While Black History Month has come to a close, we would like to emphasize that stories by and about Black people can and should be read all throughout the year. There is a long way to go, but we are heartened by how many Black creators have already been published and we are proud to continue working to ensure that many more follow them.

Here are the Black voices we’ve featured over the past year, as well as further reading and resources. We look forward to featuring more in the year to come.

Books

Picture Books/Early Reader

• Jayden’s Impossible Garden by Mélina Mangal, illustrated by Ken Daley – Finding Nature in the City
• Curls and Glow by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Geneva Bowers – Q&A With Ruth
• Wanda by Sihle Nontshokweni and Mathabo Tlali, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne – The Importance of Intergenerational Storytelling and Learning Self-Love From Our Elders
• The Wonder of the World Leaf by Summer Edward, illustrated by Sayada Ramdial – Community, Nature, and Wonder as a Balm in Troubling Times
• Ari J.’s Kinky, Curly Crown by Ain Drew, illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice – Why I Wrote a Children’s Book About Black Hair
• Born Ready by Jodie Patterson, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow – Q&A With Jodie & Penel
• Race Cars by Jenny Devenny, edited by Charnaie Gordon – Jenny and Charnaie in Conversation
• Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul and illustrated by Rachelle Baker – Read an Excerpt
• You Are Not Alone by Alphabet Rockers, Illustrated by Ashley Evans – Cover Reveal | Q&A With The Alphabet Rockers and Ashley
• Something Happened in Our Park by Marietta Collins, Ph.D., Marianne Celano, Ph.D., and Ann Hazzard, Ph.D., illustrated by Keith Henry Brown – Tackling Controversial Topics in Children’s Books
• This Book Is Feminist by Jamia Wilson, Illustrated by Aurelia Durand – Read an Excerpt
• What Do You Know? by Aracelis Girmay and Ariana Fields – Q&A With Aracelis and Ariana
• Carrimebac by David Barclay Moore, Illustrated by John Holyfield – Cover Reveal
• I Love My Beautiful Hair by Elissa Wentt – Cover Reveal
• The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi, illustrated by Loveis Wise – Q&A With Ibi and Loveis
• The Hair Book by LaTonya Yvette, Co-authored and Illustrated by Amanda Jane Jones – Cover Reveal
• The Me I Choose to Be by Natasha Tarpley, Art by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt – Q&A With Natasha, Regis, and Kahran
• Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Oge Mora – Q&A With Oge
• Why? by Taye Diggs, illustrated by Shane W. Evans – Q&A With Taye
• Santa in the City by Tiffany D. Jackson, illustrated by Reggie Brown – Q&A With Tiffany
• We Can: Portraits of Power by Tyler Gordon – Q&A With Tyler
• Bessie the Motorcycle Queen by Charles R. Smith, illustrated by Charlot Kristensen – Cover Reveal
• Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Gracey Zhang – Q&A With Antwan

Middle Grade

• Caprice by Coe Booth – Cover Reveal
• Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen – Q&A With Kwame and Prince Joel
• Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa by Julian Randall – Cover Reveal
• Miles Morales: Shock Waves by Justin A. Reynolds – Q&A With Justin
• The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton – Cover Reveal
• Josephine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne – Q&A With Shakirah
• Mighty Inside by Sundee T. Frazier – Read an Excerpt | Q&A With Sundee
• Mango All the Time by Fracaswell Hyman – Cover Reveal
• Fast Pitch by Nic Stone – Q&A With Nic
• A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks – Janae Marks’ A Soft Place to Land Is a Wholesome, Warm-hearted Story for All Kids
• Paradise on Fire by Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes – Q&A With Dr. Rhodes
• Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third – Q&A With Jason
• Art of Protest: Creating, Discovering, and Activating Art for Your Revolution by De Nichols, illustrated by Diana Dagadita, Molly Mendoza, Olivia Twist, Saddo, and Diego Becas – Q&A With De Nichols
• Lena and the Burning of Greenwood: a Tulsa Race Massacre Survival Story by Nikki Shannon Smith – Q&A With Nikki
• Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich – Q&A With Olugbemisola
• The Royal Trials by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen – Cover Reveal
• Honest June by Tina Wells – Q&A With Tina
• A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow – Q&A With Lisa
• Freewater by Amina Luqman Dawson – Q&A With Amina

Young Adult

• Rest Easy by Warona Jolomba – Cover Reveal
• Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon – Cover Reveal
• The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris – Q&A With Brittney
• Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart – Q&A With Ciannon
• Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee – Q&A With Emery
• Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass – Sarah Dass’s Where the Rhythm Takes You Is a YA Persuasion Set In Trinidad and Tobago
• Off the Record by Camryn Garrett – Q&A With Camryn
• Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé – Faridah Talks Inspirations for Her Blockbuster Debut
• The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons – Q&A With Isaac
• Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon – Q&A With Nicola
• Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury – Liselle Sambury Wants Black Kids To See Themselves in Blood Like Magic
• Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles – Read an Excerpt | Writing YA as Freedom
• This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron – Centering Queer Families in Young Adult Literature
• Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman by Kristen R. Lee – Cover Reveal | Q&A With Kristen
• The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass – Ryan Douglass’s The Taking of Jake Livingston Uses the Horror Genre To Explore Anti-Blackness and Homophobia
• The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison – Q&A With Whitney
• Me (Moth) by Amber McBride – Q&A with Amber
• Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis – Q&A With Jessica
• Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko – Jordan Ifueko’s Redemptor Allows Black Girls, Even Heroines, To Ask For Help When They Need It
• The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley – Sarah Raughley Aimed to Tell The Entire Truth About The Victorian Era with The Bones of Ruin
• A Girl’s Guide to Love & Magic by Debbie Rigaud – Cover Reveal
• White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson – Q&A With Tiffany
• Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray – Q&A With Ayana
• High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez – Cover Reveal
• Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe – Cover Reveal
• A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown – Q&A With Roseanne
• Black Was the Ink by Michelle Coles – Black Was the Ink Connects Past and Present
• Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed edited by Saraciea J. Fennell – Wild Tongues, Textured Identities
• Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen – Q&A With Natasha
• The Upper World by Femi Fadugba – Q&A With Femi
• One True Loves by Elise Bryant – Q&A With Elise
• The Kindred by Alechia Dow – Q&A With Alechia
• The Chosen One by Echo Brown – Q&A With Echo
• Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin – Q&A With Jason and Jason
• Mañana edited by Joamette Gil – Q&A With Joamette
• Freedom! The Story of the Black Panther Party by Jetta Grace Martin – Q&A With Jetta
• Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams – Q&A With Kelly 
• The Getaway by Lamar Giles – Cover Reveal
• Until We Break by Matthew Dawkins – Cover Reveal & Exclusive Excerpt
• You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen – Laila Sabreen Wrote Her Debut Novel for Herself

New Adult/Adult

• Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi – Q&A With Tochi (Part I) | Part II

Further Reading & Resources

• Platforms Like Wattpad Allow Marginalized Authors to Reach Readers by Chazz Mair
• Meet Youth Activist Zawadi Sankofa by Laura Shovan
• Are Antiracism Books for Kids Actually Working? by Nia Tucker
• How Educators Are Keeping The 1619 Project in the Classroom by Andrea Ruggirello
• The Beauty of Intersectionality in Mentorship by Valerie Bolling
• Q&A With Dara Beevas of Wise Ink
• Resources for Race, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion – Includes Black-Owned Bookstores, Black-led organizations, & book lists
• The Brown Bookshelf’s 28 Days Later – Featuring a Black creative (authors and illustrators both) every day for the month of February!
• AALBC’s List of Black-Owned Publishers
• Well-Read Black Girl Podcast with Glory Edim – “Each week, Glory sits in deep, honest and close conversation with authors like Tarana Burke, Min Jin Lee, Anita Hill, Gabrielle Union, Elizabeth Acevedo, and more. You’ll also meet WRBG Book Club members, literacy advocates, and Black booksellers to hear what they’re reading and what it means to be well-read.”
• The Black Creators Series – “In this educator-focused series highlighting the work of Black authors and illustrators, Sonja Cherry-Paul, Director of Diversity and Equity at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, leads discussions with children’s book creators about their work and the powerful ways their books can live in classrooms.”
• The Black Creatives Fund – WNDB’s Black Creatives Fund is an initiative with a mission of supporting new and existing Black writers and illustrators.

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JoAnn Yao is the Social Media Manager for We Need Diverse Books. Among other things, she has conducted research for the American Film Institute, provided book and script coverage for a Hollywood agency, designed an online narrative game, and written a comic for a New Frontiers anthology. She lives in New York City with her dragon’s hoard of books. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.