NYPL After School encourages kids to be change-makers through weekly videos from expert NYPL librarians and staff on digital NYPL resources, tips to handle emotions and stress, fun STEAM activities, and book talks of our favorite titles—all aligned to our monthly themes (reflect, investigate, explore, and more!). Our librarians also produce a recommended booklist on these themes to accompany our monthly activity packs. While our goal is to always highlight titles that reflect the diversity of our New York City community, for Black History Month, we wanted to stop and take a look back at the titles we’ve recommended that feature Black voices. We hope you’ll use this list to read more titles produced by Black authors and illustrators and featuring Black characters. We also hope you will continue to check out NYPL After School!

Recommended Titles for Kindergarten-3rd Grade featuring Black Authors & Illustrators

• The Day You Begin written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López

• Just Like Me written and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

• The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly

• When Aidan Became a Brother written by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita

• Firebird written by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers

• City Shapes written by Diana Murray, illustrated Bryan Collier

• Another by Christian Robinson

• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind written by WIlliam Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

• Islandborn written by Junot Díaz, illustrated by Leo Espinosa

• Black is a Rainbow Color written by Angela Joy, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

• The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

• Saturday by Oge Mora

Recommended Titles for 4th-6th Grade featuring Black Authors & Illustrators

• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

• When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

• Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

• Tight by Torrey Maldonado

• Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome

• The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon

• The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

• From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

• Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

• New Kid by Jerry Craft

Book Talks and Read Alouds featuring Black Authors & Illustrators

• Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

• The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

• Tight by Torrey Maldonado

• Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

• The Day You Begin written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López