Yo, Jo! ~ Rachel Isadora
This book is about Jomar and his brother and the different slang sayings they use with their friends in the neighborhood. Even grandpa chimes in with a bit of slang.
Boys
Sam and the Tigers ~ Julius Lester
A retelling of one of the most controversial books in children’s literature (Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman), Sam and the Tigers is about a boy living in a place where all the people were named Sam and they lived and worked alongside the animals “like they didn’t know they weren’t supposed to.”
I Got Next ~ Daria Peoples-Riley
It’s game day and it’s time to put your game face on! While this is a basketball story, it is so much more! It encourages the reader to not quit; to never give up, even if the odds are stacked against you!
I Am Perfectly Designed ~ Karamo Brown
Through a conversation between father and son, this book encourages readers to love themselves and know that they are perfectly designed.
Look for Ladybugs ~ Dana Meachen Rau
This is a wonderful Rookie Reader book that focuses on prepositional phrases. A young boy searches all over looking for ladybugs with his magnifying glass.
The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read ~ Curtis Manley
Nick wants to share his love of reading with his feline friends. However, he decides that the best way to teach his cats to read is to discover what they are interested in!
A Beginner’s Guide to Bear Spotting ~ Michelle Robinson
This is a cute little story about a boy trying to provide field notes in his memo book about the dangers of black and brown bears...unless of course you have a stuffed teddy bear.
Twins ~ Mike Ciccotello
This is a fun book about an unlikely set of twins. As the mother of two sets of twin boys, I can appreciate the similarities and differences found in twins!
Water, Water ~ Eloise Greenfield
A young boy interacts with water throughout this cute, rhyming story. A fishbowl. Rain. Oceans. A wading pool. Waterfalls and more!
Have You Seen Elephant? ~ David Barrow
This is about a cute little boys and his imaginary friends elephant and turtle. He plays hide and seek with elephant, who is surprisingly very good at it!
Thinker ~ Eloise Greenfield
This is a fun collection of poems written by a boy, Jace, and his "talking" dog named Thinker.
The Soccer Fence ~ Phil Bildner
Hector watched from outside the fence as the white boys played soccer. Separated by the rules of apartheid, Hector did not play soccer with the boys on the other side of the fence until years later after apartheid had crumbled and Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa.
Galimoto ~ Karen Lynn Williams
Galimoto, which means "car" in the language of Malawi, is also the name for a push toy made by children. Kondi went around his African village in search of wires to make a galimoto.
Ron’s Big Mission ~ Rose Blue and Corinne Naden
A fictionalized account of a real incident one summer day in 1959, this story recounts the day that Ron McNair, a nine year old boy, stood up for what he thought was right.
Amadi’s Snowman ~ Katia Novet Saint-Lot
Amadi does not understand why his mother insists on him learning to read. But, once he questions another boy (who can read) about his book with the strange white animal with a carrot nose, he realizes the value and benefits of being able to read.
Poppa’s Itchy Christmas ~ Angela Shelf Medearis
George is disappointed when he and his Poppa both receive long, bright scarves and itchy red underwear for Christmas.
The Day I Saw My Father Cry ~ Bill Cosby
Little Bill's new neighbor, Mr. Mills, teaches everyone an ingenious way to cool out and stop fighting and arguing. When Mr. Mills dies of a heart attack, Little Bill questions how someone with such a kind heart could have a heart attack.
Every Little Thing ~ Cedella Marley
Based on Bob Marley's song "Three Little Birds," this adaption is so inspiring and cheerful! The bright, vivid colors and the adorable young boy remind me not to worry about a thing, "cause every little thing is gonna be all right."
Yesterday I Had the Blues ~ Jeron Ashford Frame
In this bold, vivid story, a young boy expresses the different emotions and moods that he and his family experience in terms of colors; from the "deep down in my shoes" blues to the "runnin' my hands along the hedges" greens.
The Snowy Day ~ Ezra Jack Keats
My kids LOVED this story! It is about a little boy named Peter who wakes up to a winter wonderland. You get to follow him through his day as he explores and plays in the snow.