BostonPL_Black Is... 2025: 75 Books for Children, Teens, & AdultsLike this list

75 items

• Between Two Brothers

  Allen, Crystal,

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  Children. When his older brother Seth is in a serious accident that he may never recover from, 13-year-old Isaiah chooses to help Seth recover in a way only he can: by trusting in their bond and undying love.

• Bros

  Weatherford, Carole Boston, 1956-

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  Children. Celebrating boyhood and friendship, this upbeat picture book follows a group of young Black boys as they spend an adventure-filled day together living their best lives freely in their community.

• Dear Ruby, Hear Our Hearts

  Bridges, Ruby,

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  Children. The iconic Black civil rights activist who integrated US schools responds to letters from young students across America who are concerned about such issues as bullying, climate change, gun violence and racism.

• Gamerville

  Christmas, Johnnie,

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  Children. Just when Max qualifies for the Gamerville championship, he's sent to Camp Reset. Electronics are forbidden, and he's forced to socialize, eat healthy, and go outdoors. Now Max must craft an escape plan to level up his dreams of digital…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I See Color

  An Affirmation and Celebration of Our Diverse World

  Bolling, Valerie,

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  Children. Highlighting icons such as Madonna Thunder Hawk, Basemah Atweh, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this picture book affirms people of color--of all shades--by celebrating their achievements and contributions to society.

• In Search of Superpowers

  a Fantasy Pin World Adventure

  Lawrence, Briana,

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  Children. Four preteens receive mysterious pins that grant them superpowers. Together, they must put aside their differences and embark on an epic journey, all while learning how to navigate their new superhuman skills.

• The Life-Changing Magic of Chess

  A Beginner's Guide with Grandmaster Maurice Ashley

  Ashley, Maurice

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  Children. Discover why the world’s first Black Grandmaster Maurice Ashley thinks that chess is one of the best skills in life. Follow him on a journey to the world stage while learning the rules and philosophies of the royal game.

• Like So

  Forman, Ruth,

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  Children. Just as the sun loves the day and the moon loves the waves, a grandmother shows how her family's love is natural and connected to the world around them.

• The Lonely Below

  Davis, G. Haron,

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  Children. Eva is suddenly able to see ghosts and discovers that a tragic event which occurred 50 years earlier was no accident. The malevolent force behind the past tragedy is back, prompting Eva to seek a way to save her fellow classmates before…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• My Daddy Is a Cowboy

  Seales, Stephanie,

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  Children. A young girl and her father share an early morning horseback ride around their city in this picture book celebration of “just-us time."

• Sadiq and the Cookie Crash

  Nuurali, Siman,

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  Children. In order to earn enough money to buy a birthday gift for his mother, Sadiq, his siblings, and his friends start a cookie delivery business, but baking and delivering cookies proves to be more complicated (and messy) than they expected.

• Black Girl You Are Atlas

  Watson, Renée,

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  Teen. Poems to a childhood in Portland, impactful Black women, and for Black girls to step into their power. With art by celebrated fine artist Ekua Holmes, encouraging readers to embrace their future with a strong sense of sisterhood and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Blood at the Root

  Williams, Ladarrion,

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  Teen. At an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical, Malik searches for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother as his magical community faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution.

• Bunt!

  Striking Out on Financial Aid

  Ukazu, Ngozi,

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  Teen. A graphic novel depicting the nightmares of paying for college. Molly's full-ride scholarship has vanished! If Molly and 9 other art students win a single game of softball, they'll receive a massive athletic scholarship.

• The Color of a Lie

  Johnson, Kim, 1979-

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  Teen. It’s 1955 and Calvin’s family leaves Chicago in the wake of a tragedy to find a safe space…in a “Whites Only” neighborhood. Calvin can pass, but when he discovers the deeper, darker truths of their new community, will he want to?

• Dead Girls Walking

  Ellis, Sami,

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  Teen. In this spine-chilling slasher, a girl searches for her dead mother’s body at the summer camp that was once her serial killer father’s home.

• Ghost Roast

  Gibbs, Shawnelle,

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  Teen. It's hard to fit in when your dad's a professional ghosthunter, and even worse when you have to work for him over the summer! Now Chelsea needs to decide whether to save a friendly spirit's afterlife, or risk everything her father's worked for.

• The Maid and the Crocodile

  Ifueko, Jordan,

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  Teen. Small Sade has a secret: she can alter people's fates by cleaning their houses. She just needs a job, and employers who don't mind her disability. But before she can be hired, she accidentally binds herself to a god rumored to devour pretty…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Poisons We Drink

  Baptiste, Bethany,

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  Teen. Venus Stoneheart brews illegal love potions to support her family. But when her mother is murdered, the price of revenge comes at a cost, and she must brew potions for the Grand Witcher, delving into the city's corrupt underbelly.

• Punk Rock Karaoke

  Xunise, Bianca,

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  Teen. Ariel dreams of leaving her southside Chicago neighborhood and making it big as a punk rocker with her best friends and bandmates. A graphic novel on the realities of young adulthood after high school that challenging and strain friendships.