Top 117 African-American Children’s Books for 2023

AALBC is curating a list of the best 100 Children’s books published in 2023. The books include board books, early reader, middle grade, and young adult titles (defintion of children book categories). Here is a printable list of all the books on this list. Here is a beautiful collage of the book covers. Read more about this list ▶

Books 1 to 20 (of 117)


Click for more detail about The Bronx Is My Home by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
Click for more detail about Wash Day by Tiffany Golden
Click for more detail about Curlfriends: New in Town (a Graphic Novel) by Sharee Miller
Click for more detail about Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson
Click for more detail about There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds
Click for more detail about See You on the Other Side by Rachel Montez Minor
Click for more detail about Harlem at Four by Michael Datcher
Click for more detail about A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney
Click for more detail about A Crown So Cursed by L.L. McKinney
Click for more detail about A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes
Click for more detail about Invincible: Fathers and Mothers of Black America by Wade Hudson
Click for more detail about Coretta’s Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King by Alice Faye Duncan
Click for more detail about The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith
Click for more detail about Track Star #4 by Kelly Starling Lyons
Click for more detail about Jelani’s Key by D. Amari Jackson
Click for more detail about Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector by Janice N. Harrington
Click for more detail about Forgive Me Not by Jennifer Baker
Click for more detail about Fresh Juice by Robert Liu-Trujillo
Click for more detail about Once in a Blue Moon by Sharon G. Flake
Click for more detail about Invisible Son by Kim Johnson


More Information


If you feel strongly about uplifting children through books please read and share, “Ten Steps to Promote Diversity in Children’s Literature.” Also, be sure to check out The Brown Book Shelf a great source to discover children’s books and authors.

Keep in mind, no one list can possible include all the excellent books written by or about Black young people. Please feel free to share your favorites in the comments below.

Check out these other excellent sources for children’s books;