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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Finally Seen
“When ten-year-old Lina Gao steps off the plane in Los Angeles, it’s her first time in America and the first time seeing her parents and her little sister in five years! She’s been waiting for this moment every day while she lived with her grandmother in Beijing, getting teased by kids at school who called her “left behind girl.” Finally, her parents are ready for her to join their fabulous life in America! Except, it’s not exactly like in the postcards.” — publisher
The Lion Queen: Rasila Vadher, the First Woman Guardian of the Last Asiatic Lions
“Never look a lion in the eyes,” a mother tells her fearless girl. After a field trip to the Gir Forest, the girl learns all about the rare Asiatic lions of India, and from that day on, she dreams of taking care of them when she grows up. But not everyone thinks a girl has a right to such a dream, and so she stifles what she wishes for most, a roar growing inside her. That is, until the day she comes face to face with a lion.” — publisher
Ida in the Middle
“Every time violence erupts in the Middle East, Ida knows what’s coming next. Some of her classmates treat her like it’s all her fault—just for being Palestinian! In eighth grade, Ida is forced to move to a different school. But people still treat her like she’ll never fit in. Ida wishes she could disappear. One day, dreading a final class project, Ida hunts for food. She discovers a jar of olives that came from a beloved aunt in her family’s village near Jerusalem. Ida eats one and finds herself there—as if her parents had never left Palestine! Things are different in this other reality—harder in many ways, but also strangely familiar and comforting. Now she has to make some tough choices. Which Ida would she rather be? How can she find her place? Ida’s dilemma becomes more frightening as the day approaches when Israeli bulldozers are coming to demolish another home in her family’s village…” — publisher
Sona Sharma, Looking After Planet Earth
“When Sona learns about the climate crisis at school, she worries nobody is doing enough to combat it. So she takes up the challenge herself! But her family isn’t amused when Sona suddenly gets rid of her sister’s diapers and turns off Thatha and Paatti’s cooling fan during their nap. Sona finds a better way to implement change, at a family meeting where everyone helps make a list of ways to conserve. Energized, Sona sets her sights on the rest of the neighborhood. When she learns many of the kolams—traditional art that people draw in front of their homes to celebrate the festival season—are not eco-friendly, she makes plans for some even bigger changes. Can Sona convince everyone to get involved—even her own strong-willed grandmother?” — publisher
Ganesha Goes Green
“During her town’s Ganesha Chaturthi festival, young Prema comes up with an innovative plan to save the river from pollution. Persevering through multiple obstacles, she convinces her friends to help her create natural clay Ganesha statues to replace the plaster ones that harm the river when they dissolve.” — publisher
Cecile Guidote Alvarez: The Philippines Is a Stage / ang Pilipinas ay isang tanghalan
“Cecile Guidote Alvarez is widely recognized as the “Mother of Philippine Theater.” She has always dreamed of a national theater that would reflect and promote the Philippine languages, cultures, and traditions from the time she was a young girl. Her cultural vision has made Philippine theater arts the vibrant and active scene of today.” — publisher
Snitchers
“When the grownups can’t do it, three friends join together to figure out who killed a little boy in their neighborhood in this stunning debut YA by award-winning playwright Stephane Dunn. Nia Barnes is preparing to enter high school and trying to stay on her mama’s good side. Life in her small Midwestern city hasn’t been the same since her father’s unsolved murder, driving Nia’s love of detective novels and true crime stories. When the little boy she babysits is caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting, Nia and her best friends Dontay and Miracle Ruth secretly set out to get him justice. They look up police reports and listen to the conversations of their elders; they try to follow suspects the way Nia’s favorite teen detectives might. But the search for truth isn’t straightforward, especially when you’re somewhere between being kids and adults, and people want peace but are afraid to talk. Writer and filmmaker Stephane Dunn makes her YA debut with this endearing, heart-wrenching novel about loss, truth, and the reality of violence in communities everywhere.” — publisher
Omar Rising
“When Omar gets a scholarship to the prestigious Ghalib Academy, it’s a game changer. It will give him, the son of a servant, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a better future—and his whole village is cheering him on. Omar can’t wait to dive into his classes, play soccer, and sign up for astronomy club—but those hopes are dashed when he learns first-year scholarship students can’t join clubs or teams; instead, they must earn their keep by doing chores. Even worse, it turns out the school deliberately “weeds out” scholarship kids by requiring them to get grades that are nearly impossible. Omar is devastated to find such odds stacked against him, but the injustice of it all motivates him to try to do something else that seems impossible: change a rigged system.” — publisher
She Persisted: Simone Biles
Simone Biles didn’t always have it easy as a child. When her birth mother was no longer able to take care of her and her siblings, they moved in with her grandparents. But she always loved to run, jump, and bounce around. After trying gymnastics for the first time on a field trip at age six, Simone continued with the sport, working hard and facing many challenges along the way. Eventually, she reached a professional level, competing in world championships and at the Olympics. She kept competing and persisted, going on to become the most decorated US gymnast of all time. She also used her fame to speak up on important issues and to help other people. Through it all, she inspired kids everywhere to follow their dreams.
Malala Speaks Out
“Malala Yousafzai was denied education when the Taliban took control of her town in Pakistan. She decided to speak up, despite the danger it put her in. Her story is the story of many girls.” — publisher
