AntiRacist Playlist for Middle Grade Listeners

Black Brother, Black Brother

By: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Narrated by: Barrie Buckner
Length: 4 hours 36 minutes

From award-winning and bestselling author, Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition.
Framed. Bullied. Disliked. But I know I can still be the best.

... Read more

Ghost Boys

By: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Narrated by: Miles Harvey
Length: 2 hours 51 minutes

A heartbreaking and powerful story about a black boy killed by a police officer, drawing connections through history, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Only the living can make the world better. Live and make it better.

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he... Read more

The Only Black Girls in Town

By: Brandy Colbert
Narrated by: Jeanette Illidge
Length: 7 hours 28 minutes

From award-winning YA author Brandy Colbert comes a debut middle-grade novel about the only two Black girls in town who discover a collection of hidden journals revealing shocking secrets of the past.

Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only Black girl in town for years. Alberta's best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a... Read more

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

By: Wade Hudson & Cheryl Willis Hudson
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Guy Lockard, January LaVoy, Dominic Hoffman, Adenrele Ojo, Kyla Garcia, N'Jameh Camara, Soneela Nankani, Darrell Dennis, Jennifer Lim, Sullivan Jones, Paul Robeson & Various
Length: 1 hour 41 minutes

The foremost diverse children's authors--including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander--share answers to the question, "In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?" in this powerful collection, published in partnership with Just Us Books.

Featuring poems, letters, personal essays, songs, and other works from such... Read more

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Zoe Washington

By: Janae Marks
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Length: 6 hours 9 minutes

“On Zoe's 12th birthday, she is looking through the mail for happy wishes when she discovers a letter from her birth father sent from the prison he has been serving his sentence in since she was born. Emotions and questions abound: should she trust this man she has never met? What would happen if she wrote back? Is it ok to keep it a secret from... Read more

A Good Kind of Trouble

By: Lisa Moore Ramée
Narrated by: Imani Parks
Length: 6 hours 45 minutes

From debut author Lisa Moore Ramée comes this funny and big-hearted debut middle grade novel about friendship, family, and standing up for what’s right, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give and the novels of Renée Watson and Jason Reynolds.Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic to trouble. All she wants to do is to follow the rules.... Read more

Harbor Me

By: Jacqueline Woodson
Narrated by: N'Jameh Camara, Jacqueline Woodson, Toshi Widoff-Woodson, Jose Carrera, Dean Flanagan, Angel Romero & Mikelle Wright-Matos
Length: 3 hours 49 minutes

“In Harbor Me, six kids find common ground and build strong friendships through the simple act of talking to each other. The book addresses important contemporary issues of bullying, racial injustice, and immigration in a way that children from a wide range of backgrounds can relate. Jacqueline Woodson's latest is a beautifully written book that... Read more

The Parker Inheritance

By: Varian Johnson
Length: 10 hours

“Really, really enjoyed this book! I always love a good puzzle mystery and my heart melts for book-loving preteens. This book was great in that it not only had a fun buried treasure mystery but also friendship evolution between Candice and Brandon, Candice's reckoning with her parent's relationship, and racial tensions in the history as well as... Read more

One Crazy Summer

By: Rita Williams-Garcia
Narrated by: Sisi Aisha Johnson
Length: 5 hours 9 minutes

Eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters Vonetta and Fern travel to Oakland to meet their mother, Cecile, who abandoned their family years earlier. But even when Cecile gets them to her house, she shows no interest and seems to view them as nothing but a nuisance. Cecile's cold, unloving attitude leaves the girls wishing for the... Read more

Clean Getaway

By: Nic Stone
Narrated by: Dion Graham
Length: 3 hours 56 minutes

“A fast-paced read that has as many funny twists and turns as G-ma's driving! Part historical fiction, part road adventure, Nic Stone's first middle grade novel is perfect for a read aloud! Read more

King and the Dragonflies

By: Kacen Callender
Length: 5 hours 3 minutes

“Kingston (King) James and his parents are grieving the loss of Khalid-- King's older brother. When Khalid was alive and the two shared a bedroom, he would talk in his sleep, telling his younger brother stories about the universe and its magic. King continues to see Khalid in his dreams, and is convinced Khalid has transformed into a dragonfly.... Read more

Blended

By: Sharon M. Draper
Narrated by: Sharon M. Draper
Length: 5 hours 41 minutes

“Not only is the book itself amazing, but the narration by the author Sharon M. Draper is beyond stellar. The story deals with tough issues surrounding both family and social strife. The author superbly writes about these issues with wit and wisdom, and with candor and honesty. Aside from the "written" brilliance of Blended, the author delivers... Read more

What Lane?

By: Torrey Maldonado
Narrated by: Torrey Maldonado
Length: 2 hours 35 minutes

"If you are wondering how to begin confronting Anti-Black racism in your classroom, start with What Lane?"--School Library Journal: The Classroom Bookshelf

"STAY IN YOUR LANE." Stephen doesn't want to hear that--he wants to have no lane.

Anything his friends can do, Stephen should be able to do too, right? So when they dare each other to sneak... Read more