Stephanie Esther

This book addresses - honestly, yet hopefully - the experiences Black children face growing up with systemic racism, as well as providing hope for the future, delivering a powerful message to a new generation of dreamers. It's a message that is both urgent and timeless - and offers a rich and rewarding reading experience for every child.

Is Mum a lioness? She loves her 'cubs', she can run faster than anything, and she can catch you in a single pounce for cuddles and kisses. She always makes sure you can hear her incredibly loud, proud roar when you're playing football. What else could Mum be but a lioness? She's always pawing your hair, along with the rest of the pride of lionesses. But sometimes, especially when her young ones are upset or scared, a lovely, warm, protective lioness embrace is just what is needed.

A powerful and heart-rending exploration of a teenager's journey through grief, rage and getting caught in the criminal justice system from award-winning author Patrice Lawrence.

Charlene is a demon knitter. It's the only thing she enjoys and the only thing she believes she's really good at.

So when her foster mum's son destroys her latest creation, Charlene loses it and stabs him in the hand with her knitting needle. It damages a nerve and she gets sucked into the criminal justice system for assault.

Charlene's not sorry and she's never apologised to anyone in her life. But people keep telling her that if she says sorry, they'll go easier on her. Can she bring herself to say it and not mean it when her freedom's at stake?

Sapphire is the hot-headed leader of the Red Roses in an area where gang loyalty is all that matters. But after a tragic event, Sapphire vows to leave her old life, friends and her gang behind. Life without the Red Roses and the violence that always followed them is certainly quieter.

When she meets a boy called Apollo on her way to Notting Hill Carnival, she forms an instant bond with him. She thinks he could be the one. Until she discovers he's a member of rival gang, the Gold Teeth. Will she ever escape her past with the Red Roses, and how many lives will be ruined until she does?

This magical story follows three children living in a tower block, as they embark on a fantastical adventure which helps them see their home in a new light. This story is a celebration of, and a reclaiming of tower blocks as a place where magic and adventure can happen. It’s a modern-day fable that shows the children of a tower block travelling to a strange, magical world inside a tree and meeting an old man with supernatural powers, only to realise that the magic they’d been looking for had been in their tower all along.

Stand Up! tells the story of ten historic female figures who changed the world by standing up for what's right, including legendary Civil Rights activists like Ruby Bridges and Rosa Parks and spanning to contemporary role models like Bree Newsome, who removed the confederate flag from the South Carolina state house grounds, and Mari Copeny, a youth activist who fought for clean water in Flint, Michigan. Each heroic figure is interconnected by a united quest for equity, and offers young readers a stirring, inspirational call to action, reminding them that they are mighty too, and can be forces for change when they stand up!

A powerfully moving and beautiful book about the voyage of HMT Empire Windrush. The hopes, dreams and bravery of the Windrush generation are expressed in this vivid story through the real-life experiences of Trinidadian musician, Mona Baptiste. Written as a brand-new poem by Benjamin Zephaniah.