Children's Books Catalog

For Black Girls Like Me

Author:  Mariama J. Lockington 

Makeda June Kirkland is eleven years old, adopted, and black. Her parents and big sister are white, and even though she loves her family very much, Makeda often feels left out. When Makeda's family moves from Maryland to New Mexico, she leaves behind her best friend, Lena― the only other adopted black girl she knows― for a new life. In New Mexico, everything is different. At home, Makeda’s sister is too cool to hang out with her anymore and at school, she can’t seem to find one real friend.

Through it all, Makeda can’t help but wonder: What would it feel like to grow up with a family that looks like me?

Through singing, dreaming, and writing secret messages back and forth with Lena, Makeda might just carve a small place for herself in the world.

For Black Girls Like Me is for anyone who has ever asked themselves: How do you figure out where you are going if you don’t know where you came from?

Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles (Who Did It First?)

Author:  Michelle Meadows 

Before she was a record-breaking gymnast competing on the world stage, Simone Biles spent time in foster care as a young child. Nimble and boundlessly energetic, she cherished every playground and each new backyard.When she was six years old, Simone's family took shape in a different way. Her grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles adopted Simone and her sister Adria. Ron and Nellie became their parents. Simone was also introduced to gymnastics that same year, launching a lifelong passion fueled by remarkable talent, sacrifice, and the undying support of her family.From her athletic early childhood to the height of her success as an Olympic champion, Flying High is the story of the world's greatest gymnast from author Michelle Meadows and illustrator Ebony Glenn.to one's self, and advocating for change... even when you're very little!

Fisher Price Little People: Everyone, Everywhere

Author:   Michael Tyler

Foster understanding, belonging, and acceptance with this Little People® board book about the people and places that make our world more beautiful, from New York Times best-selling author and speaker Michael Tyler. Created by Fisher-Price, the most successful early childhood brand in the world.

Everyone, everywhere, wherever they are!

Travel near and far with familiar faces from Little People®! Developed in partnership with educators and experts in early childhood development, this gentle board book explores the simple joys that connect us all.

From little moments to big milestones, Fisher-Price is dedicated to helping families throughout every age and stage.

First Look and Find Doc McStuffins

Author:  Disney

FIrebird

Author: Misty Copeland

In her debut picture book, Misty Copeland tells the story of a young girl--an every girl--whose confidence is fragile and who is questioning her own ability to reach the heights that Misty has reached. Misty encourages this young girl's faith in herself and shows her exactly how, through hard work and dedication, she too can become Firebird.

Lyrical and affecting text paired with bold, striking illustrations that are some of Caldecott Honoree Christopher Myers's best work, makes Firebird perfect for aspiring ballerinas everywhere.

Find My Way Down to You

Author:   Julian Winters

Eighteen-year-old August is trying to navigate life after the sudden death of his boyfriend left him devastated, aimless, and feeling guilty. Years after the tragic accident, August mistakenly stumbles into a world beyond his own—the Underworld. Unlike his own gray existence, the underworld is a lavish extravagant place, full of mystery and a flurry of charismatic gods, all curious about August's arrival in their world. Realizing right away the opportunity in front of him, August goes searching for his lost love, guided by Cary, the smoldering, broody ferrier of souls. But the more time August spends down below, the more his intentions begin to blur. Is he visiting this realm to reunite with his soulmate? Or is he desperately, inexplicably, intoxicatingly drawn to Cary? With his own world in pieces and a dangerously seductive realm promising him a new existence at a heavy cost, August must choose: a life with grief or a love that might destroy him.

Field Day!

Author:   Candice Ransom

What's more fun than field day? The Day kids are so excited! They gobble their breakfast and race to the bus. So many fun things are waiting for them! Spoon-and-egg race! Face-painting! Kickball! A bouncy castle! Brother and sister can't wait!

Step 1 Readers feature big type and easy words. Rhymes and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story. For children who know the alphabet and are eager to begin reading.

Fast Pitch

Author: Nic Stone

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field.

Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way.
 
Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat.
 
Strike two: Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending—and family-name-ruining—crime may have been a setup.
 
Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice’s teammates are beginning to wonder if she’s captain-qualified.
 
It's up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past—and fast—before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.

Family Feast!

Author:   Carole Boston Weatherford

Aunts, uncles, cousins, all pitch in.
Hustle, bustle in the kitchen.

Catching up, shooting the breeze,
sharing stories and recipes.

When it comes to a family feast, it’s all hands on deck! Big Ma and Pops have been up early in anticipation of everyone’s arrival. Aunts, uncles, and cousins gather from all over to help prepare their big meal. Clanging pots, chopping vegetables, sharing recipes, and swiping little treats are part of the fun! After the cooking is done, all of the relatives come together to pray, eat, and enjoy their special moment as a family.

Newbery Honor and Children's Literature Legacy Award winner Carole Boston Weatherford and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Frank Morrison deliver a heartwarming peek at the love and the chaos that ensue when a family comes together and connects through food.

Evicted!: The Struggle for the Right to Vote

Author: Alice Faye Duncan

This critical civil rights book for middle-graders examines the little-known Tennessee's Fayette County Tent City Movement in the late 1950s and reveals what is possible when people unite and fight for the right to vote. Powerfully conveyed through interconnected stories and told through the eyes of a child, this book combines poetry, prose, and stunning illustrations to shine light on this forgotten history.

The late 1950s was a turbulent time in Fayette County, Tennessee. Black and White children went to different schools. Jim Crow signs hung high. And while Black hands in Fayette were free to work in the nearby fields as sharecroppers, the same Black hands were barred from casting ballots in public elections.
 
If they dared to vote, they faced threats of violence by the local Ku Klux Klan or White citizens. It wasn't until Black landowners organized registration drives to help Black citizens vote did change begin--but not without White farmers' attempts to prevent it. They violently evicted Black sharecroppers off their land, leaving families stranded and forced to live in tents. White shopkeepers blacklisted these families, refusing to sell them groceries, clothes, and other necessities.
 
But the voiceless did finally speak, culminating in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which legally ended voter discrimination. 
 
Perfect for young readers, teachers/librarians, and parents interested in books for kids with themes of:
  •  Activism
  •  Social justice
  •  Civil rights
  •  Black history

Every Little Thing: Based on the song 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley

Author:  Cedella Marley and Bob Marley

This sweet board book brings Bob Marley's beloved song to life for a new generation!

Every family will relate to this universal story of a boy who won't let anything get him down, as long as he has the help of three special little birds. Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Every Little Thing contains beautiful, full-page designs that are as colorful and fun as the storyline. Including all the lyrics of the original song "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley, along with exciting new song verses, this cheerful children's book will bring a smile to faces of all ages—because every little thing's gonna be alright.

Etta Extraordinaire Goes to the White House

Author:  Roda Ahmed / Charnaie Gordon

Etta Extraordinaire is back, and she’s heading to Washington!

Etta can’t think of anything more extraordinary than a field trip to the nation’s presidential suite in Washington, DC. When she and her class arrive at the White House, they are faced with a decision: What activity should they choose? With the spirit of democracy in the air, the class submits their ballots and Etta’s brilliant idea gets picked: a pinktastic cherry blossom party on the White House lawn.

And in 1, 2, 3, 4 steps, she plans a spectacular party, where absolutely nothing can go wrong . . . right?

In this dazzling encore to Etta Extraordinaire, Etta and her friends learn about the power of using their voices, the importance of making decisions together, and the incredible strength that lies within each of them.

Epic Myths For Fearless Girls

Author:  Claudia Martin

Young readers will delight in the mighty goddesses and courageous heroines that star in these epic myths, reinterpreted by master storyteller Claudia Martin and award-winning children's illustrator Khoa Le. Follow the adventures of spirited Sedna, who protects the animals of the ocean, selfless Tanis who saved her villiage from a terrible monster and brave Japlo who outwitted a water spirit.

This collection showcases narratives that celebrate strong, independent women from a range of cultures. They run free and possess the qualities we would hope for in our daughters and friends: self-confidence, strength, wits, courage, fearlessness, and independence. In reading these stories, young readers will become inspired to smash stereotypes, fight for what's right and unleash their own inner strength.

Myths include:
• Freyja's Necklace (Norse)
• Durga and the Buffalo Demon (India)
• Amaterasu and the Cave (Japan)
• Isis Discovers the Name of Ra (Egypt)
• Sedna of the Sea (Inuit)
• Pandora and the Jar (Greece)
• The Girl and the Windigo (Ojibwe, Native American)
• Pele Fights with her Sister (Hawai'i)
• The Trials of Étain (Ireland)

Featuring spectacular full-color illustrations and beautifully designed endpapers, this hardback makes a wonderful gift for children aged 7+.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Publishing's Inspiring Heroines series retells classic children's stories, showcasing strong female protagonists who strike out against adversity and smash stereotypes. Featuring enchanting full-color illustrations by Khoa Le, these empowering tales will inspire young readers to dream big.

Follow Your Dreams, Little One

Author: Vashti Harrison

New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Vashti Harrison shines a bold, joyous light on black men through history in this board book edition of Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History.

This beautifully illustrated board book highlights true stories of black men in history. The exceptional men featured include artist Aaron Douglas, civil rights leader John Lewis, dancer Alvin Ailey, lawman Bass Reeves, tennis champion Arthur Ashe, and writer James Baldwin.

The legends in this book span centuries and continents, but what they have in common is that each one has blazed a trail for generations to come.

Fly

Author:  Brittany Thurman 

Africa’s grandmother was a double Dutch legend, and Africa knows she can become the same. Her brother scoffs when she signs up for a double Dutch competition, though—how can she hope to compete when she’s never done it before? But Africa has all the tools she needs: memories of her grandmother, her bestie Bianca’s dance moves, her friend Omar’s rhythm, and her classmates’ Mary Mack timing and cartwheels.

If Africa can pull everything together to jump some winning moves, she might just fly, but it’s the birthmark in the shape of her name that tells her she’s always been a winner.

First There Was Me, Then There Was You

Author:   Yvonne Sewankambo

You were as small as a pumpkin,
with a cute button nose.
It was love at first sight . . .

When a big brother meets the baby sibling he’s been waiting for, he loves her immediately, but is a little disappointed at how little she can do. Soon it’s time to show her the ropes! Walking, talking, hide-and-seek, reading, making Mom and Dad laugh—he’s got her covered. Even through tantrums and squabbles, each day they learn new things or make new friends, and wherever they go, they can always count on each other. In a charmingly illustrated story with sure appeal for families introducing a new baby, Ugandan-Canadian-Australian author Yvonne Sewankambo and illustrator Aurore McLeod relay the magic (and occasional missteps) of sibling relationships everywhere.

First Day Around the World

Author:   Ibi Zoboi

Find out About: Families

Author:  Mandy Archer

Figure It Out, Henri Weldon

Author:  Tanita S. Davis

Seventh grader Henrietta Weldon gets to switch schools—finally! She’ll be “mainstreaming” into public school, leaving her special education school behind. She can’t wait for her new schedule, new friends, and new classes.

Henri’s dyscalculia, a learning disability that makes math challenging to process and understand, is what she expects to give her problems. What she doesn’t expect is a family feud with her sister over her new friends, joining the girls’ soccer team, and discovering poetry. Henri’s tutor and new friend, Vinnie, reminds her to take it slow. One problem at a time.

If Henri Weldon has twenty-four hours in a day, and she has two siblings who dislike her four new friends, two hours of soccer practice, seven hours of classes, and three hours of homework . . . she has:

A.       No free time

B.        No idea how to make everyone happy

C.        No time to figure it out, Henri Weldon!

Fibbed

Author:   Elizabeth Agyemang

A magical middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who doesn’t lie but no one believes, and who winds up tangled in the web of a trickster spider of Ghanaian lore, Ananse.

Everyone says that the wild stories Nana tells are big fibs. But she always tells the truth, as ridiculous as it sounds to hear about the troupe of circus squirrels stealing her teacher’s toupee. When another outlandish explanation lands her in hot water again, her parents announce that Nana will be spending the summer with her grandmother in Ghana.
 
She isn’t happy to be missing the summer camp she’s looked forward to all year, or to be living with family that she barely knows, in a country where she can’t really speak the native language. But all her worries get a whole lot bigger—literally—when she comes face-to-face with Ananse, the trickster spider of legend.
 
Nana soon discovers that the forest around the village is a place of magic watched over by Ananse. But a group of greedy contractors are draining the magic from the land, intent on selling the wishes for their own gain. Nana must join forces with her cousin Tiwaa, new friend Akwesi, and Ananse himself to save the magic from those who are out to steal it before the magic—and the forest—are gone for good.

Fashionista: Fashion Your Feelings

Author:  Maxine Beneba Clarke

Put on your PASSION.
Wear your HEART on your sleeve.

YOU’RE A FASHIONISTA!
Work it. Rock it. BELIEVE.

Sometimes you go for clothes that are comfy-careless or just-blend-in fine. Or maybe you’re in the mood for something more chic-a-bam! Lipstick that shimmers. Knee-high boots for steppin’ out on the town. Fancy-frolic in feathers. Whatever you wear, find something you love and fast-make it your thing. Wear your wardrobe however—chic-a-boom! You’re a fashionista! Alive with bold, vibrant, minimalist illustrations, Maxine Beneba Clarke’s freeform text celebrates the joy of expressing yourself through fashion.

Exploring Flight! (Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files #1)

Author:   Andrea Beatty and Theanne Griffith

Why do airplanes look the way they do? Why can’t birds fly when they’re first born? And why do some paper planes fly farther than others?

Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files is the perfect nonfiction resource for all these questions and more. Discover everything there is to know about flight from Ada Twist, Scientist—from information about creatures that fly, to the history of aircrafts, to modern technology that allows us to soar through the air faster than ever!

Based on the bestselling series and the new Netflix show, this nonfiction series is perfect for the youngest scientists of tomorrow!

Every Other Christmas

Author:  Samantha Winkler

Every other Christmas, I celebrate with my mom.
Every other Christmas, I celebrate with my dad.
Sometimes I wish we could still be together.
But my favorite holiday is special, no matter who I celebrate with.

After his parents’ divorce, a young biracial child spends every other Christmas celebrating the differing traditions between the African American and Colombian sides of his family.

The years the child spends Christmas in Illinois with his mother's family, he crafts with his cousins and grandmother and decorates the front yard with Grandpa. They put an angel on the top of the tree, which is decorated with all of the handmade ornaments Grandma has saved throughout the years. They shop at the mall, sit on Santa's lap, and sing "Silent Night" at Christmas Eve mass with the whole family.

During the holiday seasons he spends with Dad's family in Colombia, the family decorates Abuela's tree with crystal and glass ornaments, Papa Noel visits all of the cousins at Abuela's house, and they eat arroz con pollo, arepas, bunelos, and tamales for dinner (and you can't forget Abuela's silky-smooth cinnamon hot chocolate!). They enjoy a fireworks display the week before Christmas and sing "Noche de Paz" at Christmas mass.

No matter where he is for Christmas, he is surrounded by family, fun, and most importantly, love.

Every Other Christmas is a picture book that explores the heart, soul, and fun of Christmas. The narrative’s parallel structure highlights how each family’s celebrations are similar while showcasing their exciting differences. This book invites any child who reads this story to reflect on what makes Christmas with their family special.

Etta Invincible

Author:  Reece Eschmann

Twelve-year-old Etta Johnson has Loud Days where she can hear just fine and Quiet Days where sounds come from far away and she gets to retreat into her thoughts. Etta spends most of her time alone, working on her comic book about Invincible Girl, the superhero who takes down super villain Petra Fide. Invincible Girl is brave, daring, and bold—everything Etta wishes she could be.

But when Louisa May Alcott, a friendly Goldendoodle from across the street, disappears, Etta and the dog’s boy, Eleazar, must find their inner heroes to save her. The catch? Louisa May has run onto a magical train that mysteriously arrived at the station near Etta and Eleazar’s houses. Onboard, they discover each train car is its own magical world with individual riddles and challenges that must be solved before they can reach the engine room and rescue Louisa May.

Only, the stakes are even higher than they thought. The train’s magic is malfunctioning and spreading a purple smoke called The Fear through the streets of Chicago. Etta and Eleazar are the only ones who can save the city, save Louisa May Alcott—and save each other.

Etta Extraordinaire

Author:  Roda Ahmed / Charnaie Gordon

Meet Etta!

Etta was born to be a shining star. When Etta discovers her school is hosting a talent show, she wants to share her many talents with the world. Even though she has never performed onstage before, all Etta needs to do is make a plan. (Etta always has a plan!)

And in 1, 2, 3, 4 steps, she’s ready for her big performance on the big stage in front of a BIG audience.

Or is she?

Find out how Etta beats her worries, with the help of her loving family, in this joyful story created by celebrated writers Roda Ahmed and Charnaie Gordon and illustrator Chloe Burgett.