• 2024 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Honor

• A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2023

For reviews and additional information see:https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9780593619650

The Artivist is a story about a boy combining his two passions: art and activism. The main character helps his community through problem solving skills and art! The beautiful illustrations tell a story on their own and capture the readers attention! Excellent addition to add to your library for a more diverse main character while also empowering your students!

• Jane Addams Children's Book Awards: Honor, 2011

• ALSC Notable Children's Books, Commended, 2011

For more information see https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9780761352556

Ruth and the Green Book is a historical fiction picture book that follows Ruth and her family as they try to take a roadtrip across segregated America. Due to segregation laws, they have a difficult time finding services they need. Ruth and her family meet someone who introduce them to the green book and they are able to utilize it to make their travels easier. This is an excellent historical fiction book to add to your library! The book is slightly above grade level, so it could also serve as a challenge for some students who are ready for a challenge!

• Irma Black Award Nominee

• Georgia Children's Book Award Winner 2021

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9780525553366

Hair Love is the story of Zuri and her father trying to get her hair ready for the day. Though her father struggles at first, he continues to try his best and ultimately works together with Zuri to be successful! It is lighthearted and a very heartwarming story. It also showcases a relationship that we do not often see: a father and a daughter. This is a great a way to include a book with a diverse family in your classroom library!

• 2021 Caldecott Medal

• 2021 Golden Kite for Picture Book Text

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9781250203557

Gorgeous picture book for younger readers. Written in lyrical prose and accompanied with rich, stunning illustrations. We Are Water Protectors is about indigenous people who care deeply about the water. They discuss issues such as oil pipe lines by referring to them as the black snakes. Throughout the book the indigenous characters show bravery and courage as they stand up against the oil pipelines and share about the dangers they pose. This book is great to add to a classroom library to increase the amount of Indigenous Peoples representation in a classroom library.

• A Caldecott Honor Book

• A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book

For reviews and additional information: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9781534439443

Based on a true moment in history There Was a Party for Langston is a joy-filled, rhythmic story. The gorgeous illustration gives the words movement, and help propel the story along. The book is a celebration and a tribute of Langston Hughes, and uses many of his own writing styles and techniques as a guide. This book would be great to diversify a classroom library! This historical fiction book would be great for young children, especially due to the fun and colorful illustrations. Many conversations about history could be sparked from this book!

• 2024 Caldecott Honor Winner

• 2024 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature

  
  

  For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9781250820587

  
  

  The Truth About Dragons is a beautiful, poetic story about a boy exploring his biracial identity through dragons. The story discusses the roles that dragons play in Eastern and Western societies, and how even though they are conflicting, they can both be right. Beautiful prose accompanied with colorful and elaborate illustrations! This book would be a great way to expand a classroom library, add a poetry book, while also representing biracial students and the pull they may feel between their two cultures.

  
  

• 2024 Caldecott Medal Winner

• 2024 National Book Award Finalist

• Coretta Scott King Award Author and Illustrator Honor

For reviews and additonal information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9780316353229

Big is a touching and heart warming story about the power of self-confidence and acceptance. The book tells the story of a girl who begins by being praised for being "big". As she gets older, the praise turns to insults and small comments. The girl uses her words to stand up for herself and accept herself. While this is a great story to include in a library for the diverse main character, the moral of the story is very powerful and important for ALL children to be reminded of.

• 2024 Stonewall Book Award Honor Book

• 2024 ALA Children's Literature Honor Book

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9781250818607

Not He or She, I'm Me is a lovely story about a non-binary child enjoying their day. Readers are reminder of gender neutral pronouns. The story is very simple, so it is great for young readers. The illustrations add a great deal to the book, connecting with the main characters thoughts and emotions. This book is excellent to add to your classroom library for young children as a way to open up conversation and make the classroom a safe space for all students.

• Vermont's Picture Book Awards: Red Clover Winners

• Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Winners

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9781736949795

The book is written from the perspective of a non-verbal boy going through his day. There is a focus on his relationship with his mother, as well as how they use a tablet to communicate. The illustrations are absolutely crucial to this book. Due to the first person perspective, we are transported to our main characters mind; where we see everything he sees. Through various color tones, metaphoric imagery and multiple angles, the reader is able to understand what the boy is thinking without using many words. Thus accurately conveying the fact that nonverbal people have as many complex thoughts and intelligence as anyone else. This is a phenomenal book to include a classroom library as a way to help neurotypical students understand what their non-verbal friends might be thinking!

• 2019 Caldecott Medal Nominee

• 2019 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award

• 2020 Monarch Award Winners

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9780763693558

Alma and How She Got Her Name is about a young girl name Alma who complains to her father that her name is too long. Her father then explains the significance of each name and the reason why she has them. The book ends with Alma realizing that her name is very unique and special, as it has a story behind it. This book is available in both English and Spanish, so it can be a great option for ELL students in the classroom. Beyond that, the book is an excellent choice for a representation of a Latinx character/Latinx culture.

• 2023 Caldecott Honor Book

• 2024 American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9780316494175

Berry Song tells the story of about a girl and her grandmother, and their relationship with the earth around them. The traditions of the Tlingit Nation are described throughout the book with gorgeous prose that emphasizes our ties to the land and the sea-- and of course: berries! There is a certain timelessness that is captured throughout the book. The book is full of rich illustrations that are sure to capture the attention of young readers. This is a great book to include in your library to increase the amount of Native American representation you have. In addition, it would also open up many conversations from students.

• 2019 Goodreads Choice Award

• 2020 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Nominee

• 2022 Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Winners

The Proudest Blue tells the story of two sisters', Faizah and Asiya, first day of school. Asiya wear a blue hijab, which to Faizah, is the most stunning and sweeping blue. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with Faizah. We see the sisters find self-confidence, strength and bravery in themselves as they persevere through the negative comments and find happiness in their culture, in their religion, and in Asiya's hijab. The book is full of literary devices and tells a powerful story. An excellent addition to a classroom library to increase the representation of middle eastern people. In addition, the book explains to students why some people they know choose to wear a hijab, thus creating an understanding and appreciation in students who may have otherwise not understood.

Awards

• No awards to date. Keep an eye out for upcoming awards throughout 2024

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9781961620001

My Hearing, My Way is a powerful story about bodily autonomy and self-confidence about children with hearing devices that use them as a way to show their individuality and personality! Great to have in a library to help kids understand why some of their friends may have a device they need to keep with them!

Yellow: Disability AND Latinx (there is overlap between some books)

Blue: Native Americans/Indigenous People

Green: Middle Eastern

Purple: AAPI

White: LGBTQ+

• Vermont's Picture Book Awards: Red Clover Nominee (2024)

• California Young Readers Medal Nominee for Primary (2025)

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9780823446148

Luli and the Language of Tea tells the story of Luli, a five year old who has joined an English as a Second Language class. Unfortunately, no one in her class speaks the same home language, and no one speaks English either. Luli comes up with the idea to have a tea party. Luli and her classmates are able to bond over the tea, without speaking the same language. This book is enjoyable and lighthearted. In addition, it reinforces the idea that not all language is verbal, while also representing both AAPI people, and those who are new to learning English.

• 2019 Daybreak Children's Picture Book Award

• American Library Association Notable Book for Children 2016

• International Literacy Association Choices Reading List

For more reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9780884484318

What a great story! Lailah's Lunchbox tells the story of Lailah (in her perspective), who has just moved from Abu Dhabi to Peachtree, Georgia. She is excited to feel grown up and celebrate Ramadan for the first time, but she is worried her classmates and her teachers will not understand. With help from the Librarian, Lailah meets friends who understand and respect her beliefs. This book is great to add to a library for multiple reasons. One, it explains the concept of Ramadan to children who may be unfamiliar. Two, it helps affirm those who are fasting and observing Ramadan.

• 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Picture Book

• 2020 Sibert Medal

• 2020 Charlotte Huck Award Nominee

For reviews and additional information see: https://shop.barbarasbookstore.com/book/9781626727465

Fry Bread tells the story of a family making a traditional Native American food: fry bread. The book discusses how fry bread is more than just a food. It is a culture, a story, a family, a representation of symbol nations. The book ends with an ingredient list and recipe to make fry bread, so all readers can join in and experience a piece of this culture. younger students would successfully be able to engage with this book as you can help them make many connections to their own life and cultures, and their own traditions in their families. In addition, the book can serve as a starting point for young students learning about Native Americans, and be used as a way to highlight the cultural traditions that exist.