Looking for children's books that were written for us and by us? Well, look no further. Children book authors, industry professionals, and avid readers contributed their favorite children’s books to this list. We know children and young readers will enjoy most, if not all, of these books, as they have already brought joy to countless children.
We recommend printed books for young readers, or when reading to a child. Some of these books are decades old but are still in print due to their significance. Others are brand new, reflecting contemporary voices and themes.
Did you know how the Schomburg Center for Research in Black culture got started?
Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an Afro Puerto Rican named Arturo Schomburg. This law clerk’s life’s passion was to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora and bring to light the achievements of people of African descent through the ages. When Schomburg’s collection became so big it began to overflow his house (and his wife threatened to mutiny), he turned to the New York Public Library, where he created and curated a collection that was the cornerstone of a new Negro Division. A century later, his groundbreaking collection, known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, has become a beacon to scholars all over the world
Get the full list: African American Literature Book Club