BIPOC Authors

The Wonders We Seek: Thirty Incredible Muslims Who Helped Shape the World Unabr

By: Saadia Faruqi & Aneesa Mumtaz

Narrated by: Dalia Ramahi

Length: 3 hours 11 minutes

Abridged: No

In this biographical collection, authors Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz highlight some of the talented Muslim physicians, musicians, athletes, poets, and more who helped make the world we know today. A brilliant surgeon heals patients in the first millennium.A female king rules the Indian subcontinent.A poet pours his joy and grief into the... Read more

Rise of the School for Good and Evil

By: Soman Chainani

Narrated by: Kit Young

Length: 8 hours 5 minutes

Abridged: No

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL is the #1 movie now streaming on Netflix—starring Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Sofia Wylie, Sophie Anne Caruso, Jamie Flatters, Earl Cave, Kit Young, and many others! The battle between Good and Evil begins.Two brothers.One Good.One Evil.Together they... Read more

Krista Kim-Bap

By: Angela Ahn

Narrated by: Vicki Kim

Length: 3 hours 37 minutes

Abridged: No

In debut author Angela Ahn’s middle grade novel, all Krista wants is to figure out the three F’s: food, family, and friends…Krista and Jason have been best friends since preschool. It never mattered that he was a boy with reddish-brown hair and she was the “Korean girl” at school. Now in fifth grade, everyone in their class is preparing... Read more

Cookies & Milk

By: Shawn Amos

Narrated by: Shawn Amos

Length: 4 hours 54 minutes

Abridged: No

It's a summer of family, friendship, and fun fiascos in this semi-autobiographical novel that's as irresistible as a fresh-baked cookie.
 
Eleven-year-old Ellis Johnson has the summertime blues. He dreamed of spending the summer of 1976 hanging out with friends, listening to music, and playing his harmonica. Instead, he'll be sleeping on a lumpy... Read more

Jo Jo Makoons: Fancy Pants

By: Dawn Quigley

Narrated by: Jennifer Bobiwash

Length: 59 minutes

Abridged: No

Filled with lots of glitter, raised pinkies, and humorous misunderstandings, this second book in the Jo Jo Makoons series—written by Dawn Quigley—is filled with the joy of a young Ojibwe girl discovering her very own special shine from the inside out. First grader Jo Jo Makoons knows how to do a lot of things, like how to play jump rope, how to... Read more

Layla, the Last Black Unicorn

By: Tiffany Haddish & Jerdine Nolen

Narrated by: Tiffany Haddish

Length: 9 minutes

Abridged: No

From beloved comedian, actress, and New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Haddish comes Layla, the Last Black Unicorn, a hilarious, original book about a lovable but awkward unicorn who learns why her uniqueness is her biggest strength.It’s not easy to fit in when you stand out. When Layla arrives for her first day of school at Unicornia,... Read more

Wildseed Witch

By: Marti Dumas

Narrated by: Channie Waites

Length: 8 hours 53 minutes

Abridged: No

A fun middle-grade contemporary fantasy with an all-BIPOC cast, about a social-media-loving tween who gets sent to an ultra-private witch camp

Hasani’s post-seventh-grade summer to-do list is pretty simple: get a bigger following for her makeup YouTube channel and figure out how to get her parents back together. What she does NOT expect is that... Read more

The Marvellers

By: Dhonielle Clayton

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Length: 10 hours 48 minutes

Abridged: No

Dhonielle Clayton makes her middle-grade debut with a fantasy adventure set in a global magic school in the sky —an instant New York Times and #1 Indie Bestseller!

"The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world." —Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling–author

"Listeners will enjoy this fresh... Read more

Freddie Vs. The Family Curse

By: Tracy Badua

Narrated by: Edward A. Mendoza

Length: 5 hours 13 minutes

Abridged: No

WINNER OF THE 2023 SID FLEISCHMAN HUMOR AWARDIn this thrilling and hilarious middle grade adventure, a young Filipino-American boy must team up with his ancestor to break the curse that’s haunted their family for generations . . . or be trapped in an amulet forever.Freddie Ruiz is cursed.While other people may have bad days, Freddie and his... Read more

Call Me Miss Hamilton

By: Carole Boston Weatherford

Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo

Length: 19 minutes

Abridged: No

Mary Hamilton grew up knowing right from wrong. She was proud to be Black, and when the chance came along to join the Civil Rights Movement and become a Freedom Rider, she was eager to fight for what she believed in. She was arrested again and again?and she did not back down when faced with insults or disrespect. In an Alabama court, a white... Read more

The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei

By: Christina Matula

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

Length: 5 hours 4 minutes

Abridged: No

"I can't wait for readers to explore Hong Kong with Holly-Mei. I have no doubt they will love both as much as I did." —Erin Entrada Kelly, 2018 Newbery Medalist and 2021 Newbery Honoree

Packed with humor and heart, this debut middle grade series follows a girl finding her place in a brand-new world of private school and frenemies when her family... Read more

Simon B. Rhymin' Takes a Stand

By: Dwayne Reed

Narrated by: Dwayne Reed

Length: 3 hours 26 minutes

Abridged: No

This humorous and heartwarming sequel to Simon B. Rhymin' follows a young rapper navigating the inequality and injustice within his school and community.Eleven-year-old Simon and his friends are disappointed with the lack of funding at Booker T. Washington School—there’s no AC, only one space for school activities, and the money for... Read more

A Duet for Home

By: Karina Yan Glaser

Narrated by: Sura Siu & Preston Butler III

Length: 6 hours 18 minutes

Abridged: No

From the New York Times best-selling creator of the Vanderbeekers series comes a triumphant tale of friendship, healing, and the power of believing in ourselves told from the perspective of biracial sixth-graders June and Tyrell, two children living in a homeless shelter. As their friendship grows over a shared love of classical music, June and... Read more

Hundred Years of Happiness

By: Thanhhà Lai

Narrated by: Quyen Ngo

Length: 12 minutes

Abridged: No

A stunning debut, showcasing the love between grandparents and grandchildren, the challenges of memory loss, and the joy that sweet reminders of a faraway home can bring, from award-winning, bestselling author Thanhhà Lại.This sweet and emotional picture book will resonate with readers who love A Big Mooncake for Little Star, Ladder to the Moon,... Read more

Falling Short

By: Ernesto Cisneros

Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon & Gary Tiedemann

Length: 5 hours 10 minutes

Abridged: No

Ernesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Efrén Divided, is back with a hilarious and heartfelt novel about two best friends who must rely on each other in unexpected ways. A great next pick for readers who loved Ghost by Jason Reynolds or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez. Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to... Read more

Spice and Wolf, Vol. 1 (light novel)

By: Isuna Hasekura

Narrated by: J. Michael Tatum

Length: 4 hours 53 minutes

Abridged: No

The life of a traveling merchant is a lonely one, a fact with which Kraft Lawrence is well acquainted. Wandering from town to town with just his horse, cart, and whatever wares have come his way, the peddler has pretty well settled into his routine-that is, until the night Lawrence finds a wolf goddess asleep in his cart. Taking the form of... Read more

Those Kids from Fawn Creek

By: Erin Entrada Kelly

Narrated by: Ramon de Ocampo

Length: 6 hours 16 minutes

Abridged: No

“A powerful and thought-provoking story.”—Shelf Awareness (starred review)“An emotionally resonant story about authenticity and belonging.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A raw, real exploration of belonging that’s also sweetly hopeful.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)Every day in Fawn Creek, Louisiana, is exactly the same—until Orchid... Read more

Golden Girl

By: Reem Faruqi

Narrated by: Ariana Delawari

Length: 2 hours 38 minutes

Abridged: No

From the award-winning, ALA Notable author of Unsettled and Lailah’s Lunchbox, this is a captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing what’s right isn’t always easy.For fans of The Thing About... Read more

Eyes That Speak to the Stars

By: Joanna Ho

Narrated by: Justin Chien

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

New York Times bestselling team Joanna Ho and Dung Ho present Eyes That Speak to the Stars, companion to the acclaimed Eyes That Kiss in the Corners.“A brilliant treatise to love of self and heritage.” —School Library Journal (starred review)“A beautifully validating book that builds on the necessary work of its predecessor.” —Kirkus“Affirmative... Read more

The ABCs of Black History

By: Rio Cortez

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 55 minutes

Abridged: No

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“In rhyming couplets, Cortez leads readers on a journey through Black life that acknowledges pain and struggle while building confidence with examples of triumph. It’s a tricky maneuver when writing for children, but Cortez pulls it off.” – The New York Times"A uniquely crafted ABC book that portrays some of the most... Read more

Bake Infinite Pie with X + Y

By: Eugenia Cheng

Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest

Length: 23 minutes

Abridged: No

Aspiring bakers will embrace this charming picture book about baking pie by using simple math, from one of the world’s most creative and celebrated mathematicians.

X + Y are dreaming of baking infinite pie. But they don’t know if infinite pie is real. With the help of quirky and uber-smart Aunt Z, and a whole lot of flour and butter, X and Y will... Read more

Dream, Annie, Dream

By: Waka T. Brown

Narrated by: Sophie Oda

Length: 8 hours 6 minutes

Abridged: No

In this empowering deconstruction of the so-called American Dream, a twelve-year-old Japanese American girl grapples with, and ultimately rises above, the racism and trials of middle school she experiences while chasing her dreams.As the daughter of immigrants who came to America for a better life, Annie Inoue was raised to dream big. And at the... Read more

Colors of Awesome!

By: Eva Chen

Narrated by: Eva Chen

Length: 10 minutes

Abridged: No

This program is read by the author.

From Kamala Harris' white pantsuit to Judy Garland's ruby slippers to Mamie Johnson's blue baseball uniform, powerful and inspiring women from throughout history have proved that "awesome" comes in all colors!

A Is for Awesome provided an ABC of amazing women from throughout history. 3 2 1 Awesome counted down... Read more

The Keeper

By: Guadalupe García McCall

Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann

Length: 6 hours 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Inspired by a terrifying true story, acclaimed author Guadalupe Garcia McCall creates a twisty tale about a boy desperately trying to survive in a new town with a secret past. James always knew moving from Texas to Oregon was going to be horrible.. But no sooner have he and his family arrived in their ""perfect"" new home in their ""perfect""... Read more