Diversity

To honor Black History Month, SLJ is curating lists of fiction and nonfiction book pairings focusing on pivotal moments in Black history in the United States. This roundup features selections centering the Black experience during Reconstruction.

As we commemorate the lives and history of Black peoples in the United States this February, SLJ has curated lists of fiction and nonfiction books that can be paired in the classroom to offer a nuanced presentation of major historical events of Black history.

The United States Board of Books for Young People has selected 40 excellent titles that invite readers to explore the world around them for their 2023 Outstanding International Books List. Download the full list.

Kaye Johnson brought a statement from George M. Johnson, the author of All Boys Aren't Blue, which was one of six titles a group wanted removed from the public library. The Board of Trustees decided that all six titles will remain on the shelves at the Glen Ridge Public Library.

Greater representation serves young library users and the profession. But more effort is needed to bring in—and retain—Black librarians.

From Virginia Florence, the first Black woman in the U.S. to receive a library science degree, to Clara Stanton Jones, the first Black president of the American Library Association, pioneers of the profession.

These three picture books capture the hardship and joys that Black people have experienced in the United States, with nuance and sensitivity to a young audience.