20 Bestselling Children’s Books

Period: January/February - 2022

AALBC Bestseller Seal
Celebrating Black stories and authors since 1998, the AALBC Bestsellers List is now published quarterly. Here’s a printable list and collage of this period’s titles. Also check out the BLK Bestsellers—the definitive monthly guide to America’s bestselling books by Black writers.

Fiction: The bestselling fiction book this period is a literary Magazine, the Killens Review of Arts & Letters (Fall / Winter 2021). Published by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Ever College and Edited by Clarence V. Reynolds, the Killens Review provides a wonderful collection of essays, poetry, and nonfiction.

Nonfiction: Nonfiction books were by far the bestselling genre this period. During Black History Month we often see a surge in nonfiction book sales. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story created by Nikole Hannah-Jones is the bestselling book, of all, this period.

Children’s Books: Children’s Books sales were led by Born on the Water written by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. This book is also part of the 1619 Project and was the #1 bestselling book for all of 2021.

Poetry: Poetry sales were led by the 4-time AALBC Bestseller, Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman. We are especially happy to see Cosmic Deputy: Poetry & Context by Kalamu ya Salaam make our list. Kalamu was the coeditor, with Kwame Alexander, of our first bestselling book of poetry, 360° A Revolution of Black Poets, which made the list in 1998.

1
Born on the Water: The 1619 Project

Born on the Water

by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson
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2
Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy

Black Ballerinas

by Misty Copeland
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3
Mermaid Kenzie: Protector of the Deeps

Mermaid Kenzie

by Charlotte Watson Sherman
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4
Stacey’s Extraordinary Words

Stacey’s Extraordinary Words

by Stacey Abrams aka Selena Montgomery
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5
The Year We Learned to Fly

The Year We Learned to Fly

by Jacqueline Woodson
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7
You Can Do It!

You Can Do It!

by Tony Dungy
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8
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler

Star Child

by Ibi Zoboi
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9
Different and the Same

Different and the Same

by Adijah & Atiya Brabham
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10
I Am Every Good Thing

I Am Every Good Thing

by Derrick Barnes
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11
I Am Loved

I Am Loved

by Nikki Giovanni
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12
The Day You Begin

The Day You Begin

by Jacqueline Woodson
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14
Your Name Is a Song

Your Name Is a Song

by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
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15
The Barber’s Cutting Edge

The Barber’s Cutting Edge

by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert
19
Shining Legacy: Storypoems for the Young, So Black Heroes and Heroines Forever Will Be Sung

Shining Legacy

by Nkechi Taifa
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20
Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks

Exquisite

by Suzanne Slade
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