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This list was compiled by Leigh Collazo / MrsReaderPants. I add new titles to the list regularly. Click the tabs at the bottom to toggle between picture books, middle grade, and YA titles.
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StateTitleAuthorYearNotes
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AlabamaBecause of You, John LewisAndrea Davis Pinkney2022Selma, Alabama, 1965
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AlaskaAll Aboard the Alaska Train Brooke Hartman2024train in Alaska picks up animal passengers
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AlaskaBerry SongMichaela Goade2022This got 5 starred professional reviews!
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AlaskaCozyJan Brett2020
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AlaskaSunrise SummerMatthew Swanson2020
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AlaskaAlaska Is for the Birds! Fourteen Favorite Feathered FriendsSusan Ewing2022
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AlaskaTogoRobert J Blake2002
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ArizonaThe Night FlowerLara Hawthorne2018Sonoran Desert, informational picture book
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ArizonaGrand CanyonJason Chin20172017 Sibert Honor (informational books)
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ArizonaThe Three Little JavelinasSusan Lowell1992not just Arizona - this works for the American Southwest
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ArizonaFry Bread: A Native American Family StoryKevin Maillard20192020 Sibert Medal winner (informational books)
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ArkansasLittle Rosetta and the Talking Guitar: The Musical Story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Woman Who Invented Rock and RollCharnelle Pinkney Barlow2023picture book biography set in Cotton Plant, AR in 1920s
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CaliforniaDreams to Ashes: The 1871 Los Angeles Chinatown MassacreLivia Blackburne2025informational picture book
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CaliforniaBarrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano ParkMaría Dolores Águila20242 days of protest in 970; Chicano Park in Barrio Logan, a Chicano neighborhood in San Diego, California, USA
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CaliforniaThe Rainbow Parade Emily Neilson2022San Francisco; Pride Parade
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CaliforniaAlice Waters Cooks Up a Food Revolution Diane Stanley2022cooking, food, farm to table
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CaliforniaI Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lin2021Chinese Americans, immigration, Chinese Exclusion Act, 1800s
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CaliforniaWithout Separation: Prejudice, Segregation, and the Case of Roberto AlvarezLarry Dane Brimner2021picture book biography; right to education; Mexican Americans
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CaliforniaBlack Beach: A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth DayShaunna & John Stith2023Santa Barbara, CA; origin of Earth Day
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California and LouisianaClaude: The True Story of a White AlligatorEmma Bland Smith2020true story of an albino alligator born in Louisiana and living at the California Academy of Science
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CaliforniaOdin, Dog Hero of the Fires Smith2020wildfires; based on a true story of a dog
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ColoradoFor Spacious Skies: Katharine Lee Bates and the Inspiration for "America the Beautiful" Nancy Churnin2020picture book biography
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FloridaWelcome to Florida! Asa Gilland2021nonfiction picture book
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FloridaAlligators and CrocodilesGail Gibbons2010nonfiction picture book
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FloridaA Voice for the Everglades: Marjory Stoneman DouglasVicki Conrad2021picture book biography; conservation; Women's History Month
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FloridaEvergladesJean Craighead George1995classic nonfiction still in print as of July 2022
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FloridaIf You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School...Don't!Elise Parsley2015humor; not specific to Florida, but kids love gators!
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FloridaS is for SunshineCarol Crane2000nonfiction picture book
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FloridaI'm A ManateeJohn Lithgow2003be sure to play the CD that comes with the book (if you don't have it, check YouTube)
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FloridaFelina's New Home: A Florida Panther StoryLoran Wlodarski2010good for conservation discussions; Florida panthers are critically-endangered
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HawaiiButterfly for a King: Saving Hawaiʻi's Kamehameha ButterfliesCindy Trumbore2021nonfiction, science, nature
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HawaiiAloha EverythingKaylin Melia George2024true meaning of "Aloha" and dancing the hula
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HawaiiHo'onani: Hula WarriorHeather Gale2019based on the ancient Hawaiian cultural concept that there are three genders: male, female, and both
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HawaiiPunky AlohaShar Tuiasoa2022Oahu; self-confidence, grandmothers
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HawaiiKapaemahuHinaleimoana Wong-Kalu2022Lambda Literary Award Nominee for LGBTQ+ Children’s Books (2023)
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HawaiiSakamoto's Swim Club: How a Teacher Led an Unlikely Team to VictoryJulie Abery2021Olympic swim team from Hawaii (1930s)
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IdahoWhen Beavers Flew: An Incredible True Story of Rescue and Relocation Kristen Tracy2024Informational picture book; 1948 Beaver Drop, innovation, creative problem solving
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IowaTen Beautiful ThingsMolly Beth Griffin2020
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KentuckyThe Horseback Librarians Jane Yolen2023rural Kentucky, 1930s, Great Depression
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KentuckyL is for LincolnKathy-Jo Wargin2000
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KentuckyLift Your Light a Little Higher: The Story of Stephen Bishop: Slave-ExplorerHeather Henson2016
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KentuckyB Is For Bluegrass: A Kentucky AlphabetMary Ann Mccabe Riehle2002
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KentuckyPerfect Timing: How Isaac Murphy Became one of the World's Greatest JockeysPatsi B. Trollinger2006Kentucky horse racing
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KentuckyHoney the Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln Swanson2020
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LouisianaSoggy Like Cush CushKarly Pierre2025a rainy day in a Creole community in Louisiana, USA
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LouisianaI Am Ruby BridgesRuby Bridges2022picture book memoir; school desegregation
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MassachusettsHope Is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese-American Poet Khalil GibranCory McCarthy2022picture book biography; set in Lebanon and Boston
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MichiganWith DadRichard Jackson2024a father-son camping trip set along the Au Sable River, Michigan, USA
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MinnesotaOne-Dog CanoeArd Hoyt1999
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MississippiOde to GrapefruitKari Lavelle2024picture book biography about James Earl Jones as a young boy; he stuttered as a child and did not speak for 8 years.
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MississippiYellow Dog BluesAlice Faye Duncan2022Mississippi Delta, rhythm and blues music
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New JerseyFlotsamDavid Wiesner20062007 Caldecott Medal winner
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New JerseyGoing Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book Tonya Bolden2022picture book biography about founder of The Negro Motorist Green-Book
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New Mexico and WisconsinFinding My DanceRia Thundercloud2022picture book autobiography; Native American dancer; cross-referenced with Wisconsin
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New York and Puerto RicoPura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her StoriesAnnette Bay Pimentel2021picture book biography
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New YorkRivka's PresentsLaurie Wallmark2023historical fiction, picture book for older readers; set in an immigrant community in New York City, 1918
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New YorkThe Truth About Max Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen2023about a real-life cat living at Maple Hill Farm in Dutchess County, New York
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New YorkAngélica and la GüiraAngie Cruz2024Dominican Republic and Washington Heights, New York City, USA
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New YorkFarmhouseSophie Blackall2022upstate NY; gorgeous illustrations with lots of detail
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New York The World Belonged to UsJacqueline Woodson2022Brooklyn, New York
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New YorkA Book, Too, Can Be a Star: The Story of Madeleine L'Engle and the Making of A Wrinkle in TimeCharlotte Jones Voiklis and Jennifer Adams2022picture book biography about Madeline L'Engle, set in New York City
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North CarolinaThe Green Piano: How Little Me Found MusicRoberta Flack, Tonya Bolden2023picture book biography
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OhioYou Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce! Chiquita Mullins Lee and Carmella Van Vleet2023biography set in Columbus, OH
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OhioWatercressJason Chin2021Newbery Medal Nominee (2022), Caldecott Medal (2022), Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Picture Book (2022)
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OregonThe Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape Amy Alznauer2025picture book biography; math careers, Women's History Month, STEM
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Oregon or Washington (Pacific Northwest setting)The HikeAlison Farrell2019
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PennsylvaniaSymphony for a Broken Orchestra: How Philadelphia Collected Sounds to Save Music Amy Ignatow2022inner-city schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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PennsylvaniaCall Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente Goes to BatNathalie Alonso2024picture book biography; Grades 2-5
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PennsylvaniaK Is for Keystone: A Pennsylvania AlphabetKristen Kane2003
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PennsylvaniaOne for All: A Pennsylvania Number BookTrinka Hakes Noble2005
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PennsylvaniaSymphony for a Broken Orchestra: How Philadelphia Collected Sounds to Save MusicAmy Ignatow2022picture book about recycling broken musical instruments in Philadelphia schools
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Puerto Rico and New YorkPura's Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her StoriesAnnette Bay Pimentel2021picture book biography
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South CarolinaFreedom on the Sea: The True Story of the Civil War Hero Robert Smalls and His Daring Escape to Freedom Michael Boulware Moore2024picture book biography; set in 1862 in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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TennesseeA LibraryNikki Giovanni2022Carnegie Library in Nashville, 1950s
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Texas They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation ParkTonya Duncan Ellis2024informational picture book; set on Juneteenth at Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas
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Texas The Jalapeno ManDebbie Leland2000currently out of print, but super-fun to read aloud if you can find it!
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Texas The Homeless Christmas TreeLeslie M. Gordon2008This little tree was sadly (and "mysteriously") cut down in 2020 - it was in Fort Worth
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Texas Bubba the Cowboy PrinceHelen Ketteman1997fractured “Cinderella” fairy tale, Texas style
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Texas The Legend of the BluebonnetTomie dePaola1983folklore
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UtahWat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru MisakaCheryl Kim2024picture book biography set in 1940s; about Wataru Misaka, a Japanese American basketball player
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VirginiaTwenty-One StepsJeff Gottesfeld2021Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery
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VirginiaGeorge Washington's TeethDeborah Chandra2003nonfiction picture book
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Virginia1607: A New Look at JamestownKaren E. Lange2007picture book for older readers (Grades 3-8)
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VirginiaIf You’re a Kid Like Gavin Gavin Grimm and Kyle Lukoff2022set in 2020; Supreme Court case about bathroom rights for transgender student at a high school; this is a picture book biography/memoir, written by the transgender student
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VirginiaWhen the Schools Shut Down: A Young Girl's Story of Virginia's "Lost Generation" and the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka DecisionYolanda Gladden and Dr. Tamara Pizzoli2022school desegregation
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Wisconsin and New MexicoFinding My DanceRia Thundercloud2022picture book autobiography; Native American dancer; cross-referenced with New Mexico
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Wyoming, Idaho, Montana (Yellowstone National Park)Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem Jude Isabella2020informational picture book
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