At Barbershop Books, we believe reading for fun is one of the most powerful ways children build confidence, curiosity, and a strong reading identity. That belief comes to life each month through our “10 Books That Inspire Black Boys to Read” list.
Throughout the year, we spotlight books that spark joy, reflect children’s lived experiences, and invite boys to see themselves as readers. From laugh-out-loud stories and graphic novels to powerful biographies and imaginative adventures, this list is about celebrating choice, voice, and fun.
Here’s a look back at the books that inspired readers month by month this year.
January
- Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodard Sheffield
- Ty’s Travels: All Aboard by Kelly Starling Lyons
- Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
- Kicks by Van G. Garrett
- The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
- Game Over by Maxwell Clay
- My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O’Hara
- Leon the Extraordinary by Jamar Nicholas
- Art Club by Rashad Doucet
- The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
February
- Big Papa and the Time Machine By Daniel Bernstrom
- There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds
- The ABC’s of Black History By Rio Cortez
- Black Boy, Black Boy By Ali Kamanda
- Athletes Who Made a Difference: Muhammad Ali By Josh Anderson
- Jerry Changed the Game! By Don Tate
- 28 Days By Charles R. Smith, Jr.
- Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen? By Sherri L. Smith
- Black Heroes of the Wild West By James Otis Smith
- Black Heroes By Arlisha Norwood
March
- I Got You by Derrick Barnes
- Good Night, Little Man by Daniel Bernstrom
- Training Day by Raúl the Third
- That’s Not Funny, David! by David Shannon
- Party Animal by Nick Bruel
- Fly Guy Presents: Space by Tedd Arnold
- Pizza and Taco: Who’s the Best? by Stephen Shaskan
- Stuntboy in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds
- Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer
- Cars: Engines that Move You by Dan Zettwoch
April
- Little Big Man by Varian Johnson
- I Will Chomp You by Jory John
- Grumpy Monkey: Spring Fever by Suzanne Lang
- Saturday Morning at the Shop by Keenan Jones
- Fox the Tiger by Cory R. Tabor
- Mordecai’s Magic by Bryan Patrick Avery
- Let’s Fly by Barrington Irving
- J vs. K by Kwame Alexander & Jerry Craft
- Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas
- Space Chasers by Leland Melvin
May
- The Boy Who Found His Voice by Tyler Gordon
- Like Lava In My Veins by Derrick Barnes
- Chase and the Case of the Missing Jersey by John Butler
- Hedgehogs Don’t by Marissa Valdez
- Bo and the Community Garden by Elliott Smith
- Game Over, Super Rabbit Boy by Thomas Flintham
- The Fly by Elise Gravel
- Ali Cross: The Graphic Novel by James Patterson and Adam Rau
- Worst Bot Ever: Meet Ball Point by Brian Smith
- Who Is LeBron James? by Crystal Hubbard
June
- Beam Me Up by Fabian Ferguson
- I’m From by Gary R. Gray, Jr.
- The Bad Seed by Jory John
- Big Boy Joy by Connie Schofield-Morrison
- I Can Work in Sports by George A. Latham, IV
- Becoming Ari: Kicks for a Cause by Christopher Stewart
- Magic Treehouse Fact Checker: Dinosaurs by Mary Pope Osborne
- Billions to Burn by Taylor Banks
- Timid by Jonathan Todd
- The Boy with Wings by Sir Lenny Henry
July
- A is for Alfie by Randy DuBurke
- Ty’s Travels: Super Ty! by Kelly Sterling Lyons
- Grumpy Monkey: Play All Day by Suzanne Lang
- Super Pizza & Kid Kale by Phaea Crede
- Class Pet Ghost Detective by Akeem S. Roberts
- Kung Pow Chicken: Let’s Get Cracking! by Cindy Marko
- Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey
- Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
- Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Rhodes Parker
- Mr. Smarty Pants by Charity Reid
August
- This Book May Make You Do Things by Thembi Palmer
- See Marcus Grow by Marcus Bridgewater
- Bored Panda by Mike Bender
- Duck, Duck, Goose! by John Hare
- Saturday School by RaQia Lowo
- There Might Be a Kazoo Emergency by Heidi E.Y. Stemple
- Get on the Ice Mo by David A. Adler
- Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic by Jamar J. Perry
- Sports Heroes: Stephen Curry by Josh Bycel & Rich Korson
- The Swag Is in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist
September
- Good by Alexs Pate
- Oh No, Ojó! by Àlàbá Ònájìn
- Stop that Mop! by Jonathan Fenske
- A Father’s Promise by Gerald L. Jackson
- Who Would Win?: Ultimate Pterosaur Battle by Jerry Pallota
- Taekwondo Academy: New Kid at the Dojang by Shawn Pryor
- Max Meow: When Pancakes Go Bad (Really Bad) by Jonathan Gallagher
- Sword of the Champion by Eric Lide
- Encounter at Owl Rock by Rucker Moses
- Discovering Sources of Water in Max Axiom’s Lab by Myra Faye Turner
October
- Dwayne’s Big Decision by Jackson Jeffrey
- When Isaac Hears the Rain by Julie Thompson
- I Want to be Big by Tiffany Golden
- Pee, Bee, & Jay: Stuck Together by Brian Smith
- Action Dude by Andy Riley
- Desmond Cole, Ghost Patrol: The Haunted House Next Door by Andres Miedoso
- Grumpy Monkey: School Stinks by Suzanne Lang
- Awesome, Disgusting, Unusual Facts about the Middle Ages by Stephanie Bearce
- A Method for Magic and Misfortune by Craig Kofi Farmer
- Buckle Up by Lawrence Lindell
November
- A Week with Papa by Matthew Miller
- I Want to Be an Artist by Laura Driscoll
- The Big Cheese by Jory John
- Lone Wolf Goes to School by Kiah Thomas
- Diary of a Roblox Pro: Alien Mission by Ari Avatar
- The Snips: A Bad Buzz Day by Raúl the Third
- World’s Grossest Creepy Crawlers by Scott Nickel
- What Do We Know About Zombies? by Meg Belviso
- Alex Wise vs. the End of the World by Terry J. Benton-Walker
- Miles Morales: Shockwaves by Justin A. Reynolds
December
- F is for Football by Bryan Boyd, Bryan Boyd, Jr. and Jairalin Repalbor
- Jordan’s Perfect Haircut by Sharee Miller
- This Book is Dangerous by Ben Clanton
- Downtown Doors by Natasha Tripplett
- Milo’s Spectacular Superhero Adventure by Bryan Patrick Avery
- Spark: Jim West’s Electrifying Adventures in Creating the Microphone by Ainissa Ramirez
- Twins, but Different by Porsche Thomas
- Dream Warriors: A New World by Jesse Byrd
- Coach by Jason Reynolds
- 96 Facts about Goat Athletes by Arie Kaplan
Why This List Matters
Each book on this list represents more than a title. It’s an invitation. An invitation for Black boys to explore their interests, feel seen, and build a joyful relationship with reading.
As we head into the new year, we’re excited to keep sharing books that help children proudly say, “I’m a reader.”
