I have very much enjoyed participating in the Diversity on the Shelf Challenge hosted by Akilah at The Englishist this year. There’s a few more days left in the year as I’m writing this, but so far in December, I’ve finished 16 books – I should have at least two more done by the 31^st though.  (I also started and didn’t finish three more books.)

This was my last chance to meet my goal of reading 60 books by authors of color this year.  I needed four more and look – I’m making it!  All of them are middle grade this month.

• Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich
• Chickadee by Louise Erdrich
• Makoons by Louise Erdrich
• Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

Characters of Color by White Authors

• The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
• Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan
• Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
• Time Traveling with a Hamster by Ross Welford

And just to put it in one place, here’s the total list for the year, with links to my reviews where available:

Books by Authors of Color

1. Alvin Ho Collection Books 1-2 by Lenore Look  (early chapter)
2. Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke (Early Chapter)
3. Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan and Sophie Blackall (picture book)
4. Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich (Middle Grade)
5. Booked by Kwame Alexander (middle grade, in print)
6. Booked by Kwame Alexander (middle grade, on audio)
7. Brand-new School, Brave New Ruby by Derrick Barnes (Early Chapter)
8. Chickadee by Louise Erdrich (middle grade)
9. Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel M. Zubizarreta (early chapter/ short middle grade)
10. Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson and E. B. Lewis (longer picture book)
11. Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Middle Grade)
12. Forest of Wonders by Linda Sue Park (middle grade)
13. Funny Bones by Duncan Tonatiuh (middle grade biography)
14. Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi (middle grade)
15. Game of Silence. Birchbark House Book 2 by Louise Erdrich. (Middle Grade)
16. Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities by Mike Jung (middle grade)
17. Ghoulish Song by William Alexander (Middle Grade)
18. Goblin Secrets by William Alexander (Middle Grade)
19. Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia (Middle Grade)
20. Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus and Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke (somewhere between early chapter and middle grade)
21. Hooray for Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke (somewhere between early chapter and middle grade)
22. House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard (Adult)
23. House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (adult)
24. Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai (Middle Grade)
25. Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith (picture book)
26. Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (adult)
27. Lola Levine is Not Mean! By Monica Brown (Early Chapter)
28. Makoons by Louise Erdrich
29. Mango, Abuela and Me by Meg Medina (picture book)
30. March Book 2 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (YA)
31. Momotaro Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters by Margaret Dilloway (middle grade)
32. Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (adult)
33. Ms. Marvel vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona (YA)
34. Ms. Marvel vol. 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona (YA)
35. Ms. Marvel vol. 3: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona (YA)
36. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (YA)
37. Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis (YA)
38. Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich (middle grade)
39. President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston (Middle Grade)
40. Rebellion of Thieves by Kekla Magoon (middle grade)
41. Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes (Middle Grade)
42. Serpentine by Cindy Pon (YA)
43. Sewing Happiness by Sanae Ishida (craft, adult nonfiction)
44. Something Like Love by Beverly Jenkins (Adult)
45. Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho (adult)
46. Speculative Fiction 2014 by Renee Williams and Shaun Duke (adult)
47. Spirit Week Showdown. The Magnificent Mya Tibbs 1 by Crystal Allen (middle grade)
48. Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi (YA)
49. Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolan and Kadir Nelson (longer picture book)
50. Tiger for Malgudi and the Man-Eater of Malgudi by R. K. Narayan (adult)
51. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (YA)
52. Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes (middle grade)
53. Treasure of Maria Mamoun by Michelle Chalfoun (middle grade)
54. Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee (YA)
55. Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike Jung (Middle Grade)
56. When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin (middle grade, in print)
57. When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin (middle grade, on audio)
58. Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adieh (YA)
59. Zahrah the Wind Seeker by Nnedi Okorafor (middle grade)
60. Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Takes Off by Jacqueline Jules and Miguel Benitez (early chapter book)

White authors, main characters of color:

1. A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston (YA)
2. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (adult)
3. Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (Adult)
4. Black Dog Short Stories by Rachel Neumeier (YA)
5. Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (middle grade)
6. Court of Fives by Kate Elliott (YA)
7. Dead Air: Kat Sinclair Files Book 1 by Michelle Shustermann (middle grade)
8. Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling by Tony Cliff (YA)
9. Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier (middle grade)
10. Gloria’s Way by Ann Cameron (early chapter/ short middle grade)
11. Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick (middle grade)
12. Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar (middle grade)
13. Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz (middle grade – and I nominated for the Cybils)
14. Keeper of the Mist by Rachel Neumeier (YA)
15. Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell (YA)
16. Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan (middle grade)
17. Little Robot by Ben Hatke (children’s graphic novel, low word count)
18. Lulu and the Hamster in the Night by Hilary McKay (early chapter)
19. Lumberjanes: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevensen and Grace Ellis (Middle Grade-YAish)
20. Poison is Not Polite. Wells & Wong #2 by Robin Stevens (Arsenic for Tea in the U.K.) (middle grade)
21. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (YA)
22. Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri (picture book)
23. Sandrider by Angie Sage (middle grade)
24. So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane (middle grade)
25. Space Hostages by Sophia McDougall (Middle Grade)
26. Summer Showers by Kate Hannigan (middle grade)
27. The Beatriceid by Kate Elliott (adult short fiction/ epic poem)
28. Time Traveling with a Hamster by Ross Welford (middle grade)
29. Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again by A.C. Wise (adult)
30. When Green Becomes Tomatoes by Julie Fogliano and Julie Morstad
31. Winter by Marissa Meyer (YA)

I’d say that setting a goal definitely helped me make sure it happened!  What were your favorite diverse reads this year?  And, any suggestions for a challenge or readalong I can join next year? This one doesn’t seem to have a host for 2017.