a page always in progress (30 NOV 2022)
Fiction has a marvelous ability to stir and build empathy. Storytelling has a transformative power that is crucial to our understanding that Black Lives do Matter.
Thinking about juvenile fiction/young readers alone: Historically, the majority of black stories, of black faces on book covers, of contexts for black characters have been published as Historical Fiction, in settings of slavery, flight, oppression, poverty, powerlessness, violence, pain; as lives lived then (not now), dispensable, exotic, fetishized, side-kick(ed), comedic relief; present in order to prop up the white hero, to be rescued and redeemed by the white savior.
No more of that.
I’ve linked Pinboards of fiction titles ranging from board-books to middle-grade to SFF for the older crowd. The lists are not exhaustive; I know I’ve missed self-and indie-pub titles.
The list included on this page is for 2021 titles, alphabetized by author.
The asterisks in board books, picture books, and early reader/chapter books means white authors or illustrators. Some of the creators are ^Persons of Color (POC). But the percentage of books for the youngest set with Black characters written by not-Black creators is ridiculous. I support more Black protagonist in stories, but tapping already published/contracted authors and illustrators isn’t the goal. I’m looking for more Debut Black authors and illustrators to tell stories alongside more stories of Black characters and communities.
For middle-grade & up lists, I did not include white authors.
Pinboards if you are a visual person like me: 2022 titles. 2021 titles. 2020 titles.
the lists are not exhaustive, I know I missed most Independently Published.
2022 titles:
Picture Books, Early Reader/Chapter Book, MiddleGrade, YoungAdult, Grown
2022 Board Books
My Crown, My Glory by Tonya Abari & Tabitha Brown (Mudpuppy)
Your Special Voice by Temi Adamolekun & Keisha Okafor (Little Simon)
You Are Getting Sleepy by *Lori Alexander & Monica Mikai (Cartwheel)
Catch That Chicken! by Atinuke (Candlewick)
Grandma’s Tiny House by Janay Brown-Wood & Priscilla Burris (Charlesbridge)
One Black Cat and Other Numbers by Bernette Ford & *Britta Teckentrup (Boxer)
Teddy, Truck and Other First Words by Bernette Ford & *Britta Teckentrup (Boxer)
Bloom by Ruth Forman (Little Simon)
Ours by Ruth Forman & Talia Skyles (Little Simon)
Strut, Baby, Strut by *Amika Kroll & Ebony Glenn (Little Simon)
Brown Sugar Baby by Kevin Lewis & Jestenia Southerland (Cottage Door)
Hello, Beautiful You! (Bright Brown Baby series) by Andrea Pinkney & Brian Pinkney (Cartwheel)
Peek-a-You! (Bright Brown Baby) by Andrea Pinkney & Brian Pinkney (Cartwheel)
Love is All Around (Brown Baby Parade series) by Nikki Shannon Smith & Ronique Ellis (Random House)
Shady Baby Feels by Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade Jr. & Tara Nicole Whitaker (HarperCollins)
Little Santa’s Workshop by Lala Watkins (Cartwheel)
I Love My Beautiful Hair by Elissa Wentt (Cartwheel)
Hands On! by Anne Wynter & Alea Marley (B+B)
One Big Day by Anne Wynter & Alea Marley (B+B)
2022 Picture Book
Sing, Aretha, Sing! by Hanif Abdurraqib & Ashley Evans (FSG)
Stacey’s Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams & Kitt Thomas (B+B)
Stacey’s Remarkable Books by Stacey Abrams & Kitt Thomas (B+B)
Hey You! Dapo Adeola (Nancy Paulsen)
I Celebrate My Voice by Nonku Kunene Adumetey & Mary K. Biswas (Luntridge)
The Juneteenth Story by Alliah L. Agostini & Sawyer Cloud (becker&mayer! kids)
KINDergarten by Vera Ahiyya & ^Joey Chou (RandomHouse)
You Have a Voice by Vera Ahiyya & Fabianna Faiallo (Hightree)
You Are Not Alone by Alphabet Rockers & Ashely Evans (Sourcebooks eXplore)
Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese by Glenda Armand & Steffi Walthall (Rodale Kids)
Acorn Was a Little Wild by *Jen Arena & Jessica Gibson (S&S)
Me and Muhammad Ali by Jabari Asim & AG Ford (Paulsen)
Daddies and Daughters Stick Together by Aissatou Balde, Diariatou Sow & Nandi L. Fernandez (Bird Upstairs)
Black Girl Rising by Brynne Barnes & Tatyana Fazlalizadeh (Chronicle)
The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes & Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Nancy Paulsen)
I Love You Like Yellow by *Andrea Beaty & Vashti Harrison (Abrams)
A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom & *Brandon James Scott (Astra)
Song in the City by Daniel Bernstrom & Jenin Mohammed (HarperCollins) DIS
Going Places by Tonya Bolden & Eric Velasquez (Quill Tree)
Ride Roll Run by Valerie Bolling & Sabrena Khadija (Abrams)
Together We Ride by Valerie Bolling & Kaylani Juanita (Chronicle)
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond & Daniel Minter (Knopf)
I Am Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges & Nikkolas Smith (Orchard)
Sam’s Super Seats by Keah Brown & Sharee Miller (Kokila) DIS
Twelve Dinging Doorbells by Tameka Fryer Brown (Kokila)
Harriet Tubman by JaNay Brown-Wood & Robert Paul, Jr. (Little Golden Books)
Too-Small Tyson (Storytelling Math) by JaNay Brown-Wood & Anastasia Williams (Charlesbridge)
Miguel’s Community Garden by JaNay Brown-Wood & Samara Hardy (Peachtree) LGBTQIA+
Oliver Powers Through (Helping Out at Home) by JaNay Brown-Wood, Lorian Tu & Jenna Nahyun Chung (Charlesbridge)
I Am Okay To Feel by Karamo Brown, Jason Rachel Brown & Diobelle Cerna (Zando)
Sarah Rising by Ty Chapman & DeAnn Wiley (Beaming)
Music is a Rainbow by Bryan Collier (Little, Brown)
Nothing Special (African American Life series) by Desiree Cooper & *Bec Sloane (Wayne State Univ)
We Have a Dream: Meet 30 Young Indigenous People and People of Color Protecting the Planet by Dr. Mya-Rose Craig & Sabrena Khadija (Magic Cat) NF
I Have a Superpower by Stephen Curry & Geneva Bowers (Penguin Workshop)
The Little Book of Joy by ^Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, *Douglas Abrams & ^Rafael López (Random House)
Bus Stop by *Angela H. Dale & Lala Watkins (Cameron Kids)
On My Papa’s Shoulders by Niki Daly (Catalyst)
Everything in Its Place by *Pauline David-Sax & Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Doubleday)
I Love You More Than Ice Cream by *Becky Davies & Lala Watkins (Tiger Tales)
Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free by Alice Faye Duncan & Keturah A. Bobo (HarperFestival)
Evicted! by Alice Faye Duncan & Charly Palmer (Astra) NF
Yellow Dog Blues by Alice Faye Duncan & Chris Raschka (Eerdmans)
Nigel and The Moon by Antwan Eady & ^Gracey Zhang (Tegen)
Olu and Greta by Diana Ejaita (Penguin Workshop)
I Want My Book Back by *Viviane Elbee & Nicole Miles (Little Bee)
Stella Keeps the Sun Up by Clothilde Ewing & Lynn Gaines (Millner)
Tacko Fall (To New Heights) by Tacko Fall, Justin Haynes & Reggie Brown (Candlewick)
Jackie Does It All by Fabian E. Ferguson & *Alisa Aryutova (Self)
Lulu & Zoey by *Carrie Finison & Brittany Jackson (Running Press)
Uncle John’s City Garden by Bernette Ford & Frank Morrison (HolidayHouse)
Daddy Daughter Day by Pierce Freelon & Olivia Duchess (Little, Brown)
Smile with African Style by Mylo Freeman (Cassava)
Kicks by Van G. Garrett & Reggie Brown (Versify)
First Broom by *Kallie George & Joelle Murray (Scholastic)
Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens & Monica Mikai (Candlewick)
A Library by Nikki Giovanni & Erin Robinson (Versify)
All the Places We Call Home by Patrice Gopo & Jenin Mohammad (WorthyKids)
Brave Miss Muffet by Dori Graham & Kyle Becket (Reycraft)
My Fade Is Fresh by Shauntay Grant & Kitt Thomas (Penguin Workshop)
Brothers & Sisters: Family Poems by Eloise Greenfield & Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Amistad)
Playtime for Restless Rascals by Nikki Grimes & Elizabeth Zunon (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky)
Layla, the Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish, Jerdine Nolan & Jessica Gibson (HarperCollins)
The Truth About Mrs. Claus by Meena Harris & Keisha Morris (Little, Brown)
Daddy Speaks Love by Leah Henderson & E.B. Lewis (Paulsen)
Faith’s Freckles by Bailei Hinds-Perry, Shermaine Perry-Knights & Michaela Kirk (Innovation Consultants of Dekalb)
I Am Amazing by Alissa Holder, Zulekha Holder-Young & Nneka Myers (Flamingo)
A Spoonful of Faith by Jena Holliday (HarperCollins)
Little Black Boy by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Larry C. Fields III & Paul Davey (Paulsen)
Little Black Girl by Kirby Howell-Baptiste & Paul Davey (Paulsen)
Magnolia Flower by Zora Neale Hurston, Ibram X. Kendi & Loveis Wise (HarperCollins)
Marvelous Mabel by Crystal Hubbard & Alleanna Harris (Lee & Low)
Black: The Many Wonders of My World by Nancy Johnson James & Constance Moore (Cameron Kids)
H Is for Harlem by Dinah Johnson & April Harrison (Little, Brown)
Indigo Dreaming by Dinah Johnson (HarperCollins)
The Unbreakable Thread by Emily Joof & Asma Enayeh (Soaring Kite)
Black Boy, Black Boy by Ali Biko Sulaiman Kamanda, Jorge Redmond & Ken Daley (Sourcebooks Explore)
I Color Myself Different by Colin Kaepernick & Eric Wilkerson (Scholastic)
Georgie Dupree by Ceece Kelley & ^Chloe Guevara (Soaring Kites)
Dear Mama’s Loving Arms by Ceece Kelley & Sawyer Cloud (Soaring Kite)
Goodnight Racism by Ibram X. Kendi & Cbabi Bayoc (Kokila)
Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle by *Nina LaCour & Kaylani Juanita (Candlewick) LGBTQIA+
Be a Bridge by *Irene Latham, Charles Waters & ^Nabila Adani (Carolrhoda)
Our Story Starts in Africa by Patrice Lawrence & Jeanetta Gonzales (Magic Cat)
Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night by *Megan Litwin & Nneka Myers (Clarion)
Curve & Flow by Andrea J. Loney & Keith Mallet (Knopf) NF
My Hands Tell a Story by Kelly Starling Lyon & Tonya Engel (Reycraft)
Marley and the Family Band by Cedella Marley w/ Tracey Baptiste & Tiffany Rose (RandomHouse)
Music Is in Everything by Ziggy Marley & Ag Jatkowska (Akashic)
Wutaryoo by Nilah Magruder (Versify)
Mr. Maloof by Danielle Marietta & *Sarah Jane Docker (Books & Things)
Ellie’s Crayon Adventure by *Sarah Glenn Marsh & Tiffany Rose (Running Press)
Ebony and Her Crown by Nicole Marshall (self-pub)
Delphine Denise and the Mardi Gras Prize by Brittany Mazique & Sawyer Cloud (AW) DEBUT
Impossible Moon by Breanna McDaniel & Tonya Engel (Millner)
A Door Made for Me by Tyler Merritt & Lonnie Ollivierre (Worthy Kids)
Only the Best by *Kate Messner, Margaret E. Powell & Erin Robinson (Chronicle) BIO
I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu by Refiloe Moahloli & Zinelda McDonald (AmazonCrossing)
Kick Push by Frank Morrison (Bloomsbury)
Today Is Different by ^Doua Moua & Kim Holt (Carolrhoda)
On Her Wings by Jerdine Nolen & James E. Ransome (S&S) BIO
Wanda the Brave by Sihle-Isipho Nontshokweni, Chantelle & Burgen Thorne (Crocodile)
Black Gold by Laura Obuobi & London Ladd (HarperCollins)
The Way Champs Play by Naomi Osaka & ^Kamala Nair (HarperCollins)
The Legend of Gravity by Charly Palmer (FSG)
Charlie Makes a Splash by Holly Robinson Peete & Shane W. Evans (Scholastic)
Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney & Keith Henry Brown (Scholastic)
Bright Brown Baby: A Treasury by Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney (Orchard)
Bold Words from Black Women by Tamara Pizzoli & Monica Ahanonu (Denene Millner/S&S)
Mardi Gras Almost Didn’t Come This Year by Kathy Z. Price & Carl Joe Williams (Atheneum)
Somewhere in the Bayou by Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey (Norton)
It’s a Sign (Elephant & Piggie Like Reading) by Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey w/ Mo Willems (Hyperion)
You Matter to Me by Doyin Richards & Robert Paul Jr. (Feiwel)
Dear Sweet Justice by *Mara Rockliff & R. Gregory Christie (Random House) BIO
Dear Black Child by Rahma Rodaah & Lydia Mba (B+B)
Growing Great by Mechal Renee Roe (Doubleday)
Smart Sisters by Mechal Renee Roe (Doubleday)
Shine Bright by Kheris Rogers & Mechal Renee Roe (HarperCollins)
Reader : A Love Letter to Libraries by Tiffany Rose (Little Bee)
Always With You, Always With Me by Kelly Rowland, Jessica McKay & ^Fanny Liem (Viking)
The Legend of the Spirit Serpent by Adaiah Sanford & Ken Daley (Reycraft)
Mary Had a Little Plan by *Tammi Sauer & Vanessa Brantely-Newton (Union Square)
Who Are Your People by Bakari Sellers & Reggie Brown (Quill Tree)
This Is a School by *John Schu & Veronica Miller Jamison (Candlewick)
Anansi and the Golden Pot by Taiye Selasi & Moretiola Tinuke Fagborun (DK)
Mermaid Kenzie by Charlotte Watson Sherman & Geneva Bowers (Astra)
Most Perfect You by Jazmyn Simon & Tamisha Anthony (RandomHouse)
Bessie the Motorcycle Queen by Charles R. Smith & Charlot Kristensen (Scholastic)
Our Beautiful Colors (Little Golden Books) by Nikki Shannon Smith & Bea Jackson (Golden)
Granny’s Kitchen by Sade Smith & Ken Daley (Feiwel)
The Surprise by Zadie Smith, *Nick Laird & *Magenta Fox (Viking)
Beautiful You, Beautiful Me by Tasha Spillett-Sumner & ^Salini Perera (OwlKids)
Ballet Kids by Holly Sterling (Candlewick)
Keyana Loves Her Family by Natasha Tarpley & Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Little Brown)
Off the Wall by Theodore Taylor III (Roaring Brook)
A History of Me by Adrea Theodore & Erin Robinson (HolidayHouse)
I Love You Because I Love You by ^Mượn Thị Văn & Jessica Love (Katherine Tegen)
Brown is Warm, Black is Bright by *Sarah L. Thomson & Keith Mallett (Little, Brown)
Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & Rose Tiffany (Salaam)
Hold Them Close by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & Patrick Dougher (HarperCollins)
Fly by Brittany J. Thurman & ^Ann Cunha (Atheneum)
Stacey Abrams and the Fight to Vote by Traci N. Todd & by Laura Freeman (HarperCollins)
Obioma Plays Football by Chika Unigwe & Chinyere Okoroafor (Cassava Republic)
Grandma and the Moon’s Hidden Secret by Jumoke Verissimo & Chinyere Okoroafor (Cassava Republic)
Maya’s Song by Renée Watson & Bryan Collier (HarperCollins)
The Faith of Elijah Cummings: by Carole Boston Weatherford & Laura Freeman (Random House) BIO
Call Me Miss Hamilton by Carole Boston Weatherford & Jeffery Boston Weatherford (Lerner) BIO
Me and the Family Tree by Carole Boston Weatherford & Ashleigh Corrin (Sourcebooks Explore)
Standing in the Need of Prayer by Carole Boston Weatherford & Frank Morrison (Crown)
A Song for the Unsung by Carole Boston Weatherford, Rob Sanders & Byron McCray (Holt) BIO
A Family Looks Like Love by ^Kaitlyn Wells & Sawyer Cloud (Flamingo)
The Talk by Alicia D. Williams & Briana Mukodiri Uchendu (Dlouhy)
All Baby Can Be A Feminist by Nyasha Williams & Jade Orlando (All Baby Can)
Girl Dad by Sean Williams & Jay Davis (HarperCollins)
The Adventures of Qai Qai by Serena Williams & Yesenia Moises (Feiwel)
Crowned with Glory by Dorena Williamson & Shellene Rodney (WaterBrook)
Why Not You? by Ciara & Russell Wilson & JaNay Brown-Wood (RandomHouse)
More Than Peach by Bellen Woodard & ^Fanny Liem (Scholastic) NF
The World Belonged to Us by Jacqueline Woodson & ^Leo Espinosa (Nancy Paulsen)
The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson & ^Rafael López (Paulsen)
Emile and the Field by Kevin Young & Chioma Ebinama (Make Me a World)
Mama’s Home by Shay Youngblood & Lo Harris (Make Me a World)
2022 EARLY READERS/CHAPTER BOOKS
Invincible Girls Club: Quilting a Legacy (bk 4) and Recess All-Stars (bk 5) by Rachele Alpine, Stephanie Jones & Addy Rivera Sonda (Aladdin)
Llamas, Iguanas, and My Very Best Friend (Rica Baptista 1) by Janet Costa Bates & Gladys Jose (Candlewick)
Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files 2: All About Plants and The Why Files 3: The Science of Baking by *Andrea Beatty, Dr. Theanne Griffith & *David Roberts (Amulet)
Future Hero: Race to Fire Mountain by Remi Blackwood (Scholastic)
Racing Ace: Drive It! Fix It! (bk #1); Build It! Jump It! (bk 2); and Ride It! Patch It! (bk 3) by *Larry Dane Brimner & Kaylani Juanita (Acorn)
King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Library Book by Dori Hillestad Butler & Nancy Meyers (Peachtree)
Gemstone Dragons: Opal’s Time to Shine (bk 1) and Ruby’s Fiery Mishap (bk 2) by *Samantha M. Clark & Janelle Anderson (Bloomsbury)
Parker Grows a Garden (L1) by Parker Curry, Jessica Curry & Brittany Jackson (Simon Spotlight)
A Parker Curry Book: Parker Dresses Up and Your Friend, Parker by Parker Curry, Jessica Curry & Tajae Keith (Simon Spotlight)
Fly High, Lolo (Lolo 4) by Niki Daly (Catalyst)
The Witch’s Apprentice (series 3) by Zetta Elliott (RandomHouse)
Kitten Around (Home for Meow 3) by Reese Eschmann (Scholastic)
Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe (vol 1) by Shauna J. Grant (Graphix) GN
Magnificent Makers: Race Through Space (bk 5) and Storm Chasers (bk 6) by Theanne Griffith & Reggie Brown (RandomHouse)
Abby in Orbit: Blast Off! (bk 1) and Space Race (bk 2) by Andrea J. Loney & ^Fuuji Takashi (AW)
Miles Lewis: King of the Ice (bk 1); Whiz Kid (bk 2) and Matchmaker (bk 3) by Kelly Starling Lyons & Wayne Spencer (Penguin Workshop)
Ty’s Travels: Winter Wonderland and Lab Magic by Kelly Starling Lyons & Nina Mata (HarperCollins)
Every Leaf a Hallelujah by Ben Okri & Diana Ejaita (Apollo)
Jalen’s Big City Life: Museum Mix-Up ; Laundry Day Overload and Sharing the Mound by Dorothy H. Price & Shiane Salabie (Capstone)
Judge Kim and the Kids’ Court: The Case of the Missing Bicycles (L3) by Milo Stone, Shawn Martinbrough & Christopher Jordan (Simon Spotlight)
Mia Mayhem and The Cat Burglar (bk 12) by Kara West & Leeza Hernandez (S&S)
Wednesday and Woof: Catastrophe (bk 1); New Pup on the Block (bk 2); and The Runaway Robot (bk 3) by Sherri Winston & Gladys Jose (HarperChapters)
2022 MIDDLE GRADE
MG FIC
Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemang (orig. in Ghana) (Razorbill) GN
Booked by Kwame Alexander & Dawud Anyabwile (Clarions) GN
The Door of No Return (series) by Kwame Alexander (Little, Brown)
Cookies & Milk by Shawn Amos (Little Brown)
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist (Crown)
Talent Showdown (That Girl Lay Lay 1) by Jevon Bolden & Deandra Hodge (Scholastic)
Caprice by Coe Booth (Scholastic)
Unfadeable by Maurice Broaddus (Katherine Tegen)
Nothing Interesting Happens Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont by Nick Brooks (Union Square Kids)
The Girl in The Lake by India Hill Brown (Scholastic)
Shot Clock by Caron Butler & Justin A. Reynolds (Tegen)
Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (HarperAlley) GN
Just Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier (Versify) DEBUT
Rain Rising by Courtne Comrie (HarperCollins) DEBUT VRS
Terry’s Crew by Terry Crews & Cory Thomas (Little, Brown)
Etta Invincible by Reese Eschmann (Aladdin)
If You Read This by Kereen Getten (Delacorte)
Garvey in the Dark by Nikki Grimes (Wordsong)
Marcus Makes It Big (series 2) by Kevin Hart with Geoff Rodkey & David Cooper (Crown)
Mango All the Time (bk 3) by Fracaswell Hyman (Sterling)
When the World Turned Upside Down by K. Ibura (Scholastic)
The Lucky Ones by Linda Williams Jackson (Candlewick)
Undercover Latina by Aya de León (Candlewick)
The Big Dreams of Small Creatures by Gail Lerner (Nancy Paulsen)
In the Key of Us by Mariama Lockington (FSG) LGBTQIA+
Chester Keene Cracks the Code by Kekla Magoon (Lamb)
Holler of the Fireflies by David Barclay Moore (Knopf)
Leon the Extraordinary by Jamar Nicholas (Graphix) GN
Simon B. Rhymin’ Takes a Stand by Dwayne Reed (Little, Brown)
It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds (Scholastic)
Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Crown)
Pizza My Heart by Rhiannon Richardson (Scholastic)
A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow (Quill Tree) HRR
Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence by Sonja Thomas (Aladdin)
Ways to Share Joy (Ryan Hart 3) by Renée Watson & Nina Mata (Bloomsbury)
Girl/Friend (The Zee Files 3) by Tina Wells & ^Iliana Galvez (West Margin)
A Very Malibu Vacay (The Zee Files 4) by Tina Wells & Sharifa Patrick (West Margin)
Be Real, Macy Weaver by Lakita Wilson (Viking)
Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston (Bloomsbury)
The Kaya Girl by Mamle Wolo (Little Brown)
When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods (Nancy Paulsen)
MG HF
Crabgrass Comics by Tauhid Bondia (McMeel) HF GN
Moonwalking by Zetta Elliott (FSG) HF VRS
Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson (Little, Brown) DEBUT HF
We Were the Fire: Birmingham 1963 by Shelia P. Moses (Paulsen) HF
Lena and the Burning of Greenwood by Nikki Shannon Smith & Markia Jenai (Stone Arch) HF
Anne of West Philly (Classics Remix) by Ivy N. Weir & Myisha Haynes (Little, Brown) HF
MG SFF
Children of Stardust by Edudzi Adodo (Norton) SF
Amari and the Great Game (bk 2) by B.B. Alston (B+B) SFF
Maya and the Lord of Shadows by Rena Barron (Clarion) SFF
The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron (Bloomsbury) SFF
Ruby vs. the Robo-Bug by K. Tempest Bradford (FSG) SF
Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown (Riordan Presents) SFF
Moonflower by Kacen Callender (Scholastic 222) SFF
The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton (2022) SFF
Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas (Amulet) SFF
A Taste of Magic by J. Elle (Bloomsbury) SFF
Futureland by H.D. Hunter (Randomhouse) SFF/ADV
Umbra Tales: The Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy (Aladdin) SFF DEBUT
Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask (Intasimi Warriors 1) by Shiko Nguru (Lantana) SFF
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu (McElderry) SFF
Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by Jamar Perry (Bloomsbury) SFF
MapMaker by Lisa Moore Ramée (B+B) SFF
Miles Morales: Stranger Tides by Justin A. Reynolds & ^Pablo Leon (Scholastic) GN SFF
Uprising (Black Panther) by Ronald L Smith (Marvel) SFF
Eden’s Everdark by Karen Strong (S&S) SFF
Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traoré (Chicken House) SFF
The Show Must Go On (Honest June 2) by Tina Wells & Brittany Bond (RandomHouse) SFF
2022 YOUNG ADULT
YA FIC
Inheritance by Elizabeth Acevedo & Andrea Pippins (Quill Tree) VRS
Batter Royale by Leisl Adams (Abrams) GN
Murder of Crows (Lethal Lit 1) by K. Ancrum (Scholastic) MYS
I Rise by Marie Arnold (HarperCollins)
Dandelion Travels by Angel Barber (West 44) DEBUT LGBTQIA+
The Chosen One by Echo Brown (Ottaviano)
Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L Browne (Crown) VRS
Lark and Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender (Abrams) LGBTQIA+
Aquarian Dawn by Ebele Chizea (Three Rooms)
The Rumor Game by Dhonielle Clayton & ^Sona Charaipotra (Disney) MYS
Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nicola Yoon (Quill Tree)
Buckhead by Shobo Coker & *George Kambadais (BOOM!BOX) GN
Until We Break by Matthew Dawkins (Wattpad) DEBUT
The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad by Natasha Deen (Running Press)
Snitchers by Stephane Dunn (Cinco Punto)
Other Side of the Tracks by Charity Elyse (Millner) DEBUT
How to Live Without You by Sarah Everett (Clarion)
The Getaway by Lamar Giles (Scholastic) HRR
Monarch Rising by Harper Glenn (Scholastic)
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney (HarperTeen)
Even When Your Voice Shakes by Ruby Yayra Goka (Norton)
The Black Girls Left Standing by Juliana Goodman (Feiwel)
Trigger by N. Griffin (Dlouhy)
We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds (Roaring Brook) DEBUT LGBTQIA+
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson (Tegen)
This is My America by Kim Johnson (Ember) DEBUT
By the Time You Read This I’ll be Gone (Murder, She Wrote 1) by Stephanie Kuehn (Scholastic) MYS
We Weren’t Looking to Be Found by Stephanie Kuehn (Hyperion)
Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman by Kristen R. Lee (Crown) DEBUT
The Undead Truth of Us by Britney S. Lewis (Disney) DEBUT
Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow (Dutton)
Twice As Perfect by Louisa Onome (Feiwel)
How You Grow Wings by Rimma Onoseta (Algonquin) DEBUT
Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins (Disney) DEBUT
We Are the Scribes by Randi Pink (Feiwel)
Ain’t Burned All Bright by Jason Reynolds & *Jason Griffin (Atheneum)
A Girl’s Guide to Love & Magic by Debbie Rigaud (Scholastic)
Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser & Robyn Smith (Chronicle) GN
You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen (Inkyard)
Turning by Joy L. Smith (Millner) DEBUT
Seton Girls by Charlene Thomas (Dutton) DEBUT
Kings of B’more by R. Eric Thomas (Kokila) LGBTQIA+
Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado (Sourcebooks) HRR DEBUT
Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters (Viking) LGBTQIA+
Nothing Burns As Bright As You by Ashley Woodfolk (Versify) LGBTQIA+ VRS
YA HF
The Deep Blue Between by Ayesha Harruna Attah (Carolrhoda Lab) HF
And We Rise by Erica Martin (Philomel) HF VRS
Kemosha of the Caribbean by Alex Wheatle (Black Sheep) HF
YA ROM
Only On the Weekends by Dean Atta (Hachette) VRS LGBTQIA+ ROM
One True Loves (Happily Ever Afters 2) by Elise M Bryant (B+B) ROM
Love Times Infinity by Lane Clarke (Little Brown) DEBUT ROM
That Summer Night on Frenchmen Street by Chris Clarkson (Tu)
Somebody That I Used to Know by Dana L. Davis (Skyscape) ROM
Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest (Kokila) ROM
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle (S&S) DEBUT ROM
Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe (Crown) DEBUT ROM
The Frenemy Zone by Yolanda Wallace (Bold Strokes) LGBTQIA+ ROM
YA SFF
In Every Generation by Kendare Blake (Disney-Hyperion) SFF
This Poison Heart (bk1) by Kalynn Brown (Bloomsbury) SFF
The Mirror Shattered Midnight (mirror 2) by Dhonielle Clayton (Disney) HF/F
Bloodmarked (Legendborn 2) by Tracy Deonn (McElderry) SFF
The Kindred by Alechia Dow (Inkyard) SFF/ROM
The Sevenfold by Rose Egal (Page Street) DEBUT SFF
Ashes of Gold (Wings of Ebony) by J. Elle (Millner/S&S) SFF
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi (Knopf) SFF
Blood Scion (#1) by Deborah Falaye (HarperTeen) SFF
Oblivion Rouge (Saturday AM) by Pap Souleye Fall (Rockport) SF GN
The Merciless Ones (Deathless 2) by Namina Forna (Delacorte) SFF
Beasts of Ruin by Ayana Gray (Putnam) SFF
Beneath the Burning Wave (Mu Chronicles 1) by Jennifer Hayashi Danns (One More Chapter) SFF
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson (Ace) LGBTQIA+ SFF
Love in the Age of Dragons by Fatima R. Henson (Sparkpress) SFF
Break this House by Candice Iloh (Dutton) VRS
Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland (B+B) HF/F
The Witchery by S. Isabelle (Scholastic) SFF
Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson (Sourcebooks Fire) SFF
Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams (Little Brown) HF/F
Apple Black (vol 2) by Odunze Oguguo (Rockport) SFF MANGA
Akata Woman (Nsibidi Scripts 3) by Nnedi Okorafor (Viking) SFF
Almost There (Twisted Tale) by Farrah Rochon (Disney-Hyperion) SFF
Blood Like Fate (Blood Like Magic 2) by Liselle Sambury (McElderry) SFF
Empress Crowned in Red (Witches Steeped in Gold 2) by Ciannon Smart (HarperTeen) SFF
Symbiosis (Shuri 3) by Nic Stone (Scholastic) SFF
Blood to Poison by Mary Watson (Bloomsbury) SFF
Okoye to the People (A Black Panther Novel) by Ibi Zoboi & Noa Denman (Marvel)
The Older Crowd 2022
FIC
Jackal by Erin E. Adams (Bantam) MYS
Black Girls Must Be Magic (bk 2) by Jayne Allen (Harper Perennial)
Something Bright and Burning by Whitney Amazeen (Swan Pages)
They Come at Knight (Nena Knight 2) by Yasmin Angoe (Thomas & Mercer) THR
New to Liberty by DeMisty D. Bellinger (Unnamed 2022)
Hope and Glory by Jendella Benson (William Morrow)
Nobody’s Magic by Destiny O. Birdsong (Grand Central)
Don’t Cry for Me by Daniel Black (Hanover Square) LGBTQIA+
The Selfless Act of Breathing by J.J. Bola (Atria)
Hold You Down by Tracy Brown (St. Martins)
Running to Fall by Alisha Buckhanon (Aalbc Aspire)
Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder (Baker Street Mystery 1) by Valerie Burns (Kensington) MYS
People Person by Candice Carty-Williams (Gallery)
Soul of a Killer (Books & Biscuits 2) by Abby Collette (Berkley) MYS
A Killer Sundae (Ice Cream Parlor Mystery 3) by Abby Collette (Berkley) MYS
Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith (Grand Central)
Everything Abridged: stories by Dennard Dayle (Overlook) SS
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery (FSG) SS DEBUT
Dr. No by Percival Everett (Graywolf)
Stories from the Tenants by Sidik Fofana (Scribner) DEBUT SS
Boys Come First by Aaron Foley (Belt) LGBTQIA+
Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah (Riverhead)
A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times: Stories by Meron Hadero (Restless)
Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta by James Hannaham (Little, Brown)
What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris (Tiny Reparations)
I Am Ayah: The Way Home by Donna Hill (Sideways)
The Last Suspicious Holdout: stories by Ladee Hubbard (Amistad)
God’s Children Are Little Broken Things: stories by Arinze Ifeakandu (Public Space) DEBUT LGBTQIA+ SS
Where We End & Begin by Jane Igharo (Berkley) ROM
The Islands: Stories by Dionne Irving (Catapult) SS
None But the Righteous by Chantal James (Counterpoint)
Desire Lines by Cary Alan Johnson (Querelle) LGBTQIA+
Post-traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson (Little, Brown) DEBUT
The Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones (Beacon)
Song for Almeyda and Song for Anninho by Gayl Jones (Beacon)
Promise Broken by K’wan (Blackstone) THR
Soul Sisters by Lesley Lokko (Macmillan UK)
Wahala by Nikki May (Custom House) DEB
An Olive Grove in Ends by Moses McKenzie (Little, Brown) DEBUT
Our Gen by Diane McKinney-Whetstone (Amistad)
Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris (William Morrow)
Recitatif by Toni Morrison (Knopf) SS
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley (Knopf) DEBUT
If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noon Naga (Graywolf)
Now Lila Knows by Elizabeth Nunez (Akashic)
Someday Maybe by Onyi Nwabinelli (Graydon) DEBUT
Dele Weds Destiny by Tomi Obaro (Knopf) DEBUT
Things They Lost by Okwiri Oduor (Scribner)
Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions: A Novel of Interlocking Stories by Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi (Amistad) SS
Harry Sylvester Bird by Chinelo Okparanta (Mariner)
Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde (Riverhead)
A Quiet Teacher by Adam Oyebanji (Severn) MYS
The Confessions of Matthew Strong by Ousmane K. Power-Greene (Other Press)
The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson (Sourcebooks)
The Furrows by Namwali Serpell (Hogarth)
On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton (Ecco)
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow (Dial) DEBUT MYS
Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan (Liveright) DEBUT
Mother Country by Jacinda Townsend (Graywolf)
Jade is a Twisted Green by Tanya Turton (Rare Machines)
After the Lights Go Out by John Vercher (Soho)
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell (Pantheon) DEBUT
The Intangible by C.J. Washington (Little A)
A Fatal Glow (Odessa Jones 2) by Valerie Wilson Wesley (Kensington) MYS
The Wife Before by Shanora Williams (Kensington) THR
Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe (William Morrow) DEBUT
HF
Harlem Sunset (bk 2) by Nekesa Afia (Berkley) LGBTQIA+ HF/MYS
Carolina Built by Kianna Alexander (Gallery) HF
Yonder by Jabari Asim (S&S) HF
The Scent of Burnt Flowers by Blitz Bazawule (Ballantine) HF
The White Girl by Tony Birch (HarperVia) HF THR
In the Face of the Sun by Denny S. Bryce (Kensington) HF
The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud (Amistad) HF
Greenland by David Santos Donaldson (Amistad) LGBTQIA+ HF DEBUT
Black Cloud Rising by David Wright Faladé (Grove) HF
Scattered Seed by Francine Thomas Howard (Lake Union) HF
Patience Is a Subtle Thief by Abi Ishola-Ayodeji (Harpervia) HF
The Light Always Breaks by Angela Jackson-Brown (Harper Muse) HF
The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr (Coach House) LGBTQIA+ HF
My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson (Flatiron) LGBTQIA+ HF
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Berkley) HF
A Duke, The Spy, An Artist, and A Lie (Rogues & Remarkable Women 3) by by Vanessa Riley (Zebra) HF/MYS
Murder in Westminster by Vanessa Riley (Kensington) HF/MYS
Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley (William Morrow) HF
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey (Knopf) HF
The Violin Conspiracy by Brandan Slocumb (Anchor) DEBUT HF
The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West (Park Row) HF
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (Ballantine) HF
Things Past Telling by Sheila Williams (Amistad) HF
The Last Dreamwalker by Rita Woods (Forge) HF
ROM
Can’t Resist Her by Kianna Alexander (Montlake) LGBTQIA+ ROM
Sweeter than Honey by Joy Avery (Montlake) ROM
Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola (William Morrow) ROM
A Ghost in Shining Armor by Therese Beharrie (Zebra) ROM
Yinka, Where is Your Huzband by Lizzie Domilola Blackburn (Viking) ROM
Digging Up Love by Chandra Blumberg (Montlake) DEBUT ROM
An Extraordinary Union (Loyal League 1) by Alyssa Cole (Kensington) HF/ROM
Good Morning, Love by Ashley M Coleman (S&S) DEB ROM
Business Not as Usual by Sharon C. Cooper (Berkley) ROM-COM
You Made a Fool Out of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi (Atria 2022) ROM
By the Book by Jasmine Guillory (Hyperion Avenue) ROM
Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory (Berkley) ROM
Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard (Forever) HF/ROM
The Accidental Pinup by Danielle Jackson (Berkley) ROM
A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson (Berkley) LGBTQIA+ ROM
I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson (Berkley) LGBTQIA+ ROM
To Catch a Raven (Women Who Dare 3) by Beverly Jenkins (Avon) ROM
The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann (Berkley) LGBTQIA+ ROM
Long Past Summer by Noué Kirwan (HQN) ROM
Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man by Laquette (St.Martins) ROM/COM
American Royalty by Tracey Livesay (Avon) ROM
Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin (Berkley) ROM
Aphrodite and the Duke by J.J. McAvoy (Dell) ROM
On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi (Avon) ROM
Never Cross a Highlander (Shadow Lairds 1) by Lisa Rayne (Entangled) HF/ROM
Nobody’s Princess (Wild Wynchesters 3) by Erica Ridley (Forever) HF/ROM
Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson (Sourcebooks) ROM
The Hookup Plan (Boyfriend Project 3) by Farrah Rochon (Forever) ROM
Before I Let Go (Skyland 1) by Kennedy Ryan (Forever) ROM
Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley (St. Martins) ROM
Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams (Berkley) ROM
A Sweet Lowcountry Proposal by Preslaysa Williams (Avon) ROM
SFF
When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo (Doubleday) DEBUT SFF/ROM
Sweep of Stars (Astra Black 1) by Maurice Broaddus (Tor) SFF
The Blood Trials (Blood Gift Duology 1) by N.E.Davenport (HarperVoyager) SFF
The Final Strife (Bk 1) by Saara El-Arifi (Del Rey) SFF LGBTQIA+ DEBUT
Redwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston (Tor) HF/F
Will Do Magic for Small Change by Andrea Hairston (Tor) SFF
Moon Witch Spider King (Dark Star 2) by Marlon James (Riverhead) LGBTQIA SFF
The World We Make (Great Cities 2) by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit) SFF
The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings (Redhook) DEBUT SFF
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (Tor) SFF
Councilor by L.E. Modesitt Jr. (Tor) SFF
The Memory Librarian: and Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe (Harper Voyager) LGBTQIA+ SFF
Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi (Tor) SFF
Savage City by L. Penelope (Heartspell) SFF
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope (Orbit)
Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk (Tor) LGBTQIA+ SFF
Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction ed. by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki & Zelda Knight (Tor)
The Legacy of Molly Southbourne (bk 3) by Tade Thompson (Tor) SFF
leslie d. 