I had a great time with the POC Reading Challenge. And because of the challenge, I was thinking more about choosing books with people of color, and I read more than I think I have in the past. I made it to level 5, with 22 books. I’m going to sign up again for next year’s challenge, with the same goal: to reach 25 or more books.

My favorite among these? Probably Marcelo in the Real World. But I also thoroughly enjoyed Marching for Freedom and Shine, Coconut Moon and One Crazy Summer and Bamboo People and Shooting Kabul and… well, you get the point.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
Peace, Locomotion, by Jacqueline Woodson
Shine, Coconut Moon, by Neesha Meminger
Sugar, by Bernice L. McFadden
Marching for Freedom, Elizabeth Partridge
Two Moon Princess, by Carmen Ferrerio-Esteban
Skunk Girl, by Sheba Karim
The Prince of Fenway Park, by Julianna Baggot
A Step from Heaven, by An Na
Mare’s War, by Tanita S. Davis
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip Hoose
Girl in Translation, by Jean Kwok
Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork
The Red Umbrella, by Christina Diaz Gonzales
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
Zora and Me, by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon
Bamboo People, by Mitali Perkins
The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan
Shooting Kabul, by N. H. Senzai
Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper
Tortilla Sun, by Jennifer Cervantes

I also never thanked Ari for sending the prize I won: a copy of Good Fortune, by Noni Carter. I’m looking forward to reading it and counting it towards next year’s challenge!