The GayBCs


M.L. Webb - 2019
    In The GayBCs, M. L. Webb’s playful illustrations and lively poems delight in the beauty of embracing one’s truest self—from A is for Aro and Ace to F is for Family to T is for Trans.The GayBCs is a heartwarming and accessible gift to show kids and adults alike that every person is worthy of being celebrated. A bonus glossary offers opportunities for further discussion of complete terms, communities, and inclusive identities.

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop


Laban Carrick Hill - 2013
    Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks—the musical interludes between verses—longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, here's how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.

Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad


James Rumford - 2008
    When bombs begin to fall on his city, Ali turns to his pen, writing sweeping and gliding words to the silent music that drowns out the war all around him. Gorgeously illustrated with collage, pencil and charcoal drawings and, of course, exquisite calligraphy, this timely and yet universal story celebrates art and history but also offers young children a way to understand all they see and hear on the news. Silent Music is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation


Duncan Tonatiuh - 2014
    Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only” school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.

The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: A True Story about an Accidental Invention (Really!)


Barry Wittenstein - 2018
    

Fred Gets Dressed


Peter Brown - 2021
    He romps around his house naked and wild and free. Until he romps into his parents' closet and is inspired to get dressed. First he tries on his dad's clothes, but they don't fit well. Then he tries on his mom's clothes, and wow! The boy looks great. He looks through his mom's jewelry and makeup and tries that on, too. When he's discovered by his mother and father, the whole family (including the dog!) get in on the fun, and they all get dressed together.This charming and humorous story was inspired by bestselling and award-winning author Peter Brown's own childhood, and highlights nontraditional gender roles and self-expression.

Looking at Lincoln


Maira Kalman - 2012
    Lincoln's legacy is everywhere - there he is on your penny and five-dollar bill. And we are still the United States because Lincoln helped hold them together. But who was he, really? The little girl in this book wants to find out. Among the many other things, she discovers our sixteenth president was a man who believed in freedom for all, had a dog named Fido, loved Mozart, apples, and his wife's vanilla cake, and kept his notes in his hat. From his boyhood in a log cabin to his famous presidency and untimely death, Kalman shares Lincoln's remarkable life with young readers in a fresh and exciting way.

They She He Me: Free to Be!


Maya Gonzalez - 2017
    Pronouns serve as a familiar starting point for kids and grown-ups to expand ideas about gender and celebrate personal expression with fun imagery that provides a place to meet and play.Award winning children's book author and artist Maya Gonzalez is joined by her partner, Matthew, in their first children's book together.-from the back cover

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom


Teresa Robeson - 2019
      When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, most girls did not attend school; no one considered them as smart as boys. But her parents felt differently. Giving her a name meaning “Courageous Hero,” they encouraged her love of learning and science. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien Shiung as she battles sexism and racism to become what Newsweek magazine called the “Queen of Physics” for her work on beta decay. Along the way, she earned the admiration of famous scientists like Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer and became the first woman hired as an instructor by Princeton University, the first woman elected President of the American Physical Society, the first scientist to have an asteroid named after her when she was still alive, and many other honors.

I'm Not a Girl


Maddox Lyons - 2020
    His friend thinks he must be a tomboy. His teacher insists he should be proud to be a girl.But a birthday wish, a new word, and a stroke of courage might be just what Hannah needs to finally show the world who he really is.

Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice


Marianne Celano - 2018
    The story aims to answer children's questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.Includes an extensive Note to Parents and Caregivers with guidelines for discussing race and racism with children, child-friendly definitions, and sample dialogues. Free, downloadable educator materials (including discussion questions) are available at APA's website.

That's Betty!: The Story of Betty White


Gregory Bonsignore - 2022
    Early in her career, at a time when women had little power in Hollywood, she starred in, directed, and produced her own shows, creating opportunities for other women and for people from marginalized groups. She has campaigned to end bullying and has stood up for the LGBTQIA+ community. And she has devoted much of her life advocating for the fair treatment of animals.This innovative picture book biography follows a young boy who is doing a class presentation about Betty White...with a little help from Betty herself! Whimsical yet fact-filled, That's Betty! tells the story of a life well-lived while celebrating Betty's many fans.A Who Did It First? Book

What to Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!


Barbara Kerley - 2008
    a gleeful celebration." —Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewTheodore Roosevelt had a small problem. Her name was Alice. Alice Lee Roosevelt was hungry to go places, meet people, do things. Father called it "running riot." Alice called it "eating up the world." Whether she was entertaining important White House visitors with her pet snake or traveling the globe, Alice bucked convention and turned every new experience into an adventure!Brimming with affection and wit, this spirited biography gives readers a peek at family life inside the White House. Prose and pictures spring, gambol, and two-step across the pages to celebrate a maverick American heroine.

The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish


Lil Miss Hot Mess - 2020
    Written by a founding member of the nationally recognized Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH), this fabulous picture book offers a quirky twist on a classic nursery rhyme. The story plays off "The Wheels on the Bus" as it follows a drag queen who performs her routine in front of an awe-struck audience. A fun, freewheeling celebration of how to be your most dazzling self, this book will appeal to young and old readers alike.

Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story Of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way To Fame, Fortune & Swimsuit History!


Shana Corey - 2009
    A fun, feel-good, "underdog" story about a little-known female athlete whose derring-do transformed girls' sports.Are you brave enough to make a wave? If you love sports and people who aren't afraid to swim against the tide, Annette Kellerman and her freestyle approach to life will make your heart swell.With strokes of genius, Shana Corey and Edwin Fotheringham pool their talents to create a winning portrait of a little-known athlete, performer, and fashion revolutionary who broke records (and rules!) and dazzled the world with her splashy pluck and courage.