CCBC Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Books by and/or about Black, Indigenous and People of Color (All Years)

Before You Cite This Data: Please read the first two questions and responses in our Diversity Statistics FAQs for essential information to contextualize this data.

How to Cite This Data: We welcome researchers and others using or referencing the CCBC diversity statistics in reports, papers, presentations, blog posts, visual images, etc., as long as credit is given to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center for its work. The CCBC should be cited as follows:  “Data on books by and about Black, Indigenous and People of Color compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, based on its work analyzing the content of books published for children and teens received by the CCBC annually.” A URL linking to this page and the date the data was accessed should be included.

Our Diversity Statistics Book Search provides access to our analysis of all books we’ve received since 2018.

Children’s and YA Books Received by the CCBC, by and/or About Black, Indigenous and People of Color, Publication Year 2018-2021

Last Updated: October 31, 2022
Click here for numbers for U.S. publishers only

Year
Books
Received
at CCBC
Black/African
Indigenous
Asian
Latinx
Pacific Islander
Arab
By About By About By About By About By About By About
2021 3,427* 315 452 60 74 504 357 329 243 8 7 24 22
2020 3,451* 260 409 39 53 416 328 250 206 2 5 21 27
2019 4,075 235 479 51 70 446 369 253 236 5 6 22 37
2018 3,682 214 405 44 56 400 343 222 252 2 7 18 28

*Due to the pandemic, some publishers didn’t send out review copies, so we didn’t get the number of books we typically do. As always, we recommend calculating percentages to see trends.

Children’s and YA Books Received by the CCBC, by and/or About Black, Indigenous and People of Color, Publication Year 2002-2017

Last Updated: August 20, 2019
Click here for numbers for U.S. publishers only

Year
Books
Received
at CCBC
Black/African
Indigenous
Asian Pacific/
Asian Pacific American
Latinx
By About By About By About By About
2017 3,700 132 355 38 72 279 312 118 218
2016 3,400 94 287 23 55 217 240 104 169
2015 3,400 108 270 19 42 176 113 60 85
2014 3,500 85 181 20 38 129 112 59 66
2013 3,200 69 94 18 34 90 69 49 58
2012 3,600 69 119 6 22 83 76 58 54
2011 3,400 79 123 12 28 76 91 52 58
2010 3,400 102 156 9 22 60 64 55 66
2009 3,000 83 157 12 33 67 80 60 61
2008 3,000 83 172 9 40 77 98 48 79
2007 3,000 77 150 6 44 56 68 42 59
2006 3,000 87 153 14 41 72 74 42 63
2005 2,800 75 149 4 34 60 64 50 76
2004 2,800 99 143 7 33 61 65 37 61
2003 3,200 79 171 11 95 43 78 41 63
2002 3,150 69 166 6 64 46 91 48 94

Children’s and YA Books Received by the CCBC, by and/or About Black, Indigenous and People of Color, Publication Year 1994-2001

Year
Estimated # of
Books Published
Black/African
Indigenous
Asian Pacific
Latinx
By About By and About By and About By and About
2001 5,000-5,500 99 201 60  96 77
2000 5,000-5,500 96 147 40 57 54
1999 5,000 82 151 41 61 64
1998 5,000 96 188 55 52 73
1997 4,500-5000 88 216 64 66 88
1996 4,500 92 172 50 49 103
1995 4,500 100 167 83 91 70
1994 4,500 82 166 70 65 90

Children’s Books By Black Authors and Illustrators Published in the United States
1985-1993

Year
Estimated Number of
Books Published
Total Number of Books
by Black Authors and Illustrators
1993 4,500 74
1992 4,500 94
1991 4,000 70
1990 5,000 51
1989 4,000 48
1988 3,000 39
1987 3,000 30
1986 3,000 18
1985 2,500 18