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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6 matching books
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Beware the Heartman
“For once, everything in twelve-year-old Josephine’s life is going according to plan. She’s finally proved that girls belong on the cricket team and earned a spot as a starting player! And she’s confident that she and her best friend, Ahkai, will both be accepted to their dream secondary school. Nothing can stop Jo now — not even the memory of the vengeful sea spirit she vanquished last year. But then a series of disasters strike. Ahkai suddenly seems to have a new best friend — the annoyingly perfect Lynne. Then Jo isn’t accepted to the same school as Ahkai! Even worse, Jo keeps having eerie encounters with a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows — a figure who bears an unsettling resemblance to the fearsome Heartman rumored to steal children’s hearts… Jo doesn’t know where to turn. With Daddy away, the only person who’ll believe her is Ahkai, but Jo is too proud to ask for help after being replaced. By the time she musters the courage to approach him, it’s too late. Ahkai has disappeared without a trace. He’s been taken by the Heartman. None of the adults believe Jo. The Heartman is just a legend, after all. But Jo knows that the fearsome creature is real and that if she doesn’t find his lair soon, Ahkai will be lost forever.” — publisher
The Unforgettable Logan Foster and the Shadow of Doubt
“After using his photographic memory to save the world, Logan Foster is finally settling into a new, more normal life with his superhero foster parents, Gil and Margie. But because of all the information still locked in his brain, Logan is kept under tight observation by the Multinational Authority for Superhuman Control (MASC) in case Necros dares to return. But when Logan learns that Necros was there, at the airport, on the day Logan became an orphan, he has to wonder if MASC is hiding the truth about who his birth parent really is? As superheroes mysteriously start going missing, it all points by back to one supervillain—and she just might be Logan’s real mom. Can Logan, along with his superstrong best friend Elena and their new friend Connie, uncover the truth, find the missing superheroes, and stop Necros from destroying the world before it’s too late?” — publisher
Hurt You
“Moving beyond the quasi-fraternal bond of the unforgettable George and Lenny from Of Mice and Men, Hurt You explores the actual sibling bond of Georgia and Leonardo da Vinci Daewoo Kim, who has an unnamed neurological disability that resembles autism. The themes of race, disability, and class spin themselves out in a suburban high school where the Kim family has moved in order to access better services for Leonardo. Suddenly unmoored from the familiar, including the support of her Aunt Clara, Georgia struggles to find her place in an Asian-majority school where whites still dominate culturally, and she finds herself feeling not Korean “enough.” Her one pole star is her commitment to her brother, a loyalty that finds itself at odds with her immigrant parents’ dreams for her, and an ableist, racist society that may bring violence to Leonardo despite her efforts to keep him safe.” — publisher
ThunderBoom
“An action-packed superhero story about the power of imagination. In this graphic novel, Logan’s going on the train to see the Santa Claus parade. Logan loves parades and trains. But Logan isn’t like most 11-year-olds – he can’t speak, and he mostly lives in his head. This adventure means facing his greatest fears: masks, dogs and the unknown. When he’s separated from his parents at the parade, Logan goes where he’s the bravest version of himself – his imagination. Transforming into superhero ThunderBoom, Logan is ready to stomp through any challenge! Eisner-nominated author Jack Briglio tells an entertaining story about the kinds of challenges faced by those who are developmentally delayed, nonverbal or both. Claudia Dávila’s dynamic art brings Logan’s real and imaginary worlds to vivid life and will appeal to comic book and graphic novel fans.”– publisher
You Are Here: Connecting Flights
“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
Infinity Blast and the Space Weapon of Doom
“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
