21 Children's Books Every Black Kid Should Read

As a kid, growing up, there weren't many black characters in the books I coveted so much. From Madeline to Alice in Wonderland, it was hard to find a face that looked like my own in these classic children's tales. However, kids today have a much larger selection of children's books to choose from with brown characters of all shades for them to identify with -- and most of them have been written by black authors, too.

We've rounded up 21 children's books that every black kid needs to read (or have read to them). Whether it's learning about adoption, how to handle bullies or a little girl's magic puffballs, there's definitely a book here for the kid in your life. And the talented writers behind these tales are nothing short of impressive, too, from the famous feminist bell hooks to Taye Diggs to Pharrell Williams. Add these books to your shelf, and get the kiddos ready for story time!

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