Award-Winning Books on the African American Experience

            In School Library Journal, Shelley Diaz spotlights children’s and YA books that affirm the richness, complexity, and global dimensions of the African American experience. Here is the winner and honor title for 2026 in each category (click here for cover images and short summaries): 

Non-fiction: 

• Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer by Quartez Harris
• Bold Words from Black Men: Insights and Reflections from 50 Notable Trailblazers Who Influenced the World by Tamara Pizzoli 

Fiction:

• A Place for Us by James Ransome
• Under the Neon Lights by Arriel Vinson 

Debut: 

• Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours
• City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon, illustrated by Alexis Franklin 

Graphic:

• All-Negro Comics: American’s First Black Comic Book by Chris Robinson and Orrin Evans

 “Honoring Black Stories” by Shelley Diaz in School Library Journal, June 2026 (Vol. 72, #6, pp. 32-39)

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1141 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.