This year, I’ve invited non Black people who are in someway connected to youth literature to share a list of 5-10 books written or illustrated by Blacks that will appeal to children. I asked for anything from board books and graphic novels to biographies and adult crossover. The authors or illustrators could be living or dead, U.S. residents or not. The results have been quite amazing.

Today’s Guest is Alson Green Myers. Alison is a former literacy coach, classroom teacher, and school director. She’s a national writing fellow and serves as the Program Director for the non-profit Highlights Foundation.

Max and the Tag Along Moon, written and illustrated by Floyd Cooper. (2013, Philomel.)

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions, illustrated by Don Tate, written by Chris Barton. (2016, Charlesbridge.)

Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library, written by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. (2017, Candlewick)

Bunnybear, written by Andrea J. Loney, illustrated by Carmen Saldaña. (2017, Albert Whitman & Co.)

Jada Jones Rockstar (entire series), written by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. (2017, Penguin.)

Garvey’s Choice, written by Nikki Grimes. (2016, Wordsong.)

Finding Langston, written by Lesa Cline-Ransome. (2018, Holiday House.)

Piecing Me Together, written by Renée Watson. (2017, Bloomsbury.)

Ordinary Hazards, written by Nikki Grimes. (2019, Wordsong.)

Not So Pure and Simple, written by Lamar Giles. (2020, Quill Tree Books.)

Another Brooklyn, written by Jackie Woodson. (2016, Harper Collins.)