It’s May and that means Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is here! I’ve curated a fun list of 31 ✨new✨ ANHPI titles that our family loves so get ready to put those library holds requests in and perhaps add a few favorites to your own home or classroom library.

Neurodivergent folks are not tragedies. We aren’t burdens. We don’t need to be “cured”. When government leaders loudly and ignorantly pathologize normal human diversity, it causes lasting harm to everyone in a free society. Autistic + ND people should be celebrated and supported. Period.

United by themes of food, Palestinian culture and connection these 2 books are beautiful examples of how joy, hope and community as resistance. Hilwa’s Gift by Safa Suleiman+Anait Semirdzhyan Mariam’s Dream: The Story of Mariam Al-Shaar and Her Food Truck of Hope by Leila Boukarim+Sona Avedikian

Take a look at this graphic - each one of these picture books was the subject of a *new* book ban during the 2023-2024 school year (you can find the full index on PEN America’s website). What do you notice about these titles? Whose voices and stories are being censored by removing these books?

It’s Arab-American Heritage Month which makes it the perfect time to check your shelves to make sure you have tons of wonderful stories that uplift Arab and Arab-American stories and creators. Check out this list for some new titles you can add to your home, classroom, library or learning space!

March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility and today I am sharing 9 books that make transgender and queer history visible and accessible to young readers. Today and every day, every person deserves to be seen, loved and welcomed for who they are and who they were born to be.

Happy International Women’s Day - the perfect reminder that we should be celebrating, uplifting and fighting for ALL women all year long! Here are 30 diverse picture books all about women making HER-story that are totally worth checking out.

As caregivers and educators we have the responsibility + privilege to raise up young people who will resist injustice + oppression. Parenting can be resistance. Education can be resistance. Reading can be resistance. Here are 20 children’s books we love featuring diverse forms of resistance. ✊🏻

Everyone deserves access to diverse and inclusive books, but unfortunately many children don’t have access at home, at school or in community. One of the most rewarding parts of being a KidLit creator is that I have so many books to share with my community. Where do you like to share books?

Did you know that February is Body Acceptance Month? One of the ways I try to encourage my kids to be in healthy relationship with their bodies is through books. All of these books are loved and read often in our home - we hope you love them too!

Happy Love Day! I am thrilled to be able to share a beautiful new book that shows how love thrives best within community and how in small ways we can cultivate great love. This one isn’t just a Valentine’s Day book - it’s an uplifting and heart affirming message for all year long.

With many folks talking about love this month, we’ve been trying to center stories about kindness and love in action. This anthology centers true stories of kindness - of allyship in the face of persecution, of empathy in the aftermath of disaster and hardship and kindness as a form of activism.

When you learned Black history in school (if you were lucky to learn any) where did it usually begin? For many Black Americans their history actually begins in Africa (and science tells us that the history of all humankind likely begins there as well). Here are 12 fantastic titles set in Africa.

Conversations about race + identity don’t need to be divisive; they can be a catalyst for connection and appreciation while providing opportunities to grow + expand perspective. I See Color, is a challenge to the phrase, “I don’t see color”, + also joyful celebration of the beauty of diversity.

QUEER FOLKS HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED AND QUEER FOLKS WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST - no matter what small-minded politicians say. You cannot legislate someone’s identity and you cannot legislate who someone loves. What this legislation does do is HARM people. Here are some favorite LGBTQ+ affirming books. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

With so much confusion being intentionally created around words like DEI + antiracism right now, I thought it might be helpful to assemble a collection of anti-racist titles for all ages. These books are all designed to encourage learning, discussion, reflection and ACTION.

3 years. 1,405 posts. 11.6k book loving followers. Countless books read. Hundreds and hundreds of books gifted to my community (and some to your homes and classrooms too!) One full heart (and many full bookshelves). Celebrating 3 years of this work today and feeling oh so grateful. ❤️📚

As a follow up to yesterday’s 28 Days of Black history, I wanted to share 28 Days of Black stories that were crafted by Black creators to highlight stories of Black JOY, experiences, community, culture and family. In the face of oppression, all of these things are powerful acts of resistance.

It’s officially Black History Month and I’ve updated my 28 Days of Black History in Picture Books with so many incredible new books! Check the comments for a list of titles and be sure to check back tomorrow for 28 Days of Black Stories.

It’s Day 538 of January and I think perhaps we may FINALLY be on the cusp of a new month. (Thank goodness, right?) Feels like the time to share a book from indie pub Curious Bird that has major vintage vibes and introduces readers to the months in 4 languages - English, Spanish, French and German.

No matter what any politician says, February is and will always be Black History Month! Here’s your reminder that there is still time to request those BHM titles at your library. Check the comments to see the titles of some books we have borrowed to check out next month.

Looking for a great LNY read? This is one of our new faves! Written and illustrated by a talented trio of Vietnamese creators, Mai’s Áo Dài is a marvelous new Own Voices picture book perfect for conversations about family, traditions, holidays, self-expression and Vietnamese culture.

“In a time in which books about Black histories are being banned from schools and educators are fighting to ensure that standards and curricula are representative and inclusive, teaching Black history will not always be popular. But teaching Black history is both necessary and beautiful work.” -DMJ

Read. Read books. Reading books is resistance. Buy. Buy books. Buying books is resistance. Share. Share books. Sharing books is resistance. Celebrate Celebrate books. Celebrating books is resistance.

Here are 2 collections of picture books that share diverse stories of immigration and refugee experiences. They are a beautiful reminder that immigrants are simply people who have come here for a multitude of reasons, bringing with them so much that enriches our communities and this country.

While I usually share KidLit, this week I shared four books that helping to give me hope right now. Definitely check out Democracy in Retrograde, How We Show Up, The Serviceberry and The Revolution Will Be Well Fed. All of them emphasize community, connection and using your own skills to make change

Oh hey there! You may know me from my little corner of IG - Readingwithredandthemagpie - but if you don’t, I’m Kristin and I read, review and incessantly talk about diverse and inclusive children’s books. 👋🏻