Top 117 African-American Children’s Books for 2023

AALBC is curating a list of the best 100 Children’s books published in 2023. The books include board books, early reader, middle grade, and young adult titles (defintion of children book categories). Here is a printable list of all the books on this list. Here is a beautiful collage of the book covers. Read more about this list ▶

Books 41 to 60 (of 117)


Click for more detail about I Am Big by Itah Sadu
Click for more detail about Hurry, Kate, or You’ll Be Late! by Janice N. Harrington
Click for more detail about Sandy Toes: A Summer Adventure by Shauntay Grant
Click for more detail about The Rhythm of Time by Questlove and S. A. Cosby
Click for more detail about Cornrows (2023) by Camille Yarbrough
Click for more detail about An Earth Song (Petite Poems) by Langston Hughes
Click for more detail about Happy with My Nappy by Gina Jarrell
Click for more detail about The Courage of the Little Hummingbird: A Tale Told Around the World by Leah Henderson
Click for more detail about How Do You Spell Unfair?: Macnolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherford
Click for more detail about I Want to Be Big! by Tiffany Golden
Click for more detail about Plátanos Are Love by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
Click for more detail about Fadya and the Song of the River by Laura Nsafou
Click for more detail about School Trip by Jerry Craft
Click for more detail about How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander
Click for more detail about Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas
Click for more detail about Simon B. Rhymin’ Gets in the Game by Dwayne Reed
Click for more detail about Honest June: Secrets and Spies by Tina Wells
Click for more detail about Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers? by Junauda Petrus
Click for more detail about Young, Gifted and Black Too: 52 Black Heroes to Celebrate and Discover by Jamia Wilson
Click for more detail about Dear Star Baby by Malcolm Newsome


More Information


If you feel strongly about uplifting children through books please read and share, “Ten Steps to Promote Diversity in Children’s Literature.” Also, be sure to check out The Brown Book Shelf a great source to discover children’s books and authors.

Keep in mind, no one list can possible include all the excellent books written by or about Black young people. Please feel free to share your favorites in the comments below.

Check out these other excellent sources for children’s books;