Say hello to our newest theme for our youngest readers: Celebrating identity! These upbeat stories celebrate the varieties of identities, individuals, and experiences that make our world richer, fuller, and more interesting. 

We recently added a nonfiction genre heading in NoveList for antiracist literature. When we were doing that research, we came across a beautiful trove of picture books that aren’t specifically about racism but that focus on celebrating and honoring often marginalized and underrepresented identities. These feel-good, magical stories share joyful narratives and characters who have all kinds of life experiences. We wanted these books to shine and to be brought together in a meaningful and useful way, so we developed our newest theme.

Whether it’s storytime or bedtime, these books are not only a joy to read, but can also begin a conversation about all the ways we are different. Think books like Hair Love, Julian is a Mermaid, Alma and How She Got Her Name, and Mommy’s Khimar

To find these books in NoveList Plus, use the search: 

TH Celebrating identity 

We hope this heading is useful to you and helps you in your RA practice. Drop us a line and let us know what you think.  

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Victoria Caplinger Fredrick is the Director of Book Discovery at NoveList. She is currently reading Furnace by Livia Llewellyn.