The end of this year, 2020, cannot come soon enough! To try to help add some of that same excitement for our Colorful Pages Community, I have cultivated a list of the Diverse Books That Make Us Excited for 2021. There are 14 diverse books being released in 2021: 5 Picture Books, 6 Early Chapter Books & Middle Grade Books, and 3 Young Adult Books.
2020 Diverse Book List
The year of 2020 has also brought a plethora of new diverse books. Therefore, to celebrate this brilliance that came out of 2020, Colorful Pages is publishing our first-ever Annual Diverse Book List. In this 2020 Diverse Book List, we list some of the top books that we have seen and/or reviewed that have been published this year. I was able to list 30 books: 10 Picture Books, 11 Early Chapter Books & Middle Grade Books, and 9 Young Adult Books. Check out our 2020 Diverse Book List to see what diverse books you’ve read this year and what books need to be added to your TBR list!
Native American Heritage Month: 2020 Book List
Happy National Native American Heritage Month! Because of the strong advocacy and voice of the Native American Community, each November we celebrate and honor the heritage and history of the first people of America with National Native American Heritage Month. Our list has 14 Picture Books, 5 Middle Grade Books, and 6 Young Adult Books. Every book is written by an Indigenous author. Our list has a variety of books to show the breadth and diversity in Native American Heritage. From folktales to history to fiction conveying modern Native American experiences, each book is crucial in seeing windows and mirrors from the Native American community.
Diverse Books for Election Day: A Middle and High School Student List
We need to engage our students and children as young as possible in this democratic process and the history behind it. This starts at home, our schools, and libraries and we need to make sure we center diverse books in order to empower our BIPOC students and White allies. To do this, check out our Colorful Pages Election Day Book List for Middle and High School Students! We have listed 8 diverse books that are perfect to read on, before, or after Election Day to teach about voting and our country’s voting rights history.
Diverse Books for Election Day: An Elementary School Student List
We need to engage our students and children as young as possible in this democratic process and the history behind it. This starts at home, our schools, and libraries and we need to make sure we center diverse books in order to empower our BIPOC students and White allies. To do this, check out our Colorful Pages Election Day Book List for Elementary School Students! We have listed 8 diverse books that are perfect to read on, before, or after Election Day to teach about voting and our country’s voting rights history.
Spooky Diverse Books for Middle Grade and Young Adult Readers
Pick one of these Spooky Diverse Books for Middle Grade and Young Adult Readers to send chills down your spine. I have listed 6 horror middle grade books and 4 horror young adult books to choose from. Just remember: it’s okay to leave on the light!
Filipino American History Month: 2020 Book List
Happy Filipino American History Month! In 2009, the US Congress declared October as National Filipino American History Month. This is to commemorate the first recorded presence of Filipinos on the continental United States on October 18, 1587. I chose books that provide windows and mirrors into Filipino and Filipino-American experiences, history, and culture. In this list, there are 5 picture books, 3 middle grade books, and 2 young adult books. Pick a couple to get started and let’s uplift Filipino stories!
National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month: 2020 Book List
Happy National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month! Within this article, I list 20 diverse books: 9 Picture Books, 5 Early Chapter & Middle Grade Books, and 6 Young Adult Books. Each of these books are written by a #OwnVoices author who identifies as Latinx. Pick out a couple of these books for your children or students’ age range and start to celebrate National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month!
Move Beyond “Chrysanthemum”: Diverse Books About Names
As teachers, librarians, or parents, we need to make space to empower students to claim their name. I have seen most people go about this using the book “Chrysanthemum” by Kevin Henkes. While I think this book is lovely, I also know that diverse books about name stories empower students, especially our BIPOC students, more. Therefore, below are 6 diverse picture books about names. Each of these books will act as a mirror or window for our students, which increases their cultivation of cultural empowerment and cross-cultural empathy. Start the school year strong by using these books to build a welcoming environment for every name!
10 Diverse Picture Books for the First Day of School
Make sure to kick off the year right with a diverse book! I have listed 10 Diverse Picture Books for the First Day of School. Each book is perfect for the first day of school and features one or more Black Indigenous Characters of Color! By reading a diverse book on the first day, you are helping your student or child see that diversity and inclusion are core values at schools and sets the tone for the rest of the year.
Colorful Pages 