5 Back to School Books that Celebrate Diversity
Love a good book? Us too! They can inspire us, create change, and promote and teach people of all ages about diversity, empathy and inclusivity.
To celebrate just how magical books can be, we teamed up with our friends at Little Free Diverse Libraries to put together a Back to School Reading List to amplify and empower Black voices and stories!
Follow Faizah as she starts her first day of school, or root for Mary Walker as she learns to read at the age of 116. See all of our favorites below!
- The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali and illustrated by Hatem Aly
- All Are Welcome! by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
- The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafel Lopez
- The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
- The Oldest Student by Rita L. Hubbard and illustrated by Oge Mora
Each book has been handpicked to offer children an opportunity to see realities and experiences different from their own, and emphasize how important it is for children of color to see themselves represented in the books they read.
"When I was growing up there were never any characters in books that looked like me. I believe Black and brown children deserve to see themselves represented and celebrated in literature." - Sarah Kamya
Meet a real-life Superhero: Sarah Kamya. Sarah launched the Little Free Diverse Libraries project after noticing that none of the Little Free Libraries around her hometown featured books by Black authors. Believing in the importance of amplifying Black voices and stories, Sarah started bringing donated books for children (and grown-ups!) to her local Little Libraries. What began as a neighborhood project has grown across the country, and Sarah is now helping to donate books by Black authors and illustrators throughout all 50 states!
To learn more about Sarah’s project, follow @littlefreediverselibraries on Instagram or visit her Amazon Wishlist to directly support Little Free Diverse Libraries - a great cause and one we’re Super proud to support!