White Plains is a wonderfully diverse community! Parents, children and teens have expressed an interest in titles that reflect the diversity in the community, and Ashley, Kathlyn, and Raquel's “Dive Into Diversity” column will spotlight noteworthy children's and teen titles that are inclusive, diverse and multicultural to fulfill that interest. Kathlyn‘s portion is aimed at readers in grades 7-12.

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America, edited by Ibi Zoboi
Grades 9 and up
“No collection could represent the entire spectrum of blackness, however, the presence of trans, Afro-Latinx, and physically disabled characters is missed: a clarion call for more authentic black-centric collections. A breath of fresh air and a sigh of long overdue relief.”—Kirkus Reviews

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager, by Ben Philippe
Grades 7 and up
“Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe's debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school…and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide-style burn book.”—Kirkus Reviews

War Girls, by Tochi Onyebuchi
Grades 9 and up
“Oneyebuchi brings attention to the civil war between Nigeria and Biafra in 1967 by transposing it into a future in which Biafrans and Nigerians use advances in biotechnology, robotics, and artificial intelligence to wage war.”—VOYA

Stars and the Blackness Between Them, by Junauda Petrus
Grades 8 and up
“Striking an agile balance between humor and heartbreak, Petrus delivers an immersive queer romance set in in a world much like our own but touched with the slightest tint of magic realism.”—Booklist

The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
Grades 5-8
“This graphic-novel adaptation of Alexander's 2015 Newbery Medal winner offers powerful visuals to an already-cherished narrative of teenage black boys navigating the game of life.”—Kirkus Reviews