Belated birthday wishes Javaka Steptoe! Born April 19, Javaka Steptoe is an award winning children’s book illustrator/artist. Here are just a few of his notable works:
365 Black Books 2025 BCALA Best of the Best Black Books (BOTB) Saturday
The 2025 BCALA BOTB has been published and is now ready to be released.
Book 1: Prek-4: Dream A Dress, Dream a Poem by Nancy Johnson James; illustrated by Diana Ejaita
Book 2: 5-8: The True Story of Vanilla by Ann Richards; illustrated by Arden Taylor
Book 3: 9-12: Nic Blake and The Remarkables: The House of Anansi by Angie Thomas
365 Black Books Rita Williams-Garcia Monday
Happy birthday Rita Williams-Garcia! Born April 13, Rita Williams-Garcia is an award winning children’s and young adult author. Her notable books include One Crazy Summer, She Persisted-Florence Griffith Joyner, and A Sitting in St. James.
365 Black Books Maya Angelou Saturday
Happy heavenly birthday Dr. Maya Angelou! Born April 4, Dr. Angelou was a poet, activist, professor and more. Her iconic/classic poem, “Still I Rise”, is as relevant today as it was when it was first written and published.
365 Black Books Kinda Fun/Funny Books from the 2021 BCALA Best of the Best Black Books
These books focus on fun, humor, family, black love and joy, and other themes. Happy reading!
Book 1: Count to Love! by Andrea Davis Pinkney How many ways can you count to love? On fingers and toes, on legs and arms, with belly kisses? Award-winning Andrea Davis and Brian Pinkney bring this sweet board book read-aloud to life with joyful text and exuberant illustrations, capturing that vivacity and energy so familiar to the parents of toddlers.
Book 2: Dream Street by Tricia Elam Walker; illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Cousins take readers on a neighborhood tour and introduce them to the wonderous people who call Dream Street home.
The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist. Xavier is so close to being great and the Scepter League could get him there. Everyone in his family has been a part of the club and now maybe he will be a member as well. Hopefully with the addition of the socks from his uncle and the notes he’s been receiving he will find his way.
Book 4: Long Division by Kiese Laymon After City Coldson’s breakdown during a quiz contest goes viral he is sent to stay with his grandmother. There he embarks on a time bending journey and the only constant is City and a book with a mysterious author named Long Division.
365 Black Books Bayard Rustin Wednesday
Born March 17, Bayard Rustin was a political activist and principal organizer of the March on Washington. Here are a few books by and about Bayard Rustin.
365 Black Books Virginia Hamilton Thursday
Born March 12, Virginia Hamilton was the most honored writer of children’s literature. She passed away in 2002. Here are just a few of her books:
365 Black Books Rain Wednesday
Today’s post feature books with the word “rain” in the title.
Book 1: Rain Feet by Angela Johnson
Book 2: Rain Rising by Courtne Comrie
Book 3: Rain Remembers (the sequel to Rain Rising) by Courtne Comrie
The Brown Bookshelf 28 Days Later Day 28 Kevin Johnson, author of Cape
Read about Kevin Johnson’s writing process and pathway to publishing here.
The Brown Bookshelf 28 Days Later Day 26: Ebony Lynn Mudd, author of Just Like Tina
Read about Ebony Lynn Mudd’s journey of writing and publishing here.
The CamaraIfe Maktaba 