Check out these diverse titles releasing in March!
Here at Richland Library we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that celebrates and respects our differences and unique learning styles. Each month a blog post will go live that showcases forthcoming diverse youth titles that have been purchased by the library. From differences in race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability and more, these titles are great reads for the entire family.
Be sure to check out the 5 titles that I'm most excited for in the slideshow below as well as the curated list of releases at the bottom of this post.
Enjoy!
A Dupatta Is...
Published in 2023
"A lyrical and charming picture book celebrating the dupatta, a traditional shawl worn in South Asian cultures"-- Provided by publisher.
A Spoonful of Time
Published in 2023
"Maya discovers stories and secrets from her family's past in Korea as her grandmother teaches her to cook and about their family's ability to time travel into memories via food"-- Provided by publisher.
How to Write a Poem
Published in 2023
"From this first stanza, readers are invited to pay attention--and to see that paying attention itself is poetry. Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido's playful text and Melissa Sweet's dynamic, inventive artwork are paired together to encourage readers to listen, feel, and discover the words that dance in the world around them--poems just waiting to be written down."-- Provided by publisher.
Promises Stronger Than Darkness
Published in 2023
With only a ragtag band of misfits, crewmates, earthlings, friends, lovers--and one annoying frenemy--the Unstoppable Crew are up against the universe, and in order to survive, they may have to cross a once forbidden line.
The Making of Yolanda La Bruja
Published in 2023
The Carpet
An Afghan Family Story
Published in 2023
A day in the life of an Afghan refugee child and their family, where every moment revolves around love, family, and the carpet that connects them to home.
Mermaid and Pirate
Published in 2022
"An encounter between a brown mermaid and pirate launches a humorous tale of friendship that shows how kindness and empathy go beyond words."-- Provided by publisher.
Master of Souls
Published in 2023
Blood Debts
Published in 2023
Sixteen-year-old twins Clement and Cristina feel lost after their father's death, but find a new sense of purpose as they work to quell the rising tensions between New Orleans's magic and non-magic communities and find out who cursed their mother.
Sari-sari Summers
Published in 2023
I'm Still Here
Adapted for Young Readers
Published in 2023
"An adaptation of the powerful, New York Times bestselling account of growing up Black and female in America, completely rewritten with new stories for young readers. Austin Channing Brown's first encounter with race in America came at age seven, when shediscovered her parents named her Austin to trick future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools and churches, Austin writes, "I had to learn what it means to love blackness," a journey that led to a lifetime spent navigating America's racial divide as a writer, speaker, and expert helping organizations practice genuine inclusion. For students navigating a time of racial hostility, and for the adults and educators who care for them, I'm Still Here is an empoweringlook at the experiences of young Black women, inviting the reader to confront apathy, recognize the work each of us is called to do, and discover how Blackness--if we let it--can save us all"-- Provided by publisher.
The Yellow ℓo Dỉ
Published in 2023
Viva Lola Espinoza
Published in 2023
Ketanji Brown Jackson
A Justice for All
Published in 2023
"Discover the incredible story of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who followed her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer and eventually became the first Black woman to sit on the US Supreme Court in this picture book biography."-- Provided by publisher.
A Girl Can Build Anything
Published in 2023
This Delicious Death
Published in 2023
If I See You Again Tomorrow
Published in 2023
Clark is stuck in a time loop that is endlessly monotonous until he meets Beau, the boy of his dreams.
School Trip
Published in 2023
Who Will Win?
Published in 2023
Borderless
Published in 2023
Caught in the cross hairs of gang violence, seventeen-year-old fashion designer, Maya, and her mother set off on a perilous journey from Guatemala City to the US-Mexico border.
Forget Me Not
Published in 2023
Fifteen-year-old Stevie and Nora's plan to abandon their conservative small town for California so they can be together is shattered when a terrible fall steals every trace of Stevie's relationship with Nora from her memory.
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
Published in 2023
The Lake House
Published in 2023
Wings in the Wild
Published in 2023
When a hurricane exposes Soleida's family's secret sculpture garden, the Cuban government arrests her artist parents, forcing her to escape alone to Central America where she meets Dariel, a Cuban American boy, and together they work to protect the environment and bring attention to the imprisoned artists in Cuba.
Alondra
Published in 2023
"Seventeen-year-old Alonda finds friendship, fame, and love on the streets of Coney Island when she befriends a group of teen wrestlers"-- Provided by publisher.
Promposal
Published in 2023
First Year Orientation
Published in 2023
Throwback
Published in 2023
I Kick and I Fly
Published in 2023
Hurry Kate, or You'll Be Late!
Published in 2022
"Kate isn't late for preschool because she has her daddy stop along the way so she can say hello to neighbors or look at all the vehicles at a construction site--she's late because once they get there, her daddy gives her a great big hug"-- Provided by publisher.
Queen Bee
Published in 2023
The Immeasurable Depth of You
Published in 2023
Fifteen-year-old Brynn is obsessed with death, and her severe anxiety leaves her feeling isolated, but when her parents decide she is going to spend the summer on her father's houseboat, she meets--and starts crushing on--sultry and confident Skylar, whois hiding a dark secret.
Shinji Takahashi
Into the Heart of the Storm
Published in 2023
Thirteen-year-old Shinji and his S.E.A. cohorts travel to a forgotten island in Polynesia in search of a lost culture.
An Appetite for Miracles
Published in 2023
Danbi's Favorite Day
Published in 2023
Danbi invites her friends to celebrate Children's Day like she did in Korea and is worried the picnic behind her parents' deli falls short of the kites and magic train rides she promised her friends.
The Train Home
Published in 2023
A young girl who wishes for a place to call her own, imagines a train that takes her through the city and beyond, and she explores different places until she discovers the place she truly belongs.
Good Different
Published in 2023
Seventh-grader Selah Godfrey knows that to be "normal" she has to keep her feelings tightly controlled when people are around, but after hitting a fellow student, she needs to figure out just what makes her different--and why that is ok. Told in verse.
Happy Birthday to Me
Published in 2023
Felice and the Wailing Woman
Published in 2023
"The twelve-year-old daughter of La Llorona vows to free her mother and reverse the curses that have plagued the magical town of Tres Leches"-- Provided by publisher.
Creatures of the in Between
Published in 2023
"Twelve-year-old Crown Prince Jin must travel far beyond his palace home and find a mythical creature to bond with him, all before his thirteenth birthday-or risk his homeland falling into chaos"-- Provided by publisher.
Who is Simone Biles?
Published in 2023
"In 2021, Simone Biles shocked the world when she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympic Games after experiencing the "twisties" -- a scary feeling during which gymnasts lose control of their bodies while mid-air. Audiences had expected Simone to dominate thesegames. With seven Olympic medals, twenty-five World Championships medals, and four gymnastic skills named after her, she is considered to be the G.O.A.T. of women's gymnastics. That summer, however, Simone became more than just a legendary athlete. She became an advocate for mental health and protecting yourself even when the world is watching"-- Provided by publisher.
Spell Bound
Published in 2023
Rival teenage apprentice sorcerers, Rook and Sun, must team up to save their teachers or risk losing their magic forever.
The Not-so-perfect Plan
Published in 2023
Shannon in the Spotlight
Published in 2023
The Sister Switch
Published in 2023
Tired of being the middle sister, eleven-year-old Addie Asante uses a magical bracelet to switch places with her thirteen-year-old sister and discovers that being older is not necessarily easier--and worse, her baby sister is now living as Addie.
Once There Was
Published in 2023
When fifteen-year-old Iranian American Marjan discovers her murdered father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures, she realizes she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers.
The Care and Keeping of Grandmas
Published in 2023
Chef Edna
Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis
Published in 2023
"Edna loved to cook. Growing up on a farm in Freetown, Virginia, she learned the value of fresh, local, seasonal food from her Mama Daisy, as well as how to measure ingredients for biscuits using coins and to listen closely to her cakes to know when theywere done. Edna carried these traditions with her all the way to Manhattan, where she became a celebrated chef, cooking traditional French food in her signature Southern style and introducing the world to the flavors of her home"-- Provided by publisher.
Real Princesses Change the World
Published in 2023
"This picture book compiles biographies of 11 different princesses, highlighting who they truly are: diplomats, engineers, activists, athletes, and so much more. It focuses on their achievements and contributions, situating them as active members in the global and local community. From Nigeria to Japan, Saudi Arabia to Sweden, and Thailand to Tonga. This picture book takes readers on a trip that spans the whole world"-- Provided by publisher.
Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers?
Published in 2023
"A vision of a world where community care and safety are not the jobs of police, based on a protest poem written by Petrus after the police officer who killed Michael Brown was not charged"-- Provided by publisher.
Egyptian Lullaby
Published in 2023
The Rhythm of Time
Published in 2023
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.
Graduation Day!
Published in 2023
Raymond prepares for his graduation day using all of the skills he has learned throughout the year.
Gets in the Game
Published in 2023
When Simon joins the basketball team, he is excited to be a part of a neighborhood tradition, but after some of his teammates leave for a better team, he decides to organize a pep rally to help Creighton Park and the community feel like they are part of something special.
Josae and El Perro
Published in 2023
Josae is confused when his newly adopted dog does not understand his Spanish commands.
Harvest House
Published in 2023
Contenders
Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series
Published in 2023
"The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native American pro baseball players to face off in a World Series, teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fightfor Native American representation in sports"-- Provided by publisher.
No Boy Summer
A Novel
Published in 2023
After a year marred by bad relationships, sisters Lydia and Penny decide to spend a boy-free summer with their Aunt in Los Angeles, but Lydia might need to bend the rules when she starts falling for Fran, the first girl who reciprocates Lydia's feelings.
A Garden in My Hands
Published in 2023
A mother shares family memories and stories with her daughter as she applies henna to the young girl's hands.
Time to Roll
Published in 2023
Ghosts, Toast, and Other Hazards
Published in 2023
When her stepfather leaves and her family loses their home to fire, twelve-year-old Chinese-American Monica, or Mo, struggles with anxiety, but the chance to hunt an elephant ghost--and the promise of a new friend--help convince her to live a little moredangerously.
Parachute Kids
Published in 2023
After their two-week family tour of Los Angeles, ten-year-old Feng Li Lin and her older brother and sister learn they will remain in California while their parents return to Taiwan, forcing them to navigate a new school, a new language, bullies, racism, and the pressures of running a household.
A Whole Song and Dance
Published in 2023
The Manifestor Prophecy
Published in 2023
"It's not easy being a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world. Some things are cool--like getting a pet hellhound for your twelfth birthday. Others, not so much--like not being trusted to learn magic because you might use it to take revenge on an annoying neighbor. All Nic Blake wants is to be a powerful Manifestor like her dad. But before she has a chance to convince him to teach her the gift, a series of shocking revelations and terrifying events launch Nic and two friends on a hunt for a powerful magic tool she's never heard of...to save her father from imprisonment for a crime she refuses to believe he committed."--Provided by publisher.
Naming Ceremony
Published in 2023
It is time for her baby sister's naming ceremony, and Amira has a name picked out, but as friends and family pronounce the names they have brought, Amira starts to wonder if her chosen name is really the blessing she thought it was. Includes a note aboutWest African tradition of the naming ceremony.
Secrets and Spies
Published in 2023
Eleven-year-old June must juggle friendship, first love, and the fallout from a newly discovered family secret involving the entire town--all while under a truth-telling spell.
Spicy Spicy Hot!
Published in 2023
Grace Needs Space!
Published in 2023
Grace's excitement to accompany her "fun" mom on delivery to Titan quickly turns to frustration when her mom is too preoccupied with her mission to spend time with Grace, yet when their ship stops working on their return home it is up to Grace to save theday.
A Hunger of Thorns
Published in 2023
That Self-same Metal
Published in 2023
In 1605 London, sixteen-year-old Joan Sands' magical ability to control metal makes her a skilled craftswoman, but her family gift for observing the Fae, who recently broke the Pact and are now brutally attacking mortals, draws Joan into political intrigue in both human and Fae worlds.
Grandad's Pride
Published in 2023
Winnie Zeng Vanquishes a King
Published in 2023
