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: 2018 Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners and Honors Tuesday

Returning to the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, the following books were the 2018 winners and honors.

2018 Author Winner: Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

2018 Illustrator Award Winner: Out of Wonder, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

2018 Author and Illustrator Honors Title: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut; written by Derrick Barnes; illustrated by Gordon C. James

John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner: The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore. A very good book!

John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner: Mama Africa!; illustrated by Charly Palmer

365 Black Books: 2025 Miself in Books Sunday

Miself in Books is an inclusive list of books curated by Michigan school librarians. You can access and download the pdf document here:

Book 1 PreK-Grade 1: Oshun and Me: A Story of Love and Braids by Adiba Nelson; illustrated by Alleanna Harris

Book 2 Lower Elementary: At Night, They Danced by Victoria Scott-Miller; illustrated by Toni D. Chambers

Book 3 Black Lives Great Minds of Science by Tonya Bolden; illustrated by David Wilkerson

Book 4 High School: Up in Smoke by Nick Brooks

365 Black Books 2024 BCALA Best of the Best Black Books (BOTB) Saturday

Sharing three more children’s and young adults books from our 2024 BOTB list.

PreK-4: Outspoken by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Eric Velasquez

Grades 5-8: A Place to Shine by Marie Arnold

Grades 9-12: Where Was Goodbye? by Janice Lynn Mather