When selecting titles for our bookshelves, I search trusted lists, read reviews, and listen to the recommendations of friends – both old and new. But nothing communicates the simple splendor of a good book like the little fingers of my children bringing the same pages to my lap time and time again. 

Literary quality is important, and it is something I always strive for. But quality is not only vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Quality is also connection, sentiment, and inspiration, and I try to make sure not to let one eclipse the other. The tattered pages of much-loved books indicate that my children have found relationship, even when they are not traditional classics. Balance is beautiful.

For my children to see themselves reflected in the pages of books, I am diligent to include plenty of images and stories with Black characters on our shelves. They serve a unique purpose in our family, but these books are life-giving for all families wanting to show their children the everyday meanderings of little Black boys and girls. 

Between the pages of these books you will find tales of brotherhood and determination alongside stories of everyday fun. And isn’t that life – the spectacular mixed with the humdrum to create rhythms of normality and excitement? Each story can stand alone as a single good book, but when presented together over time they weave a simple, yet important, narrative – little boys and girls everywhere have wild imaginations and an insatiable drive for exploration and adventure. Happy reading! 

Check out booklist here (My guest post on The Peaceful Press website with 9 book recommendations and a highlight of their Playful Pioneers curriculum)

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