Discover diverse and inclusive books for your library with our selection of recently published titles

An independently chaired Diversity Review of the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards has been taking place to make sure they are the best champions of diversity, inclusion and representation. As part of the Review we held an open consultation and heard from a number of people that there is a need for increased awareness and profile for diverse books. CILIP recognises a broad definition of diversity that includes age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, social class and education.

We have identified a selection of books from diverse and inclusive authors, illustrators and small publishers that are eligible for the 2019 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals. This list is not exhaustive but provides a short guide to raise awareness and celebrate such books through the Awards as part of an ongoing commitment to embed principles of inclusion and representation into professional practice.

These books have been taken from a list of recommended eligible titles for the 2019 Medals that is compiled and circulated between the YLG regional committees during the year.

If you know about an eligible book from diverse authors, illustrators or small publishers that we may have missed from this list please get in touch at ckg@cilip.org.uk.

Books are listed below in alphabetical order by author surname.

 

The Poet X

By Elizabeth Acevedo
Egmont UK Ltd

 

 

Children of Blood and Bone

By Tomi Adeyemi
Pan Macmillan

 

 

Shona, Word Detective

Authored by John Agard and illustrated by Michael Broad
Barrington Stoke

 

 

Come all You Little Persons

Authored by John Agard and illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Faber & Faber

 

 

Love, Hate & Other Filters

By Samira Ahmed
Hot Key Books

 

 

Rebound

By Kwame Alexander
Andersen Press Ltd

 

 

Home Home

By Lisa Allen-Agostini
Papillote Press

 

 

The Secret of the Purple Lake

Authored by Yaba Badoe and illustrated by Gbolahan Adams
Cassava Republic Press

 

 

A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars

By Yaba Badoe
Zephyr

 

 

The Ghosts & Jamal

By Bridget Blankley
HopeRoad Publishing

 

 

Zebra Crossing Soul Song

By Sita Brahmachari
Barrington Stoke Ltd

 

 

Worry Angels

Authored by Sita Brahmachari and illustrated by Jane Ray
Barrington Stoke Ltd

 

 

Out of the Blue

By Sophie Cameron
Pan Macmillan

 

 

Aru Shah and the End of Time

By Roshani Choksh
Scholastic

 

 

We Are Young

By Cat Clarke
Quercus Children’s Books

 

 

The Belles

By Dhonielle Clayton
Orion

 

 

Luna Loves Library Day

Authored by Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Fiona Lumbers
Andersen Press Ltd

 

 

If All the World Were…

Authored by Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Allison Colpoys
Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd

 

 

Clean

By Juno Dawson
Hachette Children's Group

 

 

Grave Matter

Authored by Juno Dawson and ilustrated by Alex T. Smith
Barrington Stoke Ltd

 

 

All of This Is True

By Lygia Day Peñaflor
Bloomsbury

 

 

La La La: A Story of Hope

Authored by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Jaime Kim
Walker Books

 

 

My Side of the Diamond

By Sally Gardner
Hot Key Books

 

 

Bone Talk

By Candy Gourlay
David Fickling Books

 

 

Grandma Z

By Daniel Gray-Barnett
Scribe

 

 

Dave Pigeon (Racer!)

Authored by Swapna Haddow and illustrated by Sheena Dempsey
Faber & Faber

 

 

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

By Vashti Harrison
Penguin Books

 

 

Noah Could Never

By Simon James Green
Scholastic

 

 

Freedom

By Catherine Johnson
Scholastic

 

 

The Girl in the Broken Mirror

By Savita Kalhan
Troika Books

 

 

Tomorrow

By Nadine Kaadan
Lantana Publishing

 

 

Knights and Bikes

By Gabrielle Kent
Debut from ‘Knights Of’

 

 

I am Thunder

By Muhammad Khan
Pan Macmillan

 

 

Zeki Gets a Check Up

Authored by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Ruth Hearson
Alanna Books

 

 

The Muslims

By Zanib Mian
Sweet Apple Books

 

 

Cinderella of the Nile

Authored by Beverley Naidoo and illustrated by Marjan Vafaeian
Tiny Owl

 

 

The Astonishing Colour of After

By Emily X.R. Pan
Hachette Children's Group

 

 

Ghost Boys

By Jewell Parker Rhodes
Hachette Children's Group

 

 

The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree

By Paola Peretti
Hot Key Books

 

 

The World of the Whale

Authored by Smriti Prasdam-Halls and illustrated by Jonathan Woodward
Wren & Rook, Hachette Children’s Group

 

 

The Ways of the Wolf

Authored by Smriti Prasdam-Halls and illustrated by Jonathan Woodward
Wren & Rook, Hachette Children's Group

 

 

The Boy at the Back of the Class

By Onjali Q. Raúf
Hachette Children's Group

 

 

Misfit

Authored by Kimberly Redway and illustrated by Artful Doodlers
Bloomsbury

 

 

Long Way Down

By Jason Reynolds
Faber & Faber

 

 

Kaya’s Heart Song

Authored by Diwa Tharan Sanders and illustrated by Nerina Canzi
Lantana Publishing

 

 

On a Scale of 1 to 10

By Ceylan Scott
Chicken House

 

 

What Lexie Did

By Emma Shevah
Chicken House

 

 

The Weaver

By Qian Shi
Andersen Press

 

 

Billy and the Beast

By Nadia Shireen
Vintage Publishing

 

 

Run, Riot

By Nikesh Shukla
Hodder Children's Group

 

 

Nimesh the Adventurer

Authored by Ranjit Singh and illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini
Lantana Publishing

 

 

You’re Safe with Me

Authored by Chitra Soundar and illustrated by Poonam Mistry
Lantana Publishing

 

 

Hope is Our Only Wing

By Rutendo Tavengerwei
Hot Key Books

 

 

Riding a Donkey Backwards

Authored by Sean Taylor and Khayaal Theatre and illustrated by Shirin Adl
Otter-Barry Books

 

 

Magnificent Birds

By Narisa Togo
Walker Books

 

 

The Beast Player

By Nahoko Uehashi
Pushkin Children's Books

 

 

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor

Authored by Patricia Valdez and illustrated by Felicita Sala
Knopf Books for Young Readers

 

 

The Summer of Us

By Cecilia Vinesse
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

 

 

The Wren Hunt

By Mary Watson
Bloomsbury

 

 

The Drum

Authored by Ken Wilson-Max and illustrated by Catell Ronca
Tiny Owl

 

 

Malala's Magic Pencil

Authored by Malala Yousafzai and illustrated by Kerascoet
Puffin

 

 

The Big Book of the Blue

By Yuval Zommer
Thames & Hudson