Lists

Celebrate Pride Month with these critically acclaimed and award-winning feature films from around the world.

From memoir and narrative history to self-help and social justice, this list is a small sampling of recent and essential Indigenous nonfiction for teens to explore.

Here at Skokie Public Library, we are committed to intellectual freedom. More information about Banned Books Week and the titles on this list can be found on the American Library Association's website.

These books feature Hispanic characters, settings, and stories, with a focus on Hispanic authors and illustrators.

From picture books to chapter books and nonfiction, these books offer varied insights into Muslim life, especially in childood.

From fantasy to literary fiction to romance, explore a wide range of the Jewish experience in fiction for adults and teens. There is something for everyone.

Celebrate Pride Month with these binge-worthy shows.

Celebrate Pride Month with these illuminating and informative documentaries.

Celebrate Pride Month with a great book!

From feature films to documentaries, explore a wide range of stories of the Jewish experience. There is something for everyone to watch and enjoy.

Great stories by and about our Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Great stories by and about our Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Great stories by and about our Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Enjoy these books that have Jewish characters, stories, and themes, focusing on books by Jewish authors and illustrators.

Books featuring LGBTQ+ characters, topics, and themes for babies-grade 2.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. Celebrate the month by reading an assortment of books from Latin American authors.

I grew up on Tony Hillerman's classic mysteries featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. But it's only in the last few years that the authors of books featuring indigenous sleuths started to resemble their characters. I know this is a somewhat limited selection--seven from the United States, one from New Zealand--but there will surely be more. I look forward to updating this list.

Check out these titles where academic rivals try to outdo each other. Chaos usually ensues, and often an A+ relationship!

Check out these books about food, cooking, and restaurants.

The state of Illinois has designated April as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month to recognize the many ways Sikh Americans have influenced American history, achievement, culture, and innovation.

Here are some mystery and true crime suggestions.

In celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month, these memoirs highlight the experiences of immigrants from all over the world.

Some fiction, some nonfiction, all great books for those who love the outdoors.

"Marry him or murder him or do whatever you like." Arthur Conan Doyle’s glib reply to a theatrical director who wanted to bring Sherlock Holmes to the London stage highlights an essential truth: right from the get-go, other people cared about the character David Grann calls a “Victorian superhero” far more than his creator did. “Sherlockians” started writing stories featuring Holmes while Conan Doyle was still alive–homages or pastiches or fan fiction or what have you. These are some of the best.

These books will leave you with all those warm and fuzzy feelings.

Dark academia fiction typically addresses a variety of social issues, characters who have an academic or obsessive pursuit of knowledge, and a cast of morally ambiguous characters, commonly seen through an Eurocentric lens. If you are looking for books that go beyond the cookie-cutter plot of Donna Tart's The Secret History, give these titles a try.

Enjoy these books with Jewish characters, stories, and themes, focusing on books by Jewish authors and illustrators.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. And that, dear reader, is a very big deal. In scarcely a decade, we have gone from almost no fiction by openly autistic authors being published to having an embarrassment of riches. I could easily have found three times as many titles in the library’s collection without changing the rules I set for the list.

Think of this list, then, as something of a sample platter. I have tried to represent a variety of genres. I have tried to show some of the extraordinary diversity of autism, and the ways in which autistic and LGBTQ identities so often overlap. Some of the books here feature autistic characters and the issues specific to them, some have characters who “read” as autistic even if the term is never used, and some do none of that. The only criteria are that these are works of fiction intended for adults, written by authors who have publicly identified themselves as being autistic.

Read what appeals to you, and then use that as a starting point for seeing what else is out there.

Here are some of our favorite titles.

From fantasy to literary fiction to romance, explore a wide range of stories of the Muslim experience.

These films feature Muslim stories that move beyond stereotypes and show the complexity and diversity of the Muslim community.

From action to romance, explore a wide range of stories of the Muslim experience in films made by or starring Muslim actors and creators.

Islam is the second-largest world religion. These books explore the religion, the current struggles the Muslim community is facing, and its influence in people's lives in their own voices as written in memoirs.

These terrific books feature Muslim kids and families, and the list focuses on Muslim authors and illustrators.

These picture books that feature Muslim kids and families are great for sharing with young kids. This list focuses on Muslim authors and illustrators.

Our expert staff members look back at the year and share their favorite titles.