100 Essential Children’s & Young Adult Fiction Books by Black Writers
Explore 100 essential picture books, middle grade fiction, and Young Adult novels by African American and Black diaspora writers. Arranged alphabetically by title.
- Akie & Ebuka Got into Trouble by
- All Because You Matter by , Illustrated by Bryan Collier
- All the Blues in the Sky by
- As Brave As You by
- Beautiful Moon: A Child’s Prayer by , Illustrated by Eric Velasquez
- Bedtime Bonnet by , Illustrated by Nneka Myers
- Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by , Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
- Before the Ever After by
- Big by
- Bird by , Illustrated by Shadra Strickland
- A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe by
- Black Girl You Are Atlas by , Illustrated by Ekua Holmes
- Black Is a Rainbow Color by , Illustrated by Ekua Holmes
- Black Star by
- Blood in the Water by
- Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem by , Illustrated by Loren Long
- Children of Anguish and Anarchy by
- Children of Blood and Bone by
- Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by , Illustrated by Frank Morrison
- Clutch Time: A Shot Clock Novel by
- Cool Cuts by
- The Crossover by
- Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by , Illustrated by Gordon C. James
- The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural by
- The Door of No Return by
- Each Kindness by , Illustrated by E. B. Lewis
- Firebird by , Illustrated by Christopher Myers
- Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by
- Freewater by
- Genesis Begins Again by
- Ghost: Running for His Life or From It? by
- A Girl Like Me by , Illustrated by Nina Crews
- Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer by , Illustrated by Gordon C. James
- Gone Crazy in Alabama by
- The Great Migration: Journey To The North by , Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
- Hair Love by , Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
- Hair Love ABCs by , Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
- Harlem Honey: The Adventures of a Curious Kid by , Illustrated by Ebony Glenn
- The Hate U Give by
- Hello There, Sunshine by , Illustrated by Olivia Duchess
- Home Is Not a Country by
- How You Grow Wings by
- I Am Every Good Thing by , Illustrated by Gordon C. James
- I Believe I Can by , Illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
- I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t by
- I Promise by , Illustrated by Nina Mata
- The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by
- J vs. K by , Illustrated by Jerry Craft
- Jazz by , Illustrated by Christopher Myers
- King and the Dragonflies by
- The King of Kindergarten by , Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
- Kwame Crashes the Underworld by
- Layla’s Happiness by , Illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin
- The Legend of Buddy Bush by
- Legendborn by
- Let the Children March by , Illustrated by Frank Morrison
- Long Way Down by
- Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by
- Me & Mama by
- Me (Moth) by
- Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by , Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
- My Daddy Is a Cowboy: A Picture Book by , Illustrated by C. G. Esperanza
- Nana Akua Goes to School by , Illustrated by April Harrison
- The Negro Speaks Of Rivers by , Illustrated by E. B. Lewis
- New Kid by
- Nigeria Jones by
- One Big Open Sky by
- One Crazy Summer by
- Out of My Dreams by
- Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by , Illustrated by Brittany Jackson
- The Poet X by
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by , Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
- The Season of Styx Malone by
- The Season of Styx Malone (paperback) by
- She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm by , Illustrated by Eric Velasquez
- Sing to the Moon by
- Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by , Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
- (S)Kin by
- Skin of the Sea by
- Something, Someday by , Illustrated by Christian Robinson
- Sounder by
- Stacey’s Extraordinary Words by , Illustrated by Kitt Thomas
- A Story About Afiya by , Illustrated by Anna Cunha
- Sulwe by , Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
- The Sun Is Also a Star by
- Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush by
- Swim Team by
- Thank You, Omu! by
- Thunder Rose by , Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
- Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by
- Twenty-Four Seconds from Now …: A Love Story by
- Under the Neon Lights by
- Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by , Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
- Welcome to the Party by , Illustrated by Ashley Evans
- When Stars Are Scattered by
- Will’s Race for Home by
- X: A Novel by , Illustrated by Kekla Magoon
- The Year We Learned to Fly by , Illustrated by Rafael López
- You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil Tj Book by , Illustrated by Paul Kellam
- Your Name Is a Song by , Illustrated by Luisa Uribe
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