2022 Books Featuring Black Boys

In the is season of "Best of" lists from 2022, we were happy to see the Brown Bookshelf blog share Vanessa J. Lloyd-Sgambati's list of books for young readers featuring black boys. 

Lloyd-Sgambati, the founder of the African American Children's Project, writes: "In 2022, books that featured Black boys and young men rose to the top of the shelf. In the words of Lizzo,“It’s About Time!”  

To read the post and link to the booklist at the Literary Cafe, stop here.

Beanstack Black Voices Microgrant Winners - DPI Post

Hot off the presses! 

Check out this newest blogpost--written by the fabulous Tessa Michaelson Schmidt--on the DPI website about the Beanstack Black Voices Microgrant winners!

https://dpi.wi.gov/wilibrariesforeveryone/beanstack-black-voices-microgrant

Microgrant projects support the Black Lives Matter movement in one of the following ways:

1. Elevate Black voices and contributions to inspire social justice in local communities
2. Improve opportunities and/or equity for Black people in local communities
3. Educate non-BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) members in local communities and inspire a call to action.

DPI Race and Antiracism Resources for WI Public Libraries

The WI Department of Public Instruction and the State Library of Ohio have created an excellent list of resources to help you in your work in creating a more just society and fight systemic racism.

The google doc is a "living document" that is updated as new resources come to light. The document is divided into several sections:

• Scheduled Courses
• Self-Paced Courses
• Recorded Lectures/Webinars
• Providers
• Other Opportunities
• Library Specific Resources

You can access the document here.

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20
• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20

CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens

Race and Racism: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12

This is the second of two bibliographies we are creating to respond to the requests we are getting from around Wisconsin in recent days for books for children and teens about race and racism. We also encourage you to check out the CCBC bibliography Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance in 45 Books for PreK-Grade 12.

When choosing books about race and racism and its impact on the lives of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), we have emphasized books by BIPOC creators. We have also included several books by white authors that can help readers, especially white readers, develop an awareness of whiteness and white privilege.

This list features both historical books (set in the past) and books set in the present day. Understanding history is critical to understanding racism; it is also critical to acknowledge and discuss the realities of racism and the ongoing legacy of systemic racism today.

We have chosen books for this list from among titles we’ve recommended for our annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices. Our selections are far from exhaustive--there are many books we've recommended that offer perspectives on race and racism in the past and present. Additionally, many other reading lists for children and teens about racism have been curated in recent weeks. Among those we encourage you to check out is the one created by author Jacqueline Woodson.

Finally, it's important to keep in mind that no book can take the place of ongoing, meaningful conversations about race and racism. To that end, you may also find We Need Diverse Books and Teaching Tolerance, among others, helpful as you seek out additional resources.

To view the booklist, visit: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=667

© 2020 Cooperative Children's Book Center

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20
• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20

CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance

We’ve received a number of requests from around Wisconsin in recent days for books for children and teens addressing systemic racism. But just as important, we know, thanks to Black colleagues and book creators, are books that go beyond pain narratives and celebrate Black lives.

Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Reistance in 45 Books for PreK-Grade 12

We also know that the work of seeking out and sharing books about Black experience is the responsibility of all of us doing work related to connecting young readers with books, not just of Black librarians and educators. But it’s important to know there are other wonderful curated lists available. Here are two to start with:

• Black Joy Booklist (Alia Jones, Cincinnati Public Library) (focus: Black experience)
• We Are Kidlit Collective Summer Reading lists (focus: Black, Indigenous and People of Color)

If you’re interested in purchasing books on any of these lists, check out this list of Black-owned bookstores.

Finally, by all means share the books on this list with white children, too; as a matter of course and intention sharing diverse books is essential. But if you are also looking specifically for books about race and racism, we have also created Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens.

We have chosen books for this list from among titles we’ve recommended for our annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices, emphasizing books by Black creators. It is far from exhaustive; there are many other books we’ve recommended, and as the Cincinnati Public Library and other lists attest, many other books available for children and teens, acknowledging that Black Lives Matter by celebrating and affirming Black identity and speaking the truth of Black experiences.

To view the booklist, visit: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=666

© 2020 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20
• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20

Talking with Kids about Race and Racism at Oakland Public Library

Panelists at Oakland PL

Miriam Medow of Oakland Public Library just hosted a fabulous panel discussion on talking with kids about race and racism.  Might this be of interest in your own community?
Read more about it here!