AntiRacist Playlist for Middle Grade Listeners

From award-winning and bestselling author, Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition.
Framed. Bullied. Disliked. But I know I can still be the best.

... Read more »

A heartbreaking and powerful story about a black boy killed by a police officer, drawing connections through history, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Only the living can make the world better. Live and make it better.

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he... Read more »

From award-winning YA author Brandy Colbert comes a debut middle-grade novel about the only two Black girls in town who discover a collection of hidden journals revealing shocking secrets of the past.

Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only Black girl in town for years. Alberta's best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a... Read more »

The foremost diverse children's authors--including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander--share answers to the question, "In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?" in this powerful collection, published in partnership with Just Us Books.

Featuring poems, letters, personal essays, songs, and other works from such... Read more »

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“On Zoe's 12th birthday, she is looking through the mail for happy wishes when she discovers a letter from her birth father sent from the prison he has been serving his sentence in since she was born. Emotions and questions abound: should she trust this man she has never met? What would happen if she wrote back? Is it ok to keep it a secret from her parent? All of this comes together in a fantastic debut and #1 Kids Indies Next Pick that showcases a courageous and thoughtful main character.”

Jessica, Once Upon A Time

From debut author Lisa Moore Ramée comes this funny and big-hearted debut middle grade novel about friendship, family, and standing up for what’s right, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give and the novels of Renée Watson and Jason Reynolds.Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic to trouble. All she wants to do is to follow the rules.... Read more »

Harbor Me

“In Harbor Me, six kids find common ground and build strong friendships through the simple act of talking to each other. The book addresses important contemporary issues of bullying, racial injustice, and immigration in a way that children from a wide range of backgrounds can relate. Jacqueline Woodson's latest is a beautifully written book that celebrates the power of communication and empathy to make our communities stronger. The kids in our store's book club picked this book and universally raved about it.”

Suzi Hough, Hicklebee's

The Parker Inheritance

“Really, really enjoyed this book! I always love a good puzzle mystery and my heart melts for book-loving preteens. This book was great in that it not only had a fun buried treasure mystery but also friendship evolution between Candice and Brandon, Candice's reckoning with her parent's relationship, and racial tensions in the history as well as current day. Johnson weaves the main mystery with plot-filling flashbacks of the key players in the mystery that give a good historical fiction vibe too. Overall, very much enjoyed (Cherise Boothe had awesome narration as well, the perfect voicing of young character without infantilizing her).”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

Eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters Vonetta and Fern travel to Oakland to meet their mother, Cecile, who abandoned their family years earlier. But even when Cecile gets them to her house, she shows no interest and seems to view them as nothing but a nuisance. Cecile's cold, unloving attitude leaves the girls wishing for the... Read more »

Clean Getaway

“This hooked me from the get go. When G'ma asks Will to come on an impromptu trip, he wants to get away for a bit but does not know what he is getting himself into. His sweet, loving, albeit kooky, G'ma is more than meets the eye. She is a whirlwind of chaos, taking Will on a roadtrip through her past, offhandedly teaching Will about racial tensions in the 1960s when she, a white woman, married a black man (his G'pa). Clean Getaway introduces the Civil Rights era, accessibly integrating the present with the past through G'ma's confessions and her treasure box of memories, including a green book, a road trip map, a photo, and a set of diamond earrings.”

Emma, Content

King and the Dragonflies

“Kingston (King) James and his parents are grieving the loss of Khalid-- King's older brother. When Khalid was alive and the two shared a bedroom, he would talk in his sleep, telling his younger brother stories about the universe and its magic. King continues to see Khalid in his dreams, and is convinced Khalid has transformed into a dragonfly. The Louisiana bayou provides the backdrop for both a colorful landscape and a tense, fearful place where racism festers. When King's former friend, Sandy, who is white, and the son of the racist police chief, goes missing, King ends up helping hide Sandy from his abusive father. Woven seamlessly into this wise story is King's slow awakening of his sexuality, brought to the fore by his renewed friendship with Sandy, who is known to be gay. Callender's writing is so authentic and their characters are so tenderly portrayed by Ron Butler's superb narration I mourned its conclusion. The whole package is a crowning achievement.”

Jane, Bear Pond Books

Blended

“Not only is the book itself amazing, but the narration by the author Sharon M. Draper is beyond stellar. The story deals with tough issues surrounding both family and social strife. The author superbly writes about these issues with wit and wisdom, and with candor and honesty. Aside from the "written" brilliance of Blended, the author delivers this story with so much energy that captures the humor and tenderness of this story. We cannot say enough about this wonderful audiobook and wholeheartedly recommend Blended.”

Triera, Owl Books

"If you are wondering how to begin confronting Anti-Black racism in your classroom, start with What Lane?"--School Library Journal: The Classroom Bookshelf

"STAY IN YOUR LANE." Stephen doesn't want to hear that--he wants to have no lane.

Anything his friends can do, Stephen should be able to do too, right? So when they dare each other to sneak... Read more »