Today, the Brown Bookshelf is thrilled to celebrate the release of Desiree Cooper’s NOTHING SPECIAL, her picture book debut! “Nothing Special is…about a Detroit boy named Jax, who travels to Virginia to spend time with his grandparents. He thinks he’s going to do all the city things he loves, but his PopPop has other ideas,” [ Read the full article… ]
Category: General
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… ]
Generations Book Club: Let’s Celebrate Food, Family, and Culture
I live in Austin, Texas; my family is spread out all over the country. Due to Covid-19, it’s been two long years since we’ve been able to gather. I miss family reunion barbecues and soul food Sundays. I miss family Kwanzaa celebrations observed during the week following Christmas. And I miss the feasts my mother-in-law [ 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… ]
Generations Book Club: The Gift of Truth
“We are at a crossroads, trying to figure out what’s next, and in order to get to the other side, we have to wade in the water.” -Kwame Alexander In some of the current conversations on limiting access to books, censorship, and outright bans, even the “nice people” worry and wonder that our young people [ Read the full article… ]
WE CAN: Portraits of Power by Tyler Gordon
“When I was born, the doctors told my mom that if I did survive I would have lots of health problems and be blind, deaf and severely mentally delayed . . . Boy were they wrong!” —Tyler Gordon Fifteen-year-old Tyler Gordon has had a lot to manage in his young life. He is partially deaf [ 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… ]