Books in this category reflect the people of the world's nations, religions, and cultures, sometimes as a central feature of the story and other times as part of the story's background.
An African Princess Lyra Edmonds (Author), Annie Wilson (Illustrator) This is a story about a girl of mixed race discovering her family history and identity. Lyra is told by her family that she is an African Princess. But when she tells her school friends, they don't believe her. It is only when she flies to the vibrant Caribbean to visit her Taunte May that she discovers her own history. [Grade Level: Pre-K - 2]
3.
Black Is Brown Is Tan Arnold Adoff (Author), Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator) First published in 1973, this book marked the first acknowledgment of an interracial family in children's book publishing. The author uses lyrical text--an African American mother, "the skin color of chocolate," and a Caucasian father, "who's skin is not white, but light in color with tans and pinks and all the colors of the rainbow,"--to paint a portrait of a loving and natural family setting. McCully has updated the illustrations with watercolor paintings to show the brown-skinned momma, the white daddy, and the two children in a 21st-century setting. [Grade Level: 1 - 3]
Cooper's Lesson Sun Yung Shin (Author), Kim Cogan (Illustrator) This is a story about identity and intergenerational friendship, featuring a young biracial boy, written in both English and Korean. Cooper, who has a Korean mother and a white, American father, is called "half and half" by his cousin. With his mixed heritage, the boy doesn't know where he fits in. When he goes to the Korean grocery, he is overwhelmed by a language of which he knows very little. He concludes that Mr. Lee, the owner, is laughing at him. In retaliation, Cooper shoplifts a brush for his mother. Caught in the act, he must work off his debt and learns that Mr. Lee's life in the United States has been difficult because of the language barrier. The man also listens to Cooper's frustrations. Eventually, the two come to a better understanding of their own and one another's problems.
[Grade Level: 3 - 6]
Family Isabell Monk (Author), Janice Lee Porter (Illustrator) Hope's new and unusual dessert blends well with the traditional dishes prepared by her cousins and Aunt Poogee at their annual summer get-together. [Grade Level: K - 2]
8.
Grandfather Counts Andrea Cheng (Author), Ange Zhang (Illustrator) When her maternal grandfather comes from China, Helen, who is biracial, initially upset at having to give up her room, develops a special bond with him despite their age and language differences. [Grade Level: K - 3]
9.
Growing Up Biracial: Trevor's Story Bethany Kandel (Author), Carol Halebian (Photographer) Ten-year-old Trevor Sage-el describes his life at home and at school, his feelings about being the son of a white mother and a black father, and what he likes and does not like about being biracial. “Sometimes people ask me, ‘What are you?’,” observes Trevor. “I usually answer, ‘Human.’ I have friends of all colors. I don’t want to have to choose between black and white. I’m both, and I like it.” [Grade Level: 2 - 6]
10.
Hope Isabell Monk (Author), Janice Lee Porter (Illustrator) After someone asks whether she's "mixed", second-grader Hope, a biracial child, wonders what that means. Her great aunt assures her that as the child of a white father and an African-American mother, she represents "generations of faith mixed with lots of love.” As she listens to Aunt Poogee recount her family’s history and the story behind her name, Hope learns to feel proud of her biracial heritage and how to handle questions about her racial status in the future.
[Grade Level: K - 3]
11.
How My Parents Learned to Eat Ina R. Friedman (Author), Allen Say (Illustrator) A child tells how her American father learned to eat with chopsticks and her Japanese mother learned to eat with a knife and fork. [Grade Level: K - 3]
12.
Journey Home Dom Lee (Illustrator), Keurhee Lee (Illustrator), Lawrence McKay (Author) A young girl accompanies her mother as she returns to the country of her birth, Vietnam, to learn about her past. [Grade Level: K - 3]
Loving v. Virginia: Interracial Marriage Written by Karen Alonso This book explores the Supreme Court case that challenged and eventually overturned Virginia's anti-miscegenation law in response to Richard and Mildred Loving's arrest in 1958 for being partners in an interracial marriage. The author contextualizes the case by discussing the laws and movements from Colonial times to the present that pertain to interracial marriages. A glossary, discussion questions and suggestions for further investigation are included. [Grade Level: 6 & Up]
Nothing Wrong with a Three-Legged Dog Written by Graham McNamee Keath and his best friend Lynda are in the fourth grade. Some kids call Lynda Zebra," because her mother's black and her father's white. And Keath is "Whitey." "He's vanilla in a chocolate school" where Toothpick, a bully, has it in for him. Lynda and Keath both love dogs. Dogs don't care about what color is the right one. Dogs don't hate anybody. Their favorite dog is Leftovers, Lynda's three-legged beagle. When he got hurt, his first owners gave up on him, but Lynda and Keath turn him into a winner, a pooch that shows Keath that sometimes it's good to stand out, to be special, and that even when you look different, there are ways to fit in. [Grade Level: 4 - 6]
The Giant and the Spring Kuang-ts’ai Hao (Reteller), Eva Wang (Illustrator) A kind giant brings Spring in from the cold but soon realizes he must share him with the rest of the world. [Grade Level: 4 - 6]
Two Mrs. Gibsons Toyomi Igus (Author), Daryl Wells (Illustrator) The biracial daughter of an African-American father and a Japanese mother fondly recalls growing up with her mother and grandmother. [Grade Level: K - 3]
22.
You Be Me I'll Be You Written and Illustrated by Pili Mandelbaum A brown-skinned girl and her white father experiment to see what it would be like to have the other's skin color. [Grade Level: K - 3]
