The books on this list demonstrate kids of color persevering in a variety of settings and overcoming obstacles through a myriad of scenarios: whether it’s the first day of school, standing up to a bully or for yourself, dealing with death, defending a person in need, or celebrating identity.

It’s important for children to engage with texts that elucidate racial disparities. The books on this list present injustices that people of color and Native people have experienced historically and in present day, and how characters and historical figures have combated these issues.

Zetta Elliot asks colleagues in the kid literature community to share their insights on reparations in the children’s publishing industry and what can be done after hundreds of years of excluding and/or distorting kids of color and Native children.

In which an alien inspires reflections on transracial adoption.

To my dear white author friends who worry about writing multicultural characters and wail, “I can’t win!” - Well, you won’t. In the end, writing these books are not about authors winning, they are about children not losing.

Your favorite children's books featuring kids of color NOT fighting bigotry, discrimination or enslavement. This list was crowd-sourced the EmbraceRace community and compiled by our intern Nora May.

In which we talk about confronting “weird questions” (or racial microagressions) with a little help from … an alien

Andrew Grant-Thomas of EmbraceRace talks with Professor Jennifer Manak about multicultural children’s books, diversity, and developing critical reading skills in kids.