Read in Color with the University Book Store

Read and be inspired.

Looking for a list of diverse books? University Book Store put together a list (below) of multicultural and inclusive books for all age levels. When you’re done reading, consider sharing your book in our Little Free Library for someone else to enjoy. Shop the books in store or online.

FICTION TOP 12

• The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country
  • Contributor(s): Gorman, Amanda (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Poetry | American | African American & Black
• Harlem Shuffle
  • Contributor(s): Whitehead, Colson (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Literary; Fiction | Thrillers | Crime; Fiction | African American & Black | General
• The Underground Railroad
  • Contributor(s): Whitehead, Colson (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Historical | General; Fiction | African American & Black | Historical; Fiction | Literary
• The Nickel Boys
  • Contributor(s): Whitehead, Colson (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | African American & Black | General; Fiction | Literary; Fiction | Historical | General
• Transcendent Kingdom
  • Contributor(s): Gyasi, Yaa (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Literary; Fiction | Family Life | Siblings; Fiction | African American & Black | General
• The Sweetness of Water (Oprah’s Book Club)
  • Contributor(s): Harris, Nathan (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | African American & Black | Historical; Fiction | Small Town & Rural; Fiction | Southern; Fiction | Literary; Fiction | Historical | Civil War Era; Fiction | LGBTQ+ | Gay
• The Bluest Eye
  • Contributor(s): Morrison, Toni (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Literary; Fiction | African American & Black | General; Fiction | Coming of Age
• Deacon King Kong
  • Contributor(s): McBride, James (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Literary; Fiction | African American & Black | Historical
• Sing, Unburied, Sing
  • Contributor(s): Ward, Jesmyn (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Literary; Fiction | Magical Realism; Fiction | Coming of Age; Fiction | Fantasy | Paranormal; Fiction | African American & Black | General
• Song of Solomon
  • Contributor(s): Morrison, Toni (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Literary; Fiction | African American & Black | General; Fiction | Coming of Age
• Americanah
  • Contributor(s): Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Literary; Fiction | Cultural Heritage; Fiction | African American & Black | General
• Girl, Woman, Other: A Novel (Booker Prize Winner)
  • Contributor(s): Evaristo, Bernardine (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Fiction | Women; Fiction | African American & Black | Women; Fiction | Family Life | General; Fiction | LGBTQ+ | Lesbian; Fiction | LGBTQ+ | Transgender

NONFICTION TOP 12

• Caste (Oprah’s Book Club): The Origins of Our Discontents
  • Contributor(s): Wilkerson, Isabel (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Social Science | Social Classes & Economic Disparity; History | Social History; Social Science | Sociology | Social Theory
• Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot
  • Contributor(s): Kendall, Mikki (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Social Science | Feminism & Feminist Theory; Social Science | Discrimination; Political Science | Commentary & Opinion
• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
  • Contributor(s): Stevenson, Bryan (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Biography & Autobiography | Lawyers & Judges; Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists; Law | Criminal Law | Sentencing; Social Science | Penology; Political Science | Public Policy | General; Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs; Biography & Autobiography | Cultural, Ethnic & Regional | African American & Black
• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
  • Contributor(s): Rothstein, Richard (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: History | United States | 20th Century; Social Science | Discrimination; Political Science | American Government; Political Science | History & Theory | General; Law | Housing & Urban Development; Political Science | Public Policy | City Planning & Urban Development
• My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
  • Contributor(s): Menakem, Resmaa (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Psychology | Social Psychology; Social Science | Discrimination; Psychology | Psychopathology | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Family & Relationships | Prejudice; Biography & Autobiography | Cultural, Ethnic & Regional | General
• Between the World and Me
  • Contributor(s): Coates, Ta-Nehisi (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs; Social Science | Discrimination; History | United States | General; Biography & Autobiography | Cultural, Ethnic & Regional | African American & Black
• The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration
  • Contributor(s): Wilkerson, Isabel (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Social Science | Emigration & Immigration; History | United States | 20th Century; History | Social History; Social Science | Ethnic Studies | American – African American & Black Studies; History | African American & Black
• So You Want to Talk about Race
  • Contributor(s): Oluo, Ijeoma (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Social Science | Minority Studies; Social Science | Ethnic Studies | American – African American & Black Studies; Social Science | Discrimination; Political Science | Civil Rights; Social Science | Black Studies (Global)
• How to Be an Antiracist
  • Contributor(s): Kendi, Ibram X (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Social Science | Discrimination; Social Science | Race & Ethnic Relations; Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs; Political Science | Civil Rights

• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Anniversary)
  • Contributor(s): Alexander, Michelle (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Social Science | Criminology
• White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism
  • Contributor(s): Diangelo, Robin (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Social Science | Discrimination; Social Science | Anthropology | Cultural & Social; Self-Help | Personal Growth | General; Family & Relationships | Prejudice; Social Science | Ethnic Studies | General
• Becoming
  • Contributor(s): Obama, Michelle (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs; Biography & Autobiography | Women; Biography & Autobiography | Cultural, Ethnic & Regional | African American & Black; Biography & Autobiography | Political; Self-Help | Motivational & Inspirational

YOUTH TOP 12

• Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem
  • Contributor(s): Gorman, Amanda (Author); Long, Loren (Illustrator)
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism; Juvenile Fiction | Poetry (see also Stories in Verse); Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States – African American & Black
• New Kid
  • Contributor(s): Craft, Jerry (Author); Craft, Jerry (Illustrator)
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Humorous; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience; Juvenile Fiction | School & Education; Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural; Juvenile Fiction | Boys & Men
• The Hate U Give
  • Contributor(s): Thomas, Angie (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Young Adult Fiction | People & Places | United States – African American & Black; Young Adult Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism; Young Adult Fiction | Social Themes | Violence; Young Adult Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning Stamped from the Beginning
  • Contributor(s): Reynolds, Jason (Author); Kendi, Ibram X (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Young Adult Nonfiction | Social Topics | Prejudice & Racism; Young Adult Nonfiction | People & Places | United States – African American & Black; Young Adult Nonfiction | Social Science | Politics & Government; Young Adult Nonfiction | Social Topics | Civil & Human Rights; Young Adult Nonfiction | History | United States – General
• Sulwe
  • Contributor(s): Nyong’o, Lupita (Author); Harrison, Vashti (Illustrator)
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States – African American & Black; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance; Juvenile Fiction | Family | General (see also headings under Social Themes)
• This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work
  • Contributor(s): Jewell, Tiffany (Author); Durand, Aurelia (Illustrator)
  • BISAC Categories: Young Adult Nonfiction | Social Topics | Prejudice & Racism; Young Adult Nonfiction | Activism & Social Justice; Young Adult Nonfiction | Social Topics | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance; Young Adult Nonfiction | People & Places | General; Young Adult Nonfiction | Social Science | Politics & Government
• The Day You Begin
  • Contributor(s): Woodson, Jacqueline (Author); L pez, Rafael (Illustrator)
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emigration & Immigration; Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
• Antiracist Baby Board Book
  • Contributor(s): Kendi, Ibram X (Author); Lukashevsky, Ashley (Illustrator)
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues; Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States
• A is for Activist
  • Contributor(s): Nagara, Innosanto (Author)
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Nonfiction | Concepts | Alphabet; Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Science | Politics & Government; Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists

• I Am Every Good Thing
  • Contributor(s): Barnes, Derrick (Author); James, Gordon C (Illustrator
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States – African American & Black; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance; Juvenile Fiction | Boys & Men
• Ambitious Girl
  • Contributor(s): Harris, Meena (Author); Valdez, Marissa (Artist
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance; Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural; Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women; Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
• The Undefeated
  • Contributor(s): Alexander, Kwame (Author); Nelson, Kadir (Illustrator)
  • BISAC Categories: Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States – African American & Black; Juvenile Nonfiction | Poetry | General; Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States – General