Books for tweens from Black authors and illustrators | Multcolib KidsLike this list

20 items

• All the Blues in the Sky

  Watson, Renée,

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  The 2026 Newbery Award winner from Portland, Oregon author Renée Watson! When thirteen-year-old Sage's best friend dies, Sage struggles with grief and feels that she is at fault, but when she joins a grief group, she slowly learns to heal.

• Will's Race for Home

  a Western

  Rhodes, Jewell Parker,

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  During the land rush of 1889, African American Will and his father journey from Texas to Oklahoma, racing thousands of others to stake their claim.

• Freewater

  Luqman-Dawson, Amina,

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  After fleeing the plantation where they were enslaved, siblings Ada and Homer discover the secret community of Freewater, and work with freeborn Sanzi to protect their new home from the encroaching dangers of the outside world.

• Twins

  Johnson, Varian,

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  Maureen and Francine are twins and best friends. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran -- a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sword of the Champion

  Lide, Eric,

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  Orin, an ordinary boy, discovers he is the reincarnation of a great hero and is destined to defeat the Fiendlord, but keeps befriending the Fiends he is meant to destroy.

• One Big Open Sky

  Cline-Ransome, Lesa,

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  "In the 1870s, a Black family undertakes a perilous wagon journey westward for a tenuous shot at freedom in Nebraska."

• New in Town

  Miller, Sharee (Illustrator),

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  Even though 12-year-old Charlie is used to starting over as the new kid--thanks to her military family's constant moving--making friends has never been easy for her. But this time, her first impression needs to last, since this is where her family…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Kwame Crashes the Underworld

  Farmer, Craig Kofi,

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  "Twelve-year-old Kwame Powell isn't ready to deal with losing his grandmother, even as he and his family head to Ghana for her celebration of life. He's definitely not ready when he's sucked into a magical whirlpool that leads straight to Asamando,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• King and the Dragonflies

  Callender, Kacen,

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  King is sure that his brother, Khalid, has turned into a dragonfly after he unexpectedly passed away. Khalid still visits in dreams, a secret King must keep to himself--that, and the fact that he might be gay. As King watches grief transform his…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Swim Team

  Christmas, Johnnie,

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  Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees -- until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule: the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Boy 2.0

  Baptiste, Tracey,

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  When thirteen-year-old African American Coal discovers he can turn invisible, he searches for answers about his past with the help of his friends and his new foster family.

• Chester Keene Cracks the Code

  Magoon, Kekla,

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  Eleven-year-old Chester and his classmate Skye, tasked with a complex puzzle-solving mission, discover the key to their spy assignment is to stop a heist, but cracking the code could mean finding out things are not always what they seem.

• Remember Us

  Woodson, Jacqueline,

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  The summer before 7th grade, house after house burns down and Sage's neighborhood gets referred to as "The Matchbox" in the local newspaper. She prefers to spend her time shooting hoops with the guys, while also trying to figure out her place inside…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Space Chasers

  Melvin, Leland, 1964-

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  Tia never thought she'd pass the test for an exclusive NASA program for middle schoolers, After all, she's been skipping school most days to work at her brother's auto shop instead. But before she knows it, she's part of a team of other talented…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Rhythm of Time

  Questlove,

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  After accidentally traveling back in time and rewriting the future, twelve-year-old best friends Rahim and Kasia must work together to restore their timeline.

• Stuntboy, In-between Time

  Reynolds, Jason,

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  Portico Reeves is the greatest superhero a lot of people have never heard of. He likes it that way - no one can get in the way of him from keeping other other people safe. Except. He couldn't save his parents from becoming Xs. His parents living on…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Not An Easy Win

  Giles, Chrystal D.,

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  Nothing has gone right for twelve-year-old year old Lawrence since his Pop went away, but after getting expelled from school for fighting, he discovers the world of chess and things begin to change.

• Korobá. 1, The Case of the Missing Kolo

  Onajin, Alaba,

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  "Set in Makoko the Nigerian fishing village, ten-year-old Korobá helps her friend find who stole her wooden piggy bank before the annual harvest festival."

• Black Girl Power

  15 Stories Celebrating Black Girlhood

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  "From fifteen legendary Black female authors comes a collection of stories and poems about the power we find in the everyday and the beauty of Black girlhood."

• Black Boy Joy

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  From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.