BIPOC Authors

Ada Twist and the Disappearing Dogs

By: Andrea Beaty

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 1 hour 20 minutes

Abridged: No

Blue River Creek has a problem: there's a pet thief on the loose! Or at least, Sofia and Iggy are convinced that there is, once their pets go missing. But as a scientist, Ada knows it's important not to jump to conclusions and to follow the facts. How will they find out what really happened to the town's pets? By using the Scientific Method, of... Read more

Just a Pinch of Magic

By: Alechia Dow

Narrated by: Renee Dorian & Amber Dekkers

Length: 7 hours 36 minutes

Abridged: No

Wini's family of enchanters runs a little bakery, but with the prices of magical ingredients skyrocketing, they're going under. Desperate to save her family's business, Wini takes a risk by casting a (sort of illegal) spell that would allow them to gather their own supply of their most needed magical ingredient: love. But the spell doesn't work.... Read more

The Door of No Return

By: Kwame Alexander

Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Length: 3 hours 35 minutes

Abridged: No

From the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family.

In his village in Upper Kwanta, 11-year-old Kofi loves his family, playing oware with his grandfather and swimming in the... Read more

Troublemaker

By: John Cho

Narrated by: John Cho

Length: 4 hours 46 minutes

Abridged: No

Troublemaker follows the events of the LA Riots through the eyes of 12-year-old Jordan as he navigates school and family. This book will highlight the unique Korean American perspective.

12-year-old Jordan feels like he can't live up to the example his older sister set, or his parent's expectations. When he returns home from school one day hoping... Read more

Bridge to Bat City

By: Ernest Cline

Narrated by: Felicia Day

Length: 5 hours 8 minutes

Abridged: No

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ernest Cline comes a mostly true tall tale about an unexpected friendship between a young girl and a music-loving colony of bats. After losing her mother, thirteen-year-old Opal moves in with her uncle Roscoe on the family farm. There, Opal bonds with Uncle Roscoe over music and befriends a group of... Read more

A Duet for Home

By: Karina Yan Glaser

Narrated by: Sura Siu & Preston Butler III

Length: 6 hours 18 minutes

Abridged: No

From the New York Times best-selling creator of the Vanderbeekers series comes a triumphant tale of friendship, healing, and the power of believing in ourselves told from the perspective of biracial sixth-graders June and Tyrell, two children living in a homeless shelter. As their friendship grows over a shared love of classical music, June and... Read more

Ellie Engle Saves Herself

By: Leah Johnson

Narrated by: Rocky Anicette

Length: 6 hours 16 minutes

Abridged: No

From award-winning YA author Leah Johnson comes her middle grade debut: a laugh-until-you-cry, cry-until-you-laugh story about friendship, change, and the power we have to love ourselves. Ellie Engle doesn't stand out. Not at home, where she's alone with her pet fish since her dad moved away and her mom has to work around the clock . Not at the... Read more

May You Love and Be Loved

By: Cleo Wade

Narrated by: Cleo Wade

Length: 6 minutes

Abridged: No

May You Love and Be Loved features sound design and special effects to enhance your listening enjoyment. Listen out for the sounds of the ocean while being immersed in this beautiful poem. It is the tender and joyous audiobook from New York Times–bestselling author and poet Cleo Wade.

May you know fear but not be driven by it
May you know joy... Read more

Shark Teeth

By: Sherri Winston

Narrated by: Dõe Sebanakitta

Length: 7 hours 29 minutes

Abridged: No

Bloomsbury presents Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston, read by Dõe Sebanakitta.

From National Book Award longlisted author Sherri Winston comes an important middle grade novel about a girl's tumultuous journey to keep her family together, even when she's falling apart.

Sharkita “Kita” Hayes is always waiting.
Waiting for her mama to mess up.
Waiting for... Read more

Kwame Crashes the Underworld

By: Craig Kofi Farmer

Narrated by: Joshua Quinn

Length: 8 hours 56 minutes

Abridged: No

Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.

Twelve-year-old Kwame Powell isn't ready to deal with losing his grandmother, even as he and his family head to Ghana for her celebration of life.

He's... Read more

Strong Mama

By: Robin Arzón

Narrated by: Robin Arzón

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

Mama and baby make one incredible team in this new picture book from New York Times bestselling author and Peloton instructor extraordinaire Robin Arzón.

Before I met you, I dreamed of you. This is the story of how we first met. 

Ultramarathons. Bike sprints. Squats and deadlifts. Naps. Kitchen dance parties! All of it is in preparation for... Read more

Bake Infinite Pie with X + Y

By: Eugenia Cheng

Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest

Length: 23 minutes

Abridged: No

Aspiring bakers will embrace this charming picture book about baking pie by using simple math, from one of the world’s most creative and celebrated mathematicians.

X + Y are dreaming of baking infinite pie. But they don’t know if infinite pie is real. With the help of quirky and uber-smart Aunt Z, and a whole lot of flour and butter, X and Y will... Read more

Amari and the Great Game

By: B. B. Alston

Narrated by: Imani Parks

Length: 11 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

Sequel to the New York Times bestseller Amari and the Night Brothers!Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this magical second book in the New York Times and Indie bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy—perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.After finding her brother and saving... Read more

The Sun Does Shine (Young Readers Edition)

By: Anthony Ray Hinton, Lara Love Hardin & Olugbemi...

Narrated by: Kevin R. Free

Length: 7 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times, now adapted for younger readers.

In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Stunned, confused, and only 29 years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity and believed... Read more

Simon B. Rhymin' Takes a Stand

By: Dwayne Reed

Narrated by: Dwayne Reed

Length: 3 hours 26 minutes

Abridged: No

This humorous and heartwarming sequel to Simon B. Rhymin' follows a young rapper navigating the inequality and injustice within his school and community.Eleven-year-old Simon and his friends are disappointed with the lack of funding at Booker T. Washington School—there’s no AC, only one space for school activities, and the money for... Read more

A Different Pond

By: Bao Phi

Narrated by: Bao Phi

Length: 14 minutes

Abridged: No

As a young boy, Bao and his father awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their... Read more

Layla, the Last Black Unicorn

By: Tiffany Haddish & Jerdine Nolen

Narrated by: Tiffany Haddish

Length: 9 minutes

Abridged: No

From beloved comedian, actress, and New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Haddish comes Layla, the Last Black Unicorn, a hilarious, original book about a lovable but awkward unicorn who learns why her uniqueness is her biggest strength.It’s not easy to fit in when you stand out. When Layla arrives for her first day of school at Unicornia,... Read more

My Name Is a Story

By: Ashanti

Narrated by: Ashanti

Length: 8 minutes

Abridged: No

From Grammy Award-winning singer Ashanti comes an empowering story about a girl who learns to love her unique name. First days aren’t easy for a girl with a name like Ashanti. It feels like no one can pronounce it correctly! But with some encouragement from her mom, Ashanti spells her name and learns just how special it is.A is for awesome, S is... Read more

Eyes That Speak to the Stars

By: Joanna Ho

Narrated by: Justin Chien

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

New York Times bestselling team Joanna Ho and Dung Ho present Eyes That Speak to the Stars, companion to the acclaimed Eyes That Kiss in the Corners.“A brilliant treatise to love of self and heritage.” —School Library Journal (starred review)“A beautifully validating book that builds on the necessary work of its predecessor.” —Kirkus“Affirmative... Read more

Golden Girl

By: Reem Faruqi

Narrated by: Ariana Delawari

Length: 2 hours 38 minutes

Abridged: No

From the award-winning, ALA Notable author of Unsettled and Lailah’s Lunchbox, this is a captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing what’s right isn’t always easy.For fans of The Thing About... Read more

Wild Survival: Chasing Jaguars

By: Melissa Cristina Márquez

Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez

Length: 4 hours 9 minutes

Abridged: No

Twelve-year-old Adrianna Villalobos and her older brother, Feye, travel the globe with their parents, the hosts of a suspenseful nature show called Wild Survival! The show features daring animal rescues and the work the family does at their animal sanctuary. Their latest adventure takes them to Mexico. There, they’re tracking an injured and... Read more

Love in the Library

By: Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Narrated by: Sura Siu

Length: 14 minutes

Abridged: No

To fall in love is already a gift. But to fall in love in a place like Minidoka, a place built to make people feel like they weren’t human—that was miraculous. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tama is sent to live in a War Relocation Center in the desert. All Japanese Americans from the West Coast—elderly people, children, babies—now live in... Read more

Cookies & Milk

By: Shawn Amos

Narrated by: Shawn Amos

Length: 4 hours 54 minutes

Abridged: No

It's a summer of family, friendship, and fun fiascos in this semi-autobiographical novel that's as irresistible as a fresh-baked cookie.
 
Eleven-year-old Ellis Johnson has the summertime blues. He dreamed of spending the summer of 1976 hanging out with friends, listening to music, and playing his harmonica. Instead, he'll be sleeping on a lumpy... Read more

Dream, Annie, Dream

By: Waka T. Brown

Narrated by: Sophie Oda

Length: 8 hours 6 minutes

Abridged: No

In this empowering deconstruction of the so-called American Dream, a twelve-year-old Japanese American girl grapples with, and ultimately rises above, the racism and trials of middle school she experiences while chasing her dreams.As the daughter of immigrants who came to America for a better life, Annie Inoue was raised to dream big. And at the... Read more