CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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I Am Every Good Thing
CCBC Review:
First-person statements in the voice of a young Black boy assert all the good things he stands for: “I am a roaring flame of creativity. I am a lightning round of questions, and a star-filled sky of solutions. I am an explorer, planting a flag on every square foot of this planet where I belong.” The accompanying oil paintings show a variety of Black boys in middle childhood engaging in play, sports, scientific study, celebration, and family hugs. Barnes’ strong, poetic text is a love letter to all Black boys, affirming their brilliance and beauty in a world that often is hostile to them. It concludes with the powerful lines: “I am worthy of success, of respect, of safety, of kindness, of happiness. / And without a shadow of a doubt, I am worthy to be loved. I am worthy to be loved.” Amen. ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Gordon C. James
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Affirmation
African Americans
Boys and Men
Self-Esteem and Self-Worth
Diversity subject:
Black/African
On CCBC Booklist:
Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance in 45 Books for PreK-Grade 12
Publishers:
Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780525518778
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Barnes
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.