mother’s clutches, an envelope Grandpa had earmarked for her. The map she finds inside leads straight to an ancient vault, a library of secrets where each book is a portal to a precise moment in time. As Dally “checks out” adventure after adventure—including an exhilarating outing with pirates—she begins to dive deep into her family’s hidden history. Soon she’s visiting every day to escape the demands of the present. But the library has secrets of its own, intentions that would shape her life as surely as her mother’s meticulous plans. What will Dally choose? Equal parts mystery and adventure—with a biracial child puzzling out her identity alongside the legacy of the past—this masterful middle-grade fantasy rivets with crackling prose, playful plot twists, and timeless themes.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

The Spindle of Fate

2024

“Twelve-year-old Evie Mei Huang never did like helping in her mom’s tailor shop. She hated dyeing and spooling the thread and how the measuring tape gets all twisted up. Most of all, now that her mother has died, she hates that she isn’t here anymore. When the universe sends a life preserver, Evie knows to grab it. So it’s weird when a talking monkey shows up and tells her that her plain, hardworking tailor mother was actually the head of a guild of magical weavers who control the fate of humanity. He also comes bearing the information that her mother is trapped in Diyu, the Chinese underworld, and that only Evie can get her back. No pressure. But the important thing is that Evie’s mom isn’t dead. And if she’s got this one shot to bring her back and save her family, she’s got to take it.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity

Wires Crossed

2024

“Just as her longtime BFF, Addy, is gravitating toward the popular crowd and starting to care more about school dances than tree house playdates, Mia finds out that her favorite science camp friend, Tariq, is moving to town and will be going to school with her. She’s super excited and can’t wait to show him around and help him make friends. But when Tariq arrives in town, he seems like he’s grown up a lot, too. No more braces or glasses. A new haircut. And who knew he was also a soccer star, immediately making the team mid-season?? He’s welcomed to Buttonwood Bay Middle School with open arms in a way that Mia can’t even recognize, and now she’s feeling more lost than ever. But then her science teacher announces the school’s science olympics, and she and Tariq are teaming up again to crush the competition—just like at camp. Only this time they’re joined by a couple of unconventional teammates in Kinsey (more artist than scientist) and the lovable, if also sometimes kind of gross and goofy, Evan. Do Mia and Tariq still have enough of a spark to build a killer robot (figuratively speaking, of course) and take home the prize? Through much experimentation and a little trial and error, Mia navigates new friendships and old as she tries to find her place in middle school—and on the winner’s podium.” — publisher

Any Child/Teen Cross Group Incidental

You Are Here: Connecting Flights

2024

by Ellen Oh

“A powerful and engaging exploration of contemporary East and Southeast Asian American identity through interwoven stories set in a teeming Chicago airport, written by award-winning and bestselling Asian American authors. An incident at a TSA security checkpoint sows rumors and chaos, creating a chain of events that impacts twelve young Asian Americans in a crowded and restless airport. As their disrupted journeys crisscross and collide, they encounter fellow travelers—some helpful, some hostile—and discover the challenges of friendship, the power of courage, the importance of the right word at the right time, and the unexpected significance of a blue Stratocaster electric guitar. Twelve powerhouse Asian American authors explore themes of identity and belonging in the entwined experiences of young people whose family roots may extend to East and Southeast Asia, but who are themselves distinctly American. Written by Linda Sue Park, Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Traci Chee, Mike Chen, Meredith Ireland, Mike Jung, Minh Lê, Ellen Oh, Randy Ribay, Christina Soontornvat, and Susan Tan, and edited by Ellen Oh.” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Cross Group Oppression & Resilience

A Long Time Coming : A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama

2023

by Ray Anthony Shepard and R. Gregory Christie

“Drawing on extensive research and numerous primary sources, Ray Anthony Shepard’s A Long Time Coming tells the story of racism in the United States, revealing that racial justice has been, and still is, a long time coming. Shepard shows the ways in which each paved the way for those who followed. From freedom seeker Ona Judge, who fled her enslavement by America’s first president, to Barack Obama, the first Black president, all of Shepard’s protagonists fight valiantly for justice for themselves and all Black Americans in any way that they can. Full of daring escapes, deep emotion, and subtle lessons on how racism operates, this book reveals the universal importance of its subjects’ struggles for justice. But it is also a highly personal book, as Shepard — whose maternal grandfather was enslaved — shows how the grand sweep of history has touched his life, reflecting on how much progress has been made against racism, while also exhorting readers to complete the vast work that remains to be done.” – publisher

Biography/Autobiography Oppression & Resilience Race/Culture/Identity Concepts

A Year of Celebraciones

2023

by Carrie Lara and Christine Battuz

“Join the celebrations as a class full of kids discovers how cultures around the world observe the new year. From Laos to Mexico, China to Scotland, Iran to Nicaragua, and more, A Year of Celebraciones follows the main character’s continuing cultural education as she learns about how different kids and families she knows celebrate New Year’s. Traditions include decorations, gifts, foods, and gatherings. This exciting tour of the globe will encourage kids to learn about how their own families ring in the end of the year and the beginning of the next, while discovering that there are so many ways to celebrate!” — publisher

Centering Culture & Identity Cross Group Informational

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