Our collection of picture books featuring Black and Indigenous Peoples and People of Color (BIPOC) is available to the public.
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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.
The Youngest Sister
“Picu’s family is very poor. In the dry Andean foothills, her mother must feed fourteen people—her kids, her relatives’ kids, and the hired hand’s kids—every day. One morning, Picu, the youngest sister, is sent to get a marrow bone from a neighbor. The bone will add flavor and nutrition to the lunchtime soup. Her mother warns her not to dawdle on the two-hour walk, each way, through the wild landscape. But Picu can’t help it! She marvels at the butterflies, samples the cactus fruit, and daydreams about using the marrow bone as a football. Will the neighbor let her family keep the bone after the soup is made? Will her mother let her play with it? And will she be punished for being so late? Picu is a child of joie de vivre and resourcefulness. This story, like Picu herself, is tough, hard, and honest. And moving. And fun. ” — publisher
Queen of Leaves: The Story of Botanist Ynes Mexia
“The wax palm knows what it’s like to defy the odds. Ynes Mexia knew it too. QUEEN OF LEAVES tells the true story of Ynes Mexia, the inspiring and fearless Mexican-American adventurer-botanist, and her quest to find the mysterious wax palm tree. Ynes enrolled in university in her 50s, at an age when women were not expected to be students. There she discovered botany — a passion that would lead her all over the world on many adventures and change the study of botany forever. She went on to lead expeditions gathering plant and flower samples for universities and museums around the globe, introduce the botany world to the elusive wax palm tree, and forever cement herself as the QUEEN OF LEAVES.” — publisher
This is Our Place
As Ana celebrates the new millennium, she is shocked to learn that she must leave behind her childhood home, her hometown, and — hardest of all — her girlfriend for a new life in Rio de Janeiro. Ten years later, Greg is sent to live with his aunt — who runs a video rental store from her garage and owns a dog named Keanu Reeves — as his parents work out their not-so-secret divorce. And ten years after that, Beto must put his dreams of becoming a photographer on hold as the Covid-19 pandemic arrives in Brazil, forcing him to live with his overprotective mother and overachieving sister. Set in and narrated by the same house, Number 8 Sunflower Street, and in three different decades — 2000, 2010, and 2020 respectively — This Is Our Place is a novel about queer teens dealing with sudden life changes, family conflict, and first loves, proving that while generations change, we will always be connected to each other.
Another Band’s Treasure: A Story of Recycled Instruments
“In a small village in Paraguay, Diego dreams of giving music lessons to the children he sees each day. The only problem: there aren’t enough instruments to go around. But when he and Nicolas, a carpenter, look to a nearby landfill, they see instruments in the making. Soon, a paint can, a wooden plank, and a faucet knob become the start of a violin—and their recycled instruments give the kids in town new ways to express themselves. Inspired by the true story of La Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados de Cateura, Hua Lin Xie’s first graphic novel is an ode to the power of music.”– publisher
