Author: Chelsea Henley

This picture book celebrates the Civil Rights protest song with its lyrics and beautiful illustrations from Caldecott winner Bryan Collier. It depicts the ongoing fight for justice and combines it with the protests and demonstrations that preceded today’s social justice work.

If you, like me, were obsessed with Madeline (and even watched the movie on a loop for months on end), treat yourself to this cute book that celebrates love from one of children’s literature’s best characters.

In this cute middle grade, people pleaser June is forced to tell the truth and nothing but when she’s blessed by her fairy godmother. Suddenly June can’t help but be honest about her feelings, including how overwhelmed she is by everything going on at school and at home.

In this middle grade anthology, music’s most influential Black women are celebrated. Spanning genres and time periods, this book acknowledges the way these women used music to change the world, influencing listeners not only emotionally but socially and politically.

This is a cute picture book about discovering more about where you’re from and learning to appreciate those different places. Growing up in Hawaii, Claire has never seen snow. With a school assignment that requires her to recreate it, her parents take her to Mauna Kea to see it, but she’s disappointed when it isn’t what she expected.

This sweet, call-and-response picture book explores all the ways, and all the reasons, people love one another. It’s meant to be read aloud by two people, exploring all the complexities and simplicities of love.

For those waiting for a sequel to Dragon Pearl, this is not it, but it is a companion novel introducing a new family, this one of tiger spirits. Juhwang Sebin is a nonbinary thirteen year old recruited into Space Forces Command just as their uncle’s accused of treason. Alongside new friends, Sebin struggles with the idea of their uncle’s guilt as they try to learn who sabotaged their ship.

This graphic novel adapts Kwame Alexander’s bestselling Booked, illustrated in striking black and white (with green accents) and telling the story of talented soccer star Nick Hall. Nick is coping with a difficult period in his life, compounded by his parents’ approaching separation, bullies at school, and others’ high expectations of him.

In this joyous middle-grade read that’s reminiscent of The Babysitter’s Club, Bo struggles with her new life and her new family. It’s always been just Bo and her Mum until it’s not. Now their pair has increased to eight, including her mom’s boyfriend, his daughter, a pair of twins and their parents, as well as a host of animals. Crammed together in a single brownstone, Bo begins to wonder if there’s a place for her.

This fun middle grade book follows seventh-grader Maya, now doing deliveries at her parents’ pizza shop. And it’s off to a bad start. She clashes with a rude customer, who turns out to be one of her new classmates, and after making a new friend who shares her passion in art, Maya’s parents won’t let her participate in an art contest because she has to work. Cue Maya and her new friends scheming up a plot to let her take part anyway.

This is a late arrival but perfect for the holidays, and is about the true story of Charlotte Nebres, the first dancer of color to play the lead in The Nutcracker. This lovely book follows Charlotte’s journey to the stage of her dreams, weaving it with the original story.

Now available in paperback is this classic picture book by Terry and Eric Fan. From his window William discovers that a tree has been shaped into a stunning owl. More topiaries appear, transforming their community long after the mysterious gardener has left.

In this sweet picture book, a child goes looking for love and finds that it’s actually everywhere. Even in the darkest of moments, there is still love to be found.

Now out in paperback is this fun and spooky adventure about two friends who accidentally stir evil spirits in their hometown. With their whole town at risk, Lucely and Syd team up with Syd’s witchy grandmother and her cat, to save the day and make everything right again.

Bored on Dinosaur Island, the dinosaurs decide to head over to Kitty Island. Despite warnings that this could be a bad idea, the dinosaurs go anyway and find that they may not have much in common with the kitties after all.

The Questioneers universe continues to expand with this nonfiction early reader. This opening book takes on the topic of flight, including the history of airplanes and how they stay in the air to info about birds and other flying creatures.

Classroom mice Fergus and Zeke are at a loss when Miss Maxwell’s students start preparing to celebrate the 100th day of school. Though they usually do all the same things as they do, now Fergus and Zeke can’t figure out how to participate. But they’re determined to find some project they can do to mark the occasion.

Perfect for TTRPG fans out there, this middle grade graphic novel follows Maggie, who rolls a twenty-sided die to make her decisions. This is a fun and sweet look at anxiety, OCD, and a girl finding herself.

This nonfiction picture book tells the story of Garrett Morgan, a Black man who transformed his dreams into life-saving inventions. Battling racism and discrimination, Morgan changed the world when he created inventions still used today like the traffic light and gas masks.

In this inspiring picture book, the immigrant experience is retold alongside dreamy illustrations. The Statue of Liberty stands as a welcoming symbol for people looking to make the U.S their new home, for all variety of reasons, but their new home can also be a painful change as not everyone is as welcoming as the Statue of Liberty.

In this picture book, Ashoka the Fierce is an angry prince who took his rage with him when he took the throne. After fighting a terrible war, Ashoka was consumed by guilt realizing the pain his anger caused so he began practicing Buddhism, setting aside his rage for compassion and kindness instead.

Harvey’s plans to just be normal at his new school are dashed when he realizes Strangeville is far from normal. A giant rat is on the loose, there’s something swimming in the drinking fountain, and there’s a mysterious supply closet you’re not even supposed to think about. Harvey’s new friend Stella is happy to show him around but when she goes missing investigating the supply closet, it’s up to Harvey to find her.

In this playful picture book, Marcy can’t help but create messes wherever she goes. But with her grandparents visiting, Marcy’s mama is determined to get her room clean, and Marcy knows just what to do.

In a tribute to the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal, her daughter Paris pens this newest Uni the Unicorn installment. Uni, the only unicorn who knows kids exist, finally visits the real world with her best friend. But no one else can see Uni, until they too start to believe in magic.

In this lovely picture book that’s also a sensitive portrayal of death and dying, readers follow the life of a fox. First we watch as the fox teaches her cubs how to survive in the wild. Eventually the fox dies, but her death is more than an ending, it’s also a beginning.

In this fun novel, Portico is secretly Stuntboy, who protects the other residents of his apartment building, including his parents. Despite Stuntboy’s efforts, he can’t keep his parents from fighting or stop the anxious worries that come with it.

In this graphic novel, Livy struggles to fit in at her new school. Her only companion is Viola, the shadowy manifestation of Livy’s anxiety. When Livy starts making friends, it seems like Viola may not be around much longer, but new stresses make Viola more prominent than ever. To learn how to live with her, Livy will have to finally ask for help.

Ten years after A Sick Day for Amos McGee, readers are reunited with Amos as he plans a big surprise for his friends at the zoo. But after staying up late to plan, Amos misses his bus, potentially ruining his big surprise, but his friends step in to help.

This historical picture book retells the story of Wong Kim Ark, an American-born man who returned home to San Francisco after a trip to China and was refused entry into the country because he wasn’t considered to be an American. After enduring months of imprisonment, Wong Kim Ark took his case to the Supreme Court, where he argued that anyone born in the U.S is an American citizen.

In this picture book from zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, a young boy named Minh realizes that the Buddha statue where people leave fruit isn’t actually the Buddha and so begins a search to find the real Buddha, before realizing that the Buddha lives in everyone, including him.

In this tender graphic novel, Manuel struggles in the aftermath of witnessing a violent attack. He finds solace in his photography but when he’s grouped with Sebastian and Caysha on a school project, he finds a new opportunity for peace and healing.

A necessary collection for artists and art lovers, this anthology highlights twenty-six Black contemporary artists. Offering recognition and praise for artists routinely locked out of mainstream art conversations, this book highlights their stories, their specific styles, and reproduces one of their signature works.

In this picture book, written in verse, a young girl is assigned a family tree project. When she can only trace her family back three generations, she and the rest of her family gather to hear about their history, how their ancestors were taken captive and sold into slavery and how those born on the water survived.

In this joyous picture book celebrating Japanese culture, a girl and her large and varied family spend the day at the big bath house, taking part in all the usual rituals before sinking into the bath.

Aspiring artist Maisie has always imagined growing up to take over her family’s art shop. But when the shop falls on hard times, Maisie’s dreams seem to only become more impossible. Determined to help, Maisie departs to London to find her estranged older brother— who cut off ties with their family years ago— thinking he may be the key to saving their shop. Instead, she uncovers painful truths about her family and has to decide if she’s able to forgive.

This young reader’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon translates the story for the younger set, retelling the heartrending story of a series of murders in the Osage Nation during the 1920s. As the death toll rises, the FBI gets involved (including a Native American undercover operative) to unveil a shocking conspiracy, fueled by racism and greed, to steal from the wealthy Osage people.

This is a new picture book from one of my favorite children’s authors. This one is about a little girl who is gifted a candy dish. Each day the candy dish opens and supplies her with one piece of delicious candy, but despite her attempts, she can’t force the dish to reopen and give her more. The next morning the dish opens and again gives her one piece of candy and doesn’t reopen for the day. This is a sweet story about savoring each day.

This warm and lyrical picture book is inspiring and uplifting, celebrating diverse families and the bonds of people all over the world.

This sweet middle grade follows fourth grader Austin, the perpetual new kid. Despite his best efforts, his size (he also skipped a grade) makes it hard for him to disappear. At his new school, he quickly falls in with an outgoing friend and becomes intrigued by the Safety Squad. But Austin also has trouble reading, and his many workarounds won’t help him apply to the Safety Squad. As Austin begins to find his voice, he realizes he may not be as alone as he thought.

Sharon Draper returns to the heroine of Out of My Mind in this new middle grade novel. Melody’s back, this time heading off to an accessible summer camp for kids with disabilities. Though nervous, Melody’s new adventure catapults her into new life experiences, making new friends, and developing her first crush.

One of my favorite picture book series has a new installment. The Questioneers are perfect readalouds (I cannot recommend Ada Twist, Scientist more), and this one introduces us to Aaron, who wants badly to be a storyteller but his dyslexia makes it hard to read. This is written in dyslexia-friendly font and follows Aaron as he discovers a different way to tell his stories.

In this fun and refreshing graphic novel that combines religion with brujeria, Manu and her best friend Josefina live at a magical school with the religious sisters who take care of them. Despite Manu’s magical talent, her troublemaking ways mean she’s often in trouble. After a prank goes wrong, and Josefina wishes Manu’s magic away, Manu’s powers disappear.

In this slim, biographical book, ballerina Misty Copeland presents a roundup of Black ballerinas. This is an inspiring look at a group of women who made strides in a field dominated by white dancers (and Copeland also points out that, even now, lighter skinned Black ballerinas outnumber their darker-skinned counterparts for similar reasons).

In this fun middle grade read, Xavier Moon’s angling for an invitation to the Scepter Club, the club for boys that his father and grandfather belonged to. But with his braces and his stutter, it’s been difficult for Xavier to find his confidence. Enter his great uncle, who gifts him with quirky socks that begin to get Xavier some positive attention and help Xavier begin to seek out something of his very own that sets him apart.