Given the release of “42,” the story of how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, we feature a couple of books about the legendary star and others. Jackie Robinson: American Hero, written by Sharon Robinson (Scholastic, 2013; ages 7 and up). In this comprehensive biography, Sharon Robinson introduces a new generation of readers [ Read the full article… ]

Today is a special day at BBS. Team member Crystal Allen’s latest novel, The Laura Line (Balzer & Bray) made its debut. We’re so proud of Crystal and excited about her new book. Don’t you just love the cover? Check out the awesome book trailer here . Crystal’s first middle-grade novel, How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a [ Read the full article… ]

Didn’t We Have Fun! Written by Hilda Robinson and Jeff Kunkel Featuring paintings by Hilda Robinson Published by Crickhollow Books First off, I enjoyed everything about this book — its poetic prose, its vibrant art, its aura of a down-home African American culture gone by. The book captured it all so perfectly. Didn’t We Have [ Read the full article… ]

BBS member Tameka Fryer Brown is on a virtual tour for her delightful picture book with Shane W. Evans, My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood (Viking, 2013). Today’s stop is right here. Please join us as we learn more about her new book, favorite colors and love of crayons. What inspired My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood? [ Read the full article… ]

Break out the streamers and confetti! It’s party time at BBS. Today is the birthday of the second picture book by our own Tameka Fryer Brown. Her wonderful new title, My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood (Viking, 2013), illustrated by Shane W. Evans, is officially here. Yay! Already the book is winning accolades. Here’s what Publishers Weekly [ Read the full article… ]

Stereotypes.  Caricatures.  That’s the face of black men children see in the media far too often. That’s if they see them at all. In 1953, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man won the National Book Award. But in many ways, even with our nation being led by an African-American president, recurrent positive images of black men are still missing from literature [ Read the full article… ]

In just a few days, the African American Children’s Book Fair will celebrate its 21st anniversary. Founded by literary publicist and advocate Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati, the important festival has grown from a small event at a local department store in Philadelphia to one of the oldest and largest African-American children’s book fairs in the country. Each [ Read the full article… ]

Yesterday The American Library Association announced its 2013 book award winners, which left us at the Brown Bookshelf happy dancing all over the place. Ellen’s Broom, written by Kelly Starling Lyons, one of the Brown Bookshelf’s founding members, received a Coretta Scott King Illustration Honor. Daniel Minter, featured next month during our 2013 28 Days Later campaign, [ Read the full article… ]