Welcome back to school students and teachers! Want to build a more inclusive collection for your classroom, school, or district this coming school year?
Book of the Month School Year Calendar for 2024–25
We've updated our Book of the Month School Year Calendar for 2024–25 with stories that celebrate historically underrepresented communities. Curated by our in-house literacy specialists, these book lists have something for everyone and will make sure that all students feel at home in their new classrooms.
We've highlighted just of few of these recommendations below!
K-2
Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald no combina
By Monica Brown, Sara Palacios
⭐ "Marisol's varied, distinctive lifestyle and multiracial family affirms our increasingly blended society and clearly celebrates independent thinking. Brava!" — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Quinito, Day and Night / Quinito, día y noche
By Ina Cumpiano, José Ramírez
⭐ "Full of images and words that will engage preschoolers, and brief enough to be read in both languages at storytime, this works on multiple levels as a book of opposites, as an exposition of bilingual vocabulary (including a glossary at the end), and as a portrayal of a kind of family and neighborhood that is still hard to find, done this well, in picture books." — The Horn Book, starred review
Summer Sun Risin’ – Bebop (Available in Spanish)
By William Nikola, Don Tate
"The rhythmic verses beg to be read aloud, and the colors and typeface are bold enough for group sharing. A cheery introduction to farm life and simple poetry." — Kirkus Reviews
3-5
Fresh Juice (Available in Spanish)
By Robert Liu-Trujillo
⭐ "This essential story conveys the warmth of community in just one serving." — School Library Journal, starred review
Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del Arcoíris
By Linda Elovitz Marshall, Elisa Chavarri
Bilingual English/Spanish. A young Mayan girl isn't allowed to use her mother's thread to weave, so with a little ingenuity she discovers how to repurpose plastic bags to create colorful weavings. Based on an actual recycling movement in Guatemala.
Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes
By Patty Cisneros Prevo, Dion MBD
"This is precisely the book I dreamed of growing up as a young girl with a disability. It shows what is possible to achieve and acknowledges the very real hard points, while fostering and supporting healthy, positive disability identity development." — Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, Paralympic medalist and disability activist
6-8
Safe Passage
By G. Neri, David Brame
"[A]n amazing achievement and is a prime example of what the comics medium can do when true masters are at the height of their craft." — John Jennings, award-winning comics creator and scholar
Summer of Mariposas (Available in Spanish)
By Guadalupe García McCall
⭐ "Written in the style of magic realism, this is an enchanting look at Mexican mysticism, coupled with the realistic celebration of the true meaning of family." — School Library Journal, starred review
Wat Takes His Shot The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka
By Cheryl Kim, Nat Iwata
⭐ "A multilayered picture book that, like the hero at its center, offers so much strength, personality, and invaluable life lessons in a very dense package. . . Readers of all ages, especially those who love basketball, will rejoice over 'Wat's' triumphs." -- School Library Journal, starred review
