This time of the year there are countless literary award ceremonies and “best book” recognitions from prestigious institutions and publications. It is an exciting time for authors, illustrators, and publishers. Another exciting time during this season include lists that suggest what books are great to give as holiday gifts. This holiday list celebrates authors who made their debut in 2020. Because of the pandemic, in-person book launches and signings, school visits, festivals, and other literary events were canceled. For debut authors, those are exuberant once-in-a-lifetime experiences—not to mention all the beautiful books that couldn’t reach their readers. Well, the joyful holiday season is here, and as you think about the children and teen readers, educators, or organizations you may want to gift books to, consider the works of these wonderful authors that debuted in 2020. Happy Holidays!
Picture Book Debuts
Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration
Samara Cole Doyon | Kaylani Juanita | Tilbury House | January 7 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story
Sharon Langley | Amy Nathan | Floyd Cooper | Abrams BYR | January 7 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Black Is a Rainbow Color
Angela Joy | Ekua Holmes | Roaring Brook Press | January 14 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis’ Fleet-of-Foot Girl
Megan Reid | Laura Freeman | Balzer + Bray | January 21 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
I Am a Promise
Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce | Rachel Moss | Black Sheep | February 4 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
I’m Gonna Push Through!
Jasmyn Wright | Shannon Wright | Atheneum BYR | February 18 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Let’s Dance!
Valerie Bolling | Maine Diaz | Boyds Mills Press | March 3 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Bedtime Bonnet
Nancy Redd | Random House BYR | April 7 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
I Love Me!
LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss | Beth Hughes | Beaming Books | April 21 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
The Noisy Classroom
Angela Shanté | Alison Hawkins | West Margin Press | May 5 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea
Meena Harris | Ana Ramírez González | Balzer + Bray | June 2 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
AntiRacist Baby
Ibram X. Kendi | Ashley Lukashevsky | June 16 | BdBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Nana Akua Goes to School
Patricia Elam Walker | April Harrison | Schwartz & Wade | June 16 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Freedom, We Sing
Amyra León | Molly Mendoza | Flying Eye Books | July 7 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
I Promise
LeBron James | Nina Mata | HarperCollins | August 11 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | Indiebound
Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood
Tony Hillery | Jessie Hartland | August 18 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | Indiebound
Bronxtones (A Bronx Baby Book) Board Book
Alex Rivera | Kokila | September 8 | BdBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World
Michael W Waters | Keisha Morris | Flyaway Books | September 22 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Brown
Nancy Johnson James | Constance Moore | Cameron Kids | September 22 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
If Dominican Were a Color
Sili Recio | Brianna McCarthy | Denene Millner Books/S & S BYR | September 22 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
My Hair is Magic!
M. L. Marroquin | Tonya Engel | Page Street Kids | October 6 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
My Rainbow
DeShanna Neal | Trinity Neal | Art Twink | Kokila | October 20 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Praline Lady
Kirstie Myvett | Kameko Madere | Pelican Publishing | November 2 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
The ABCs of Black History
Rio Cortez | Lauren Semmer | Workman Publishing Company | December 22 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
I Am Smart, I Am Blessed, I Can Do Anything!
Alissa Holder | Zulekha Holder-Young | Nneka Myers | Flamingo Books | December 29 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Chapter/Middle-Grade Debuts
This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work
Tiffany Jewell | Aurélia Durand | Frances Lincoln Children’s Books | January 7 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
From the Desk of Zoe Washington
Janae Marks | Katherine Tegen Books | January 14 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Who Did It First? 50 Politicians, Activists, and Entrepreneurs Who Revolutionized the World
Jay Leslie | Alex Hart | Nneka Myers | Henry Holt and Co. BYR | February 11 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
When Stars Are Scattered
Omar Mohamed | Victoria Jamieson | Iman Geddy | Dial Book | April 14 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box
Evette Dionne | Viking BYR | April 21 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop| IndieBound
The Magnificent Makers: How to Test a Friendship (Bk 1 of 3)
Theanne Griffith | Reggie Brown | Random House BYR | May 19 | CpBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Isaiah Dunn is My Hero
Kelly J. Baptist | Crown BYR | MG | August 18 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | Indiebound
Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid
Mikaila Ulmer | G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR | August 18 | NG | Amazon | Bookshop | Indiebound
Jayla Jumps In
Joy Jones | Albert Whitman & Company | September 1 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
When Life Gives You Mangos
Kereen Getten | Delacorte | September 15 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Hide and Seeker
Daka Hermon | Scholastic Press | September 15 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Hockey Night in Kenya
Danson Mutinda | Eric Walters | Claudia Davila | October 13 | CpBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Young Adult Debuts
A Love Hate Thing
Whitney D. Grandison | Inkyard Press | January 7 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard
Echo Brown | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) | January 14 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
The Sound of Stars
Alechia Dow | Inkyard Press | February 25 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto
George M. Johnson | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) | April 28 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
You Should See Me in a Crown
Leah Johnson | Scholastic Press | June 2 | YA | Amazon |Bookshop | IndieBound
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
Roseanne A. Brown | Balzer + Bray | June 2 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
A Song Below Water: A Novel
Bethany C. Morrow | Tor Teen | June 2 | YA | Amazon |Bookshop | IndieBound
Saving Ruby King: A Novel
Catherine Adel | West Park Row | June 16 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Cinderella Is Dead
Kalynn Bayron | Bloomsbury | July 7 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
The Year of the Witching
Alexis Henderson | Ace | July 21 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
This Is My America
Kim Johnson | Random House BYR | July 28 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
The Black Kids
Christina Hammonds Reed | Simon & Schuster | August 4 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Raybearer
Jordan Ifueko | Amulet Books | August 18 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Punching the Air
Ibi Zoboi | Yusef Salaam |Balzer + Bray | September 1 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Legendborn (Legendborn #1)
Tracy Deonn | Margaret K. McElderry Books | September 15 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Walk Toward the Rising Sun: From Child Soldier to Peace Activist
Ger Duany | Garen Thomas | September 22 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Every Body Looking
Candice Iloh | Dutton BYR | September 22 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Smash It!
Francina Simone | Inkyard Press | September 22 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Daughters of Jubilation
Kara Lee Corthron |Simon & Schuster BYR | October 13 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
Malcolm and Me: A Novel
Robin Farmer| SparkPress | November 17 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person
Frederick Joseph | Candlewick | December 1 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
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