Looking for outstanding children’s books featuring Black boys? Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati has you covered. Check out her guest post and list. From board books to young adult novels, she gives us wonderful titles by Black authors to read and share. By Vanesse J. Lloyd-Sgambati, Founder of The African American Children’s Project In 2022, books [ Read the full article… ]
Author: Kelly Starling Lyons


Why Juneteenth Matters
Last year, our friend Torrey Maldonado came up with a great idea – helping kids understand what Juneteenth means by sharing the reflections of Black children’s book creators. We’re thrilled that he’s back showcasing even more voices. The first federal holiday created since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery. [ Read the full article… ]

Congratulations to the 15th Class of 28 Days Later Honorees!
It’s our favorite time of year! We are proud to announce the honorees of our 15th annual 28 Days Later campaign, a Black History Month celebration of outstanding Black children’s book creators. Each day during February, we will showcase an author or illustrator whose work reflects parts of who we are. It’s more important than [ Read the full article… ]

The African American Children’s Book Project’s Best Picture Books of 2021
Looking for outstanding picture books by Black creators? Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati, founder of the African American Children’s Book Project, shared her best picture books of 2021. All are available for purchase at her Bookshop site, The Literary Cafe. Save the date for the 30th Annual African American Children’s Book Fair – Saturday, February 5 from 10 [ Read the full article… ]

Roundtable Resource List
Resource List The Brown Bookshelf is designed to raise awareness of the many Black voices writing for young readers. Our signature campaign is 28 Days Later, a Black History Month celebration of outstanding Black creators. Just Us Books (read our Q&A with founders Cheryl and Wade Hudson here, and watch Just [ Read the full article… ]

Generations Book Club: Celebrating Afro-Latinx Creators
Welcome back to Generations Book Club! Our new list celebrates books by Afro-Latinx creators. From picture books to middle-grade, YA to adult, we have great reads for everyone in the family. If you’d like to purchase copies of any of our picks, click on the covers below. Our mission for Generations is to raise awareness [ Read the full article… ]

Cover Reveal: Kwame Nkrumah’s Midnight Speech for Independence
We are delighted to host the cover reveal for an amazing forthcoming picture book from Just Us Books. Written by Useni Eugene Perkins and illustrated by Laura Freeman, Kwame Nkrumah’s Midnight Speech for Independence “shares the story of Nkrumah’s declaration of Ghana’s independence and the tremendous history that led to that celebrated moment.” Award-winning creators [ Read the full article… ]

Juneteenth – Literary Freedom
Happy Juneteenth! As we celebrate Freedom Day, let’s support Black bookstores and creators. Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati, founder of the African American Children’s Book Project, is offering hundreds of titles in The Literary Cafe – Books & Events store. From board books through YA, she has curated a list to build home, school and library collections. Read [ Read the full article… ]