16 Books with Black Characters Written by Black Authors

My heart hurts every time I have to address police brutality, like school and gun violence, these situations keep happening and nothing seems to get better. People across the country are hurting right now and it can be seen in the number of peaceful protests and the more violent looting and fires in the past few days. There are some amazing books written at the YA and middle grade level about police and race relations, but today I’m focusing on promoting creators of color, specifically Black authors.

I’m sharing 16 books featuring Black characters written by Black authors. These are just a few of the amazing creators of colors writing and illustrating books that share the Black experience. These creators not only portray the difficulty of being Black in America, but also celebrate Black lives.

16 Books with Black Characters Written by Black Authors

1. Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
2. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia
3. Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
4. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
5. Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott
6. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
7. Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
8. Ghost by Jason Reynolds
9. A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
10. The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson
11. New Kid by Jerry Craft
12. The Only Black Girls In Town by Brandy Colbert
13. The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
14. The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
15. The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
16. Tight by Torrey Maldonado

Bonus Books:

If you haven’t read either of these titles, they’re a must! And I know I’m a better person for having read Stamped. I learned a lot more about racism in this country beyond your typical high school history class. Plus, it’s written in a way that is engaging, I mean, it’s Jason Reynolds, do you expect anything less?

• Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

And if you’re looking for even more great books, I have a number of lists I created featuring Black authors and illustrators:

• Activists
• Picture Books
• Chapter Books and Middle Grade
• Nonfiction & Biographies
• Young Adult

Also check out, African American Literature Book Club’s extensive list of titles just for kids!