#WeNeedDiverseBooks: Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter, and stories about Black lives are needed more than ever in media for all ages. Here on Guessing Geisel we’ve spoken about the need for greater diversity in books for beginning readers. While we celebrate the titles included in this post and published this year, there is certainly room across books for all ages for more diverse books, and particularly more stories about Black joy.

A newly launched series by accomplished duo author Kelly Starling Lyon and illustrator Nina Mata highlights an imaginative young Black boy, Ty, in two titles. Both feature helpful repetition to support beginning readers, and are described by the I Can Read schema as “ideal for sharing with your emergent reader”.

In All Aboard! Ty’s family is too busy to play, but once his train starts chugging along they reconsider and hop aboard! Mata’s illustrations do a delightful job of transitioning between Ty’s imagined, crayon-rendered landscape and more realistic scenes of his home.

In Zip, Zoom! Ty is learning to ride his new scooter in the park, which his imagination transforms into a crayon-rendered racetrack. Just when he is about to admit defeat, a new friend inspires him to keep going and they finish the imagined race together.

We look forward to future entries in this whimsical series.

2020 also bring additions to established series featuring Black characters, both own voices and those created by white authors and illustrators:

Christine Platt and Sharon Sordo added three titles to the Ana and Andrew Series early in the year: The Magic Violin, Going to Ghana, and The New Baby. Titles focus on African American culture and traditions and introducing readers to notable African American historical figures. In The Magic Violin, Frederick Douglass teaches Ana and Andrew the importance of practicing. In The New Baby, Granny explains to Ana and Andrew the significance of names in African American culture. In Going to Ghana the children learn about Gh anian Culture and the origins of the slave trade. For more confident and fluent readers ready to make the transition to chapter books, the Ana and Andrew series offers lessons in African American culture paired with Sordo’s joyful and vibrant illustrations. 

Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers added a title to their Geisel honor-winning series:

In King and Kayla and the case of the Unhappy Neighbor Mr. Gary’s garden has been dug up by an unseen culprit! While Thor, Jillian’s dog is suspected, King and Kayla are on the case to clear his name. Another solid entry to a series with plenty of humor and heart, this title also features the short chapters perfect for young readers building up the confidence for longer titles. 

David Adler and Sam Ricks added two titles to their Geisel Award-winning Mo Jackson Series:

Swim, Mo, Swim! and Run, Mo, Run! which place perpetual underdog Mo Jackson in a field day swim race with extra ice cream on the line for the winning team, and track and field meet where a last minute snack brings Mo a bit of luck.  

We hope to see even more titles celebrating Black lives in upcoming seasons. 

And a resource recommendation before we go:

We recommend checking out the Kidlit Rally for Black Lives, held and recorded during Summer 2020 and hosted by The Brown Bookshelf as a resource for anyone who works with children, including parents, caregivers, librarians, and educators. Amanda attended this event live and found it profoundly informative and helpful, as well as hopeful. Follow The Brown Bookshelf for additional info about upcoming events, like a recent Black Lives Matter Q&A with authors Kwame Alexander, Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Reynolds and Toshi Reagon.