#1
Months on List: 13
Born with cerebral palsy, Melody, 10, has never spoken a word. She is a brilliant fifth grader trapped in an uncontrollable body.
Out Of My Mind
by Sharon M. Draper • Atheneum (May 1, 2012) • 13 Months on List
#2
Months on List: 1
Two ten-year-olds face the choice of uniting their imaginative skills to form an unstoppable team and win their school's esteemed storytelling contest.
J Vs. K
by Kwame Alexander And Jerry Craft • Little Brown Books For Young Readers (May 6, 2025) • 1 Months on List
#3
Months on List: 15
Nikki Maxwell deals with the trials and triumphs of middle school in this fifteenth installment of the Dork Diaries series!
Dork Diaries 15: Tales From A Not-so-posh Paris Adventure
by Rachel Renée Russell • Aladdin Paperbacks (September 26, 2023) • 15 Months on List
#4
Months on List: 15
In this humorous and heartwarming diary-style narrative, eighth-grader Nikki Maxwell navigates the challenges of a new school, balancing friendships, crushes, family antics, and a riveting rivalry in a school-wide art competition.
Dork Diaries 1: Tales From A Not-so-fabulous Life
by Rachel Renée Russell • Aladdin Paperbacks (June 2, 2009) • 15 Months on List
#5
Months on List: 10
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics.
New Kid (paperback)
by Jerry Craft • Quill Tree Books (February 5, 2019) • 10 Months on List
#6
Months on List: 11
In the midst of racial indignities and rural Southern racism during the Depression, a black family finds strength, pride, and resilience through their fierce bond to each other and their cherished land.
Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred D. Taylor • Puffin Books (November 27, 2001) • 11 Months on List
#7
Months on List: 14
Three sisters journey from Brooklyn to Oakland to reconnect with their estranged poet mother, only to find themselves enrolled in a Black Panther summer camp.
One Crazy Summer
by Rita Williams-garcia • Quill Tree Books (December 27, 2011) • 14 Months on List
#8
Months on List: 3
When the sun goes missing, a joyful young girl sets out to find it, only to discover that the light she’s searching for may have been within her all along.
Hello There, Sunshine
by Tabitha Brown • Harpercollins (March 11, 2025) • 3 Months on List
#9
Months on List: 1
When a prize-winning horseback rider moves to a rural area and becomes the only Black kid in her new class, she learns to navigate change, forms a diverse team of equestrian friends, and redefines what it means to win.
Creaky Acres: A Graphic Novel
by Calista Brill And Nilah Magruder • Kokila (May 6, 2025) • 1 Months on List
#10
Months on List: 1
When 11-year-old Dally, predestined to inherit her family business, discovers a magical library where every book is a portal to a specific point in time, she embarks on thrilling adventures that reveal her family's hidden past and force her to choose between a life of strict routine or uncontrolled excitement.
Secret Library (paperback)
by Kekla Magoon • Candlewick (May 6, 2025) • 1 Months on List
#11
Months on List: 1
In this heartwarming tale, social media influencer Garden Marcus explores his grandmother's garden with her, discovering life lessons and personal parallels through the simple acts of gardening, fostering a deep appreciation for nature and its rewarding bounties.
See Marcus Grow
by Marcus Bridgewater • Nancy Paulsen Books (May 6, 2025) • 1 Months on List
#12
Months on List: 17
In the inspiring picture book, <em>Something, Someday,</em> by acclaimed presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and award-winning illustrator Christian Robinson, readers are shown how even the smallest actions can create meaningful change in a world that often feels broken.
Something, Someday
by Amanda Gorman • Viking Books For Young Readers (September 26, 2023) • 17 Months on List
#13
Months on List: 14
When Amari Peters discovers a nomination for a supernatural tryout in her missing brother's belongings, she embarks on a challenging journey in a world of magic and aliens, battling evil forces and prejudice to find him.
Amari And The Night Brothers
by B. B. Alston • Balzer & Bray/harperteen (January 4, 2022) • 14 Months on List
#14
Months on List: 1
A self-loathing thirteen-year-old girl named Genesis grapples with internalized racism, an abusive family, and personal guilt, but when she begins to discover self-love, she learns she must first change her own attitude to spark a larger change.
Genesis Begins Again
by Alicia D. Williams • Atheneum (August 18, 2020) • 1 Months on List
#15
Months on List: 4
This is a reassuring tale of a little boy's first day in kindergarten, filled with anticipation and infectious enthusiasm, as he sees himself as a king, ready to conquer the new experiences and challenges that await him.
The King Of Kindergarten
by Derrick Barnes • Nancy Paulsen Books (July 2, 2019) • 4 Months on List
#16
Months on List: 7
This sequel provides a humorous and visually appealing look into the life of a girl on the verge of becoming a teenager.
Dork Diaries 2: Tales From A Not-so-popular Party Girl
by Rachel Renée Russell • Aladdin Paperbacks (June 8, 2010) • 7 Months on List
#17
Months on List: 9
When Nikki Maxwell lands her dream summer tour as an opening act for a world-famous band, her excitement turns into a nightmare as she has to share her journey and even her room with her crafty frenemy, MacKenzie Hollister, turning her dream tour from awesome to awful.
Dork Diaries 14: Tales From A Not-so-best Friend Forever
by Rachel Renée Russell • Aladdin Paperbacks (October 22, 2019) • 9 Months on List
#18
Months on List: 1
In this intense, vividly-versified middle-grade novel, 12-year-old Josh Bell and his twin must navigate the thrills and trials of growing up, both on and off the basketball court, eventually learning that breaking the rules can lead to serious consequences for their entire family.
The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander • Clarion Books (March 18, 2014) • 1 Months on List
#19
Months on List: 2
A determined girl from a poor neighborhood navigates societal expectations, a mentorship program, and her outsider status at a private school, striving to express herself and make a difference without losing her authenticity.
Piecing Me Together
by Renée Watson • Bloomsbury Ya (June 5, 2018) • 2 Months on List
#20
Months on List: 9
In the aftermath of his unjust death, 12-year-old ghost Jerome, guided by the spirit of Emmett Till, navigates the complexities of racism, history, and loss, while sparking change in the living world through an unlikely connection with the daughter of the police officer who killed him.
Ghost Boys
by Jewell Parker Rhodes • Little Brown Books For Young Readers (September 10, 2019) • 9 Months on List
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Sales Data Source: Circana BookScan. Represents U.S. print sales from thousands of retailers.
Methodology: Books are categorized and filtered for Black Authors by the African American Literature Book Club. This list is a sneak peek into the Black Book Accelerator initiative.
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