30 Books For Boys, Young Men Of Color In Newark: 2025 Summer Reading List

NEWARK, NJ — Need a good book to help prevent the dreaded “summer slide?” A Newark-based group recently released its annual summer reading list of books that are geared towards boys and young men of color.

For the second year in a row, My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Newark has put together a Summer Reading List featuring 30 books for early childhood to adult readers.

“The MBK 2025 Summer of Reading List focuses on topics relevant to young men and boys of color, while keeping them engaged over the summer months,” executive director Mark Comesañas said.

The reading list is made up of six sections of books designated by age, covering topics to connect young boys and men of color to a range of experiences:

Ages 0-3

• “Naciste Para Mi/Made for Me” for Me by Zack Bush
• “Brown Sugar Babe” by Charlotte Watson Sherman
• “Sa a pou Mwen/That’s Mine!” By Sumana Seeboruth
• “Baby Goes to Market” by Atinuke
• “Cool Cuts” by Mechal Renee Roe

Ages 4-6

• “Brick by Brick” - Heidi Woodward Sheffield
• “The World Belonged to Us” by Jacqueline Woodsoon
• “Un Beso en Mi Mano/The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn
• “Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin
• “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt

Ages 7-9

• “Benita y las criaturas nocturnas/Benita and the Night Creatures” by Mariana Llanos
• “Freedom Soup” by Tami Charles
• “Merci Suárez Changes Gears” by Meg Medina
• “Dragons in a Bag” by Zetta Elliot
• “J.D. and the Great Barber Battle” by J. Dillard

Ages 10-13

• “The Adventures of Yaya Soup: Soup Joumou Lakay Grann Pola” (series) by Tico Armand and Angie Bell
• “ The Last Last-Day-of-Summer” by Lamar Giles
• “Amanda Black: Una herencia peligrosa” (series) by Juan Gómez-Jurado y Bárbara Montes
• “The Boy in the Black Suit” by Jason Reynolds
• “Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children” by Lynette Mawhinney

Ages 14-17

• “Solito” by Javier Zamora
• “Clap When You Land” by Elizabeth Acevedo
• “What Lane?” by Torrey Maldonado
• “Concrete Rose” by Angie Thomas
• “Louder Than Words” by Ashley Woodfolk

Ages 18+

• “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett
• “The Sun is Also a Star” by Nicola Yoon
• “One Day I Shall Astonish the World’ by Nina Stibbe
• “Cien Años de Soledad” by Gabriel García Márquez
• “The Power of Exposure: Lessons of Success from Highly Effective Mentors” by Dan De Nose

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