Books about Black joy for 5-8s

Marv and the Dino Attack

Author: Alex Falase-Koya Illustrator: Paula Bowles

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 6+

Marvin, a secret superhero with a robot sidekick named Pixel, is super excited because he’s going on a school trip to the Natural …

Destiny Ink: Sleepover Surprise

Author: Adeola Sokunbi

Interest level: 6-7

Reading age: 5+

Destiny feels nervous about going to her first sleepover. When she meets a friendly monster, the two of them conquer their fears t…

Smile Out Loud: 25 Happy Poems

Author: Joseph Coelho Illustrator: Daniel Gray-Barnett

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 6+

Joseph Coelho has written the brilliant poems in this book to help children spread happiness. 

Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door and the Magic Puppy

Author: Lola Morayo Illustrator: Cory Reid

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 7+

Aziza and her brother Otis visit fairyland, where a mischievous puppy steals the magical hands of the town clock. The siblings mus…

Keisha Jones Takes on the World

Author: Natalie Denny Illustrator: Chanté Timothy

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 6+

Keisha wants to be like her inspiring Great Aunt Bee and stand up for what’s right. Her first cause is the price of bunnies in the…

Ellie and the Cat

Author: Malorie Blackman Illustrator: Matt Robertson

Interest level: 6-11

Reading age: 6+

Ellie gets magically swapped into the body of her pet cat, Jolly. In order to become human again, Ellie must complete a special ta…

Betsey Biggalow the Detective

Author: Malorie Blackman Illustrator: Jamie Smith

Interest level: 5-10

Reading age: 8+

Despite the sunshine, life is not always straightforward for Betsey Biggalow - though she always manages to have lots of adventure…

Secret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street

Author: Robin Birch Illustrator: Jobe Anderson

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 7+

When best friends Aisha and Jayden become members of the Secret Beast Club, their first magical mission is to rescue a lost unicor…

The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me

Author: Serena Holly Illustrator: Selom Sunu

Interest level: 9-11

Reading age: 9-11

A humorous, heart-warming story about the special relationship between a girl and her granny and how they team up to make an unbea…

Future Hero: Race to Fire Mountain

Author: Remi Blackwood Illustrator: Alicia Robinson

Interest level: 9-11

Reading age: 9+

Inspired by African mythology, this fast-paced adventure combines magic and futuristic technology to create a compelling fantasy t…

Too Small Tola

Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Onyinye Iwu

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 6+

In this lovely collection of short stories, a young Nigerian girl - tired of the nickname ‘Too Small Tola’- proves that, despite h…

Daydreams and Jellybeans

Author: Alex Wharton Illustrator: Katy Riddell

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 6+

This accessible collection of poems is fun and thoughtful and an ideal resource for teachers. The focus here is on poems that soun…

Stars With Flaming Tails

Author: Valerie Bloom Illustrator: Ken Wilson-Max

Interest level: 6-11

Reading age: 7+

A stunning collection of poetry for children by poet Valerie Bloom, as fun to read aloud together as it is poignant and powerful.

Magic Faces Heroes of the Pirate Ship

Author: Esi Merleh Illustrator: Abeeha Tariq

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age: 5+

Can twins Austin and Alanna find the treasure chest before the sneaky pirates do? A fun young series sprinkled with magic.

Dyma'r…

Frankie and Friends: Breaking News

Author: Christine Platt Illustrator: Alea Marley

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 6+

Can Frankie cover her first breaking news story, like her journalist mama? Heartwarming and charming, with cute illustrations, ide…