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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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Swinging Into History: Toni Stone: Big-League Baseball’s First Woman Player

2024

by Laura Freeman

“Nothing could stop Toni “Tomboy” Stone from playing baseball—not even her parents. The only girl on a church team, she persevered as insults were hurled her way from the boy players. She caught the attention of former major leaguer Gabby Street, who gave her a chance at his summer baseball school. With Coach Street’s training—and the cleats he gifted her—Toni managed to earn a spot in the minor leagues. Though teams were hesitant to sign a woman, she pitched the idea that fans would pay to see a woman play—and it worked! But Toni’s persistence and optimism were not enough to win over the Jim Crow South crowds nor her male teammates. Coaches put her in the starting lineup and then benched her early, every game, no matter her results. But her talent got noticed and she was signed by the Indianapolis Clowns, becoming the first woman to break into the pros. “Toni arrives,” shouted newspaper headlines, and she delivered! In her first professional game she ripped a single and drove in two runs, and left the crowd chanting “TONI! TONI! TONI!”” — publisher

Biography/Autobiography Cross Group Oppression & Resilience

Forest Fighter: The Story of Chico Mendes

2022

by Anita Ganeri and Margaux Carpentier

“Chico Mendes lived in the depths of the Amazon rainforest where trees grew tall and strong and wildlife roamed freely. From the age of 8, Chico worked with his father collecting sap from trees that could be sold to make rubber. Rubber tappers were very poor and the rainforest was increasingly being destroyed by burning and logging, threatening their livelihoods. Chico knew he had to take a stand. He became a spokesperson for the community, fighting hard to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and speaking up for the rights of other rubber tappers. He won several international awards for his campaigns, but the loggers still wouldn’t stop. At the age of 44, Chico was murdered by one of the loggers.” — publisher

Biography/Autobiography Oppression & Resilience

Lewis Hamilton

2023

by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and Fernando Martin

“Little Lewis’s childhood was filled with cars, motorcycles and watching Formula One with his dad. On his fifth birthday, he received a remote-controlled racing car and joined a local club. It was hard being the only black child there, but he listened to his dad’s words: ‘Let your results speak for you.’ His hobby led him to go-kart racing, and at the age of 10 he became the youngest ever winner of the British cadet go-karting competition. Shortly after, he began training as a racing driving with McLaren, rising through the ranks to compete at Formula One’s Grand Prix. Despite his amazing successes, from breaking the record for the most triumphs in Formula One to his knighthood, Lewis has never forgotten where he came from. Today he is a campaigner for racial justice and racial diversity in sport, as well as an advocate for positive mental health as well as environmental issues. This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the incredible young poet and activist’s life so far.” — publisher

Biography/Autobiography Oppression & Resilience

My Selma

2023

by Willie Mae Brown

“A stirring memoir of growing up Black in a town at the epicenter of the fight for freedom, equality, and human rights. Combining family stories of the everyday and the extraordinary as seen through the eyes of her twelve-year-old self, Willie Mae Brown gives readers an unforgettable portrayal of her coming-of-age in a fractured town at the crossroads of history. Selma’s pivotal role in the civil rights movement forms an inescapable backdrop in this collection of stories. In one, Willie Mae takes it upon herself to offer summer babysitting services to a glamorous single white mother—a secret she keeps from her father that unravels with shocking results. In another, Willie Mae reluctantly joins her mother at a church rally, and is forever changed after hearing Martin Luther King Jr. deliver a defiant speech. My Selma! captures the voice and vision of a perspicacious, impetuous, resourceful young person who gives us a loving portrayal of her hometown while also delivering a no-holds-barred indictment of the time and place.” — publisher

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

Akim Aliu: Dreamer

2023

by Akim Aliu, Greg Anderson Elyseé and Karen De la Vega

“Akim Aliu — also known as “Dreamer” — is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. Dreamer tells Akim’s incredible story, from being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community, to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto, to confronting the racist violence he often experienced both on and off the ice. This is a gut-wrenching and riveting graphic novel memoir that reminds us to never stop dreaming, and is sure to inspire young readers everywhere.” — publisher

Biography/Autobiography Cross Group

Santiago!: Santiago Ramón y Cajal! Artist, Scientist, Troublemaker

2022

by Jay Hosler

“Based on a true story, Santiago Ramón y Cajal is every child who has struggled to navigate the expectations of adults. As a young boy, all Santiago wanted to do was be an artist. But his father wanted him to become a doctor, insisting that pursuing art was not a true profession. Although Santiago was forbidden by his parents to make art, Santiago secretly kept at it—making homemade paints and brushes and honing his craftsmanship. He also loved figuring out how things worked and made slingshots for his friends and even a fully functioning (and very dangerous) cannon. Sadly, the one thing he couldn’t figure out was his father. After years of locking horns, Santiago’s father seemed to win, and Santiago was sent to medical school. As a medical student he discovered the wonders of how animal bodies work, and his studies eventually led him to the microscopic mysteries of the brain. Using the artistic skills he honed as a child, Santiago painted brain cells to unlock their secrets. His pursuit of art had trained him to be observant, persistent, resourceful, and creative in his research. In 1906, he won the Nobel Prize for medicine and is considered the father of modern neuroscience—proving anything is possible, even for a mischief maker.” — publisher

Biography/Autobiography

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