Youth Book Lists

"As family members braid, brush, twirl, roll, and tighten their hair before bedtime, putting on kerchiefs, wave caps, and other protective items, the little sister cannot find her bonnet."

Lola has curly hair which is much bigger than that of other kids at her school, but she tells anyone who listens how much she loves her hair.

A young boy, Miles, makes his first trip to the barbershop with his father. With the support of his dad, the barber, and the other men in the barbershop, Miles bravely sits through his first haircut.

Bintou wants braids. Long, pretty braids, woven with gold coins and seashells, just like her older sister and the other women in her family. But she is too young for braids. Instead, all she has are four little tufts of hair; all she ever gets are cornrows. However, when Bintou saves the lives of her two young cousins and is offered a reward of her choosing, Bintou discovers that true beauty comes in many different forms.

"A young girl learns to love her difficult-to-manage, voluminous and boonoonoonous hair."

"From a 'fro-hawk to mini-twists and crisp cornrows, adorable illustrations of boys with cool curls, waves, and afros grace each page, accompanied by a positive message."

This picture book explains how the hair style of cornrows, a symbol in Africa since ancient times, can today in this country symbolize the courage of outstanding African Americans.

This book celebrates the magnificent feeling that comes from walking out of a barber shop with newly-cut hair.

Aria loves her soft and bouncy hair, but must go to extremes to avoid people who touch it without permission until, finally, she speaks up.

In a poor Mexican village, Erandi surprises her mother by offering to sell her long, beautiful hair in order to raise enough money to buy a new fishing net.

A little girl's daddy steps in to help her arrange her curly, coiling, wild hair into styles that allow her to be her natural, beautiful self.

A Sikh father and daughter have a shared daily hair routine... and sometimes, they even have a hair twin look!

A girl describes how each person in the family has hair that looks and acts different; Papa's like a broom, Kiki's like fur, and Mama's with the sweet smell of bread before it's baked.

This book celebrates the joy and beauty of nappy hair.

No matter how gently Mama pulls as she combs Keyana's hair, it still hurts.Keyana doesn't feel lucky to have such a head of hair, but Mama tells her she is because she can wear it any way she chooses.

"J.D. has a big problem--it's the night before the start of third grade and his mom has just given him his first and worst home haircut. When the steady stream of insults from the entire student body of Douglass Elementary becomes too much for J.D., he takes matters into his own hands and discovers that, unlike his mom, he's a genius with the clippers. His work makes him the talk of the town and brings him enough hair business to open a barbershop from his bedroom. But when Henry Jr., the owner of the only official local barbershop, realizes he's losing clients to J.D., he tries to shut him down for good. How do you find out who's the best barber in all of Meridian, Mississippi? With a GREAT BARBER BATTLE!" This is the first book in a series.

Inspired by traditional Japanese dolls, this story introduces readers to the Kokeshis' kimonos and hair-dos as well as Japanese culture.

Marisol McDonald, a biracial, nonconformist, soccer-playing pirate-princess with brown skin and red hair, celebrates her uniqueness. This book is bilingual (English/Spanish).

Mike is a mixed-race boy, completely comfortable with his identity and his parents--and his wild, curly hair.

After a day of being taunted by classmates about her unruly hair, Mackenzie can't take any more and she seeks guidance from her wise and comforting neighbor, Miss Tillie. Using the beautiful garden in the backyard as a metaphor, Miss Tillie shows Mackenzie that maintaining healthy hair is not a chore nor is it something to fear. Most importantly, Mackenzie learns that natural black hair is beautiful.

A celebration of natural hair, from afros to cornrows and everything in between.

Various people at a backyard picnic offer their comments on a young girl's tightly curled, "nappy" hair.

From dreadlocks to blowouts to braids, Princess Hair shines a spotlight on the beauty and diversity of black hair, showing young readers that every kind of hair is princess hair. Debut author-illustrator Sharee Miller encourages confidence and pride in this playful, colorful picture book that teaches readers to love every bit of themselves.

It is summer vacation and Jamela is bored until her Aunt Beauty asks her to come and help her get her hair salon ready for a special client, who turns out to be "Afro-Idols" contestant Miss Bambi Chaka Chaka.

• With the help of a couple of successful friends, Teesha and Keeba try to capitalize on their talents by opening a hair salon in the run-down Brooklyn housing project where they live. (This is a novel, not a picture book.)

When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother's garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away.

In this rhyming story, an African American girl hides when it's time to comb and braid her hair.

While ten-year-old Anya faces the difficulties of losing her hair to alopecia, her classmate Keely learns how to stand up for what she knows is right. (This is a novel, not a picture book.)

A fourteen-year-old girl, whose mother's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment have affected every aspect of their lives, finds release in ballet and art classes. (This is a novel, not a picture book.)

A horrified boy discovers he has head lice and tries some wild remedies to get rid of them.

When Marcus's mother has chemotherapy for her cancer and loses her hair, he tries to find new hair for her to make her well again.

When a mother loses her hair during chemotheraphy, a son gives her constant support as he helps her choose a wig.

Josh hides the bad haircut he gave himself by wearing a bag on his head, until his sister has a better idea.

Bobby the bonobo is not accepted by the chimps at the zoo where they all live, but after he has an afternoon adventure in the city and gets a Mohawk haircut, the chimps change their minds about him.

While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building. (This is a chapter book, not a picture book.)

Bonnie makes a friend who has hair so wild there's even a jungle inside of it! Bonnie ventures through the hair, but she may need more than a comb to tame her friend's mane.

This board book gives the topic of hair from the child's perspective.

A little girl's talented and untamed hair can open cookie jars and play computer games, much to the displeasure of her strict first-grade teacher, who has rules for everything, including hair.

After having tried a series of outrageous schemes to tame Harriet's hair, her brother and sister finally see that it's not such a big problem after all.

Rosie doesn't think spending the say at work with Grandma will be any fun at all. But Rosie has the time of her life as she is intiated into the exotic and adventure-filled world of a hair salon.

In the wake of his father's sudden death, twelve-year-old Finn feels he is becoming invisible as his hair and skin become whiter by the day, and so he writes and illustrates a book to try to understand what is happening and to hold on to himself and his father. (This is a novel, not a picture book.)

This relatable story from award-winning author-illustrator Hyewon Yum explores the universal fear of first haircuts with honesty, tenderness, and humor   Little lion needs a haircut. But he doesn't want one! Is he worried? No. Is he scared? NO! He just likes his hair the way it is. R-O-A-R! But there's someone else who needs a haircut, too . . . it's Dad, and he doesn't want one, either! Maybe if they go to the barbershop together, there will be nothing to worry about.

When Wilfred, a big, hairy, and lonesome giant, enters a town full of tiny bald people, he finds only one friend but that proves to be enough when the other townspeople trick him out of his warm hair.

When Willie's Uncle Bill comes to babysit, they have excellent adventures making icky stew, getting a haircut at Hair by Pierre, and jamming with a band.

Chronicles the history of hair, looking at hair facts and lore from ancient to modern times.

A collection of little-known facts about hair around the world and through history.

A comprehensive introduction to the life and achievements of the heroic former slave. Includes a chapter title “Hair Saves Her Life."

No-nonsense guide to thinking critically about beauty culture.

Introduces the life of Madam C. J. Walker, who invented hair-care products for African Americans, founded factories and beauty schools, and organized one of the first national meetings of businesswomen in the United States.

A biography of Sarah Breedlove Walker who, born in poverty, pioneered in hair and beauty care products for black women, and became a great financial success.

A collection of poems, including First Braids, Grandma's Way, and Mama's Glory, in which an Afro-American girl celebrates herself, her family, and her heritage.