Scholastic

Scholastic is celebrating Black History Month with Share Black Stories, an initiative to amplify books that center Black lives and Black joy and stories that will resonate far beyond this one month. Build your bookshelf by sharing these books that explore Black history, experiences, and achievements all year round!

As publishers of nonfiction books for children, we are constantly striving to create books that kids can enjoy while having educational value. We want to publish books that count! It can be a challenging task. Many times, it is hard to find the perfect balance between a book that both kids and educators will embrace.

The stories I heard growing up shaped my sense of family and community, as well as my place in the world. As a result, I knew early on that America did not love us. Yet, at the same time I knew how much my family respected and revered this country, loved being Black and believed that nothing, even Jim Crow and his offspring, could ever stop our assent. My family made sure I understood that.

I hope through my new book young readers will learn that there is a special book out there for everyone. Sometimes it can be hard to find, and sometimes the best stories are found within ourselves.

Dad celebrated Diwali with gusto, in his usual lavish, over-the-top way. He would buy more fireworks than anybody else in the neighborhood. All the kids in the neighborhood would gather on the sidewalk in front of our apartment and watch the dazzling displays shoot up into the dark Bombay sky.

For the most part, Americans had embraced the rich culture and traditions of their neighbors, especially their food. However, old fears and prejudices lingered and festered, as was revealed during the 2016 election.

Is a lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to Black and brown children everywhere, reminding them of how much they matter, that they have always mattered, and they always will.

My greatest hope is that kids who read my book develop empathy for people who may not look, sound, or worship the way they do. I hope it causes kids to question the world around them, to research issues they may not understand, and to grow into informed citizens, the kind our country desperately needs.

I know I can't go back and tell my 17-year-old self to be nicer to us. I can’t tell him to only try to change the way he looks if it comes from a place of love. I can't change the way I treated myself for years. But I've written a little story that has helped me forgive myself. And, hopefully, it will help other young readers as well.