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Topic: Diversity & Inclusion

Chapter book

Perfect for fans of Danny Wallace, Liz Pichon and Katie Kirby – buckle up, you’re in for a dog-tastic adventure, packed with comic strips and cartoons.

When Destiny boasts about videos of her dog, Princess Foo-Foo, going viral, Ferris foolishly claims that Aldo can easily become a BIGGER internet star. There’s just one problem: Aldo has about as much talent as a teaspoon.

Then Ferris and Tia accidentally film Aldo doing what looks like an amazing trick . . . will Aldo finally live up to the name of his comic book alter-ego and wow the world with his skills or is this about to be the biggest EPIC FAIL ever?

Reflecting Realities Booklist

In November 2023, the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) released the 6th annual Reflecting Realities Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children’s Literature. The findings show that 30% of children’s books published in 2022 feature a racially minoritised character, which marks a significant increase from the 4% first reported in 2017. The published report can be viewed here or you can read a summary of the Reflecting Realities 2023 Report on our blog

This year’s report pays particular attention to the range and breadth of genres that have seen minoritised characters become a meaningful part of the literary mainstream. From Fantasy and Historical to Comedy, the report highlights and celebrates stories that include racially minoritised characters in multi-dimensional and nuanced ways. The report names quite a number of texts that exemplify the “quality of presence they hope to encounter in all representative books.”

Titles highlighted in this year’s report include a number that the BooksForTopics community will recognise from our Diverse Children’s Book Lists, as well as our Year Group Recommended Reads and Curriculum Booklists, such as The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger, India Incredible India, Serena Patel’s Picture Perfect, Planet Omar and Joseph Coelho’s Our Tower.

This booklist features many of the highlighted books included in this year’s Reflecting Realities report.

 

Picturebook

A joyful book that shows children how their wonderful features, traits and heritage can be lovingly passed down from biological and chosen family members. As a young girl explores the idea of her family tree, she notices all the beautiful physical features she has inherited from her black and south Asian family lines. Not only that, she realises how their love and nurture bring our shared interests, passions and personality traits. From Nanny’s nose for a good recipe, to Grandpa’s melanin skin, a sense of belonging and pride rings through in the most pure and joyful way.

Chapter book

Meet Billie Upton Green and her VERY accidental diary – and don’t you DARE call her B.U.G!

Billie has taken the new girl at school under her wing. She’ll teach her the important stuff – Biscuit Laws, Mrs Patterson and of course where to sneakily eat a Jaffa Cake. She might even get invited to the EVENT OF THE YEAR (Billie’s mums are getting married).

But then suspicion sets in. The new girl seems VERY close to Billie’s best friend Layla.

And she knows a LOT about the big school heist – the theft of Mrs Robinson’s purse. But, Billie is on to her. Well, as long as Patrick doesn’t catch her eating biscuits first.

Non-fiction

In this international bestseller from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Frida Kahlo, the world-renowned painter.

When Frida was a teenager, a terrible road accident changed her life forever. Unable to walk, she began painting from her bed. Her self-portraits, which show her pain and grief, but also her passion for life and instinct for survival, have made her one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back , including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the artist’s life.

Chapter book

Jamie Lee wants to be normal. But his ADHD makes him feel like his brain is full of butterflies.
Elin Watts wants to be perfect. If she can be, surely her dad will come home.

When Jamie and Elin’s families blend, the polar opposites of chaotic Jamie and ordered Elin collide. As their lives spiral out of control, Jamie and Elin discover that they’re actually more alike than they’d admit. Maybe there’s no such thing as normal, or perfect. And perhaps, just like families, happy-ever-afters come in all shapes and sizes.

Uplifting and moving, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind is an inspiring story of acceptance, blended families, and discovering that in the end, being yourself is more than enough.

Chapter book

Sidesplitting middle grade comedy, with serious heart (and one very funny llama). Illustrated by Allen Fatimaharan, the official illustrator for World Book Day 2022.
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.
Winner of a Made for Mums Gold Award.

Yasmin Shah is a ten-year-old girl who is part of a big, noisy family and doesn’t ever speak. Levi is a rude, sassy toy llama, who talks A LOT and has come to wreak havoc in Yasmin’s life.

Yasmin tries everything she can to escape Levi, but she can’t help being dragged along on his crazy antics – and every day brings a new surprise, whether that’s an erupting bin, a flying tuna fish, or a hat made from knickers. Life is never boring with Levi around – and could it be that he has a secret plan to help Yasmin find her voice?

Annabelle Sami is a writer, director and performer who currently works in the arts. While reading children’s books when babysitting she realised there was a lack of representation of funny girls and diverse characters in children’s books – and she decided to do something about it. Growing up mixed-race, she never found her own life reflected in a book and now it’s her mission to make sure that every spirited, witty and adventurous girl has her own special book that she can relate to.

Chapter book

Welcome back to Planet Omar! The fifth book in Zanib Mian’s laugh-out-loud series, with amazing cartoon-style illustrations. Perfect for fans of Tom Gates and Wimpy Kid.

Omar and his friends are taking part in a national rocket building competition. With a little help from Omar’s scientist mum and dad and some fart power too, they come up with a rocket that’s ready to blast off.

But when someone starts sabotaging the rockets, the boys find themselves on a new mission to reveal the culprit…

Chapter book

Join the naughtiest unicorn for friendship, magic and mayhem in this hilarious series. Mira CAN’T WAIT to start Unicorn School. (Her big sister goes and won’t stop going on about it). But when Mira arrives on her first day all the unicorns are gone … except Dave!

Dave isn’t quite the sparkly magical unicorn Mira was expecting to find at the end of the rainbow – he’s more grumpy than glittery, more interested in lunch than magical quests and he always runs off when Mira tries to ride him – but Mira’s not going to let that get her down. Along with her new friends and their (much more glittery) unicorns, she is determined to be the best at Quests and protect the special unicorn world.

Chapter book

Amari Peters knows three things.

Her big brother Quinton has gone missing.
No one will talk about it.
His mysterious job holds the secret…

So when Amari gets an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain this is her chance to find Quinton. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau, where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real , and her roommate is a weredragon.

Amari must compete against kids who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives, and when each trainee is awarded a special supernatural talent, Amari is given an illegal talent – one that the Bureau views as dangerous.

With an evil magician threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is the enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton …

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