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
“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
Forest Fighter: The Story of Chico Mendes
“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
Lewis Hamilton
“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
My Selma
“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
Ordinary Days: The Seeds, Sound, and City That Grew Prince Rogers Nelson
“Before Prince became one of the bestselling musicians of all time, he was a boy named Prince Rogers Nelson. Often overlooked and abandoned, he found his own inspiration in the world around him—teaching himself how to play the guitar, the piano, the drums, and much more. And when he grew up, he used these small details of the everyday to make music, and make the world around him more colorful.” — publisher
She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller
“The descendant of Cherokee ancestors who had been forced to walk the Trail of Tears, Wilma Mankiller experienced her own forced removal from the land she grew up on as a child. As she got older and learned more about the injustices her people had faced, she dedicated her life to instilling pride in Native heritage and reclaiming Native rights. She went on to become the first woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.” — Publisher
Phenomenal AOC: The Roots and Rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
“In 2019, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest congresswoman in America. How did this young Puertorriqueña become an unstoppable force in politics?” — publisher
Loud and Proud: The Life of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm
“Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York, where her immigrant parents scraped and saved while Shirley learned all the love in the world couldn’t pay the rent. Her father encouraged her ambition early on, telling her, “God gave you a brain, use it.” Shirley worked hard and landed a full scholarship to Brooklyn College where she started advocating for people like her by starting a club for Black women. When her political science professor told her she should go into politics, Shirley paid attention. She broke new ground and heard “Go home to your husband” and “You don’t belong here” when she was campaigning. But that didn’t stop her; in fact, it made her work harder until she became the first African American woman in Congress in 1968, where she ended up serving seven terms, and advocated for important bills such as the Equal Rights Amendment. She even sought the nomination for president of the United States in 1972.” — publisher
Akim Aliu: Dreamer
“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
Jesse Owens: Track-and-Field Legend
“Jesse Owens was one of the greatest athletes in track-and-field history. Follow his life from running on Alabama roads with his father to winning gold in the 1936 Olympic Games.” — publisher
