It was a wonderful year for nonfiction books for children, particularly those with a focus on diversity. I only wish I had managed to read more of them. Here are the ones I enjoyed most this year:

 

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Cloth Lullaby: The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan E. Goodman, illustrated by E. B. Lewis

My Story, My Dance: Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin Ailey by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome

 

Preaching to the Chickens by Jabari Asim, illustrated by E. B. Lewis

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe

 

The Secret Subway by Shana Corey, illustrated by Red Nose Studio

Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Boris Kulikov

 

Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet

Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice and Hope in a New Land by John Coy, photographs by Wing Young Huie