Illuminate the achievements and experiences of Black people in the U.S. and beyond with an all-new book collection. COMING 2026!
Rising Voices: Honoring the Richness of Black Stories | Grades K–5
Honoring the Richness of Black Stories
Rising Voices: Honoring the Richness of Black Stories | Grades K–5
Honoring the Richness of Black Stories
Illuminate the achievements and experiences of Black people in the U.S. and beyond with an all-new book collection. COMING 2026!
Critical Thinking Starts with Powerful Stories
The books and teaching materials in this collection focus on five universal themes that foster critical thinking and a comprehensive understanding of the world we live in.
Family, Culture, and Community
How can I help people around me, and how do they help me or enrich my life?
Someone Like Me/Memorable Characters
How do the people in these books help me better understand myself and the world?
Heroes and Role Models
What qualities make someone a hero and what can I learn from them?
Strong and Resilient
What qualities help people succeed when they face challenges?
Thinking Beyond Today
What can I learn from how the people in books dream and plan for the future?
Black Voices. Universal Appeal.
Scholastic partnered with highly accomplished mentors to curate fiction and informational texts that illuminate the contributions and stories of Black people that resonate with the lives and interests of all students.
Research indicates that exposure to an appealing variety of books increases the time children spend reading and positively impacts their reading scores.
First Book; The Impact of a Diverse Classroom Library, 2023
Teach with Meaning and Purpose
Easily integrate this powerful collection into your literacy block. Anchor texts for each theme and instructional materials provide in-depth options to nurture understanding, critical thinking, and academic progress.
See the Research
Studies show that access to books that respect, reflect, and celebrate all is critical to improving academic outcomes.
Rising Voices White Paper
Explore the research behind how the books we read impact the way we see the world and move through it.
Meet the Mentors
Trey Baker
Trey Baker is pursuing a Master of Education at Harvard and has a degree in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies from DePaul University. He serves as a special advisor to the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and is the youth outreach coordinator for Lake County’s Gun Violence Prevention Initiative.
Dr. M. Ann Levett
Dr. M. Ann Levett began as a speech pathologist and worked her way up to superintendent of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. She currently serves as Assistant Executive Director of the School Superintendents Association (AASA).
Karyn Parsons
Karyn Parsons is best known for her role as Hilary Banks on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. After leaving acting behind, Karyn has gone on to produce children’s animated films and author several children’s books.
An Empowering Library for Every Grade
Each grade level (K–5) includes:
50 Books (25 titles, 2 copies each)
Five anchor texts and 20 titles were carefully chosen to appeal to all students.
5 Teaching Cards
Each anchor text includes a Teaching Card that guides teachers through an interactive read-aloud.
Teacher’s Guide
These guides help seamlessly integrate the collection into daily classroom routines.
More Rising Voices Libraries
Create welcoming and engaging classrooms for all with our other collections.
Celebrating Black and Latino Boys
This dynamic collection portrays boys of color as role models, leaders, and the heroes of their own stories.
Empowering Girls in STEAM
STEAM skills are in high demand. This collection was created to introduce all students to interesting STEAM careers.
Celebrating Girls of Color
This empowering collection spotlights girls and women of color as they realize, pursue, and achieve their dreams.
Elevating Latino Stories
This inspiring collection brings the joy of Latino experiences and culture to readers of all backgrounds.
Inspiring Students en español
Strengthen students' skills in Spanish and prepare them for English with transadaptations of beloved books.
Ready to Bring Rising Voices to Your School?
