Claire Linney Author
@clairelinney.bsky.social
🇬🇧📚Black British history enthusiast, children’s author and avid reader of diverse and inclusive children’s and YA books.
Happy publication day to Wild Journey: A Flight of Stories Across Deserts & Forests, Cities & Seas by A.M. Dassu and illustrated by Joe Lillington. Five captivating stories of emotional growth from across the globe connected by migrating starlings with stunning illustrations👇🏽
For ages 7+
For ages 7+
November 6, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Happy publication day to Wild Journey: A Flight of Stories Across Deserts & Forests, Cities & Seas by A.M. Dassu and illustrated by Joe Lillington. Five captivating stories of emotional growth from across the globe connected by migrating starlings with stunning illustrations👇🏽
For ages 7+
For ages 7+
Me the next day if I stay out past 10pm.
November 1, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Me the next day if I stay out past 10pm.
Day 30 of sharing my favourite Black authored books and today is one of my favourite kids books Birdie. This is about mixed heritage identity, pit ponies and families, all set in 1950s Yorkshire. It’s just stunning.
October 30, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Day 30 of sharing my favourite Black authored books and today is one of my favourite kids books Birdie. This is about mixed heritage identity, pit ponies and families, all set in 1950s Yorkshire. It’s just stunning.
Day 29 of sharing my favourite black authored books and it has to be this gem from Catherine Johnson. Josephine Baker was an extraordinary woman and this is a brilliant storybook bringing her to life from her childhood to working for the resistance. For ages 8+
October 29, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Day 29 of sharing my favourite black authored books and it has to be this gem from Catherine Johnson. Josephine Baker was an extraordinary woman and this is a brilliant storybook bringing her to life from her childhood to working for the resistance. For ages 8+
Day 28 of my favourite Black authored books and we have the wonderful Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo. A charming and original adventure with a strong message about social responsibility. And introduces the strange world of logosaltering aka book jumping! For ages 8+
October 28, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Day 28 of my favourite Black authored books and we have the wonderful Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo. A charming and original adventure with a strong message about social responsibility. And introduces the strange world of logosaltering aka book jumping! For ages 8+
Day 26 and 27 of my favourite Black authored books and next up are two compelling thrillers. Ace of Spades looks at the weaponisation of racism in a prestigious boarding school. And Where Sleeping Girls Lie looks at SA in a boarding school setting with Mean Girl vibes. Both are excellent.
October 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Day 26 and 27 of my favourite Black authored books and next up are two compelling thrillers. Ace of Spades looks at the weaponisation of racism in a prestigious boarding school. And Where Sleeping Girls Lie looks at SA in a boarding school setting with Mean Girl vibes. Both are excellent.
Day 25 of my favourite Black authored books and back to middle grade with one of my favourite fantasy series. This is about found families and mixed heritage identity. There’s a Black Arthurian Knight, changelings and a children’s home based on a real piece of history. I love it!
October 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Day 25 of my favourite Black authored books and back to middle grade with one of my favourite fantasy series. This is about found families and mixed heritage identity. There’s a Black Arthurian Knight, changelings and a children’s home based on a real piece of history. I love it!
Day 24 of my favourite Black authored books. Do You Dream of Terra Two. This is brilliant, young adult, character-driven gripping sci-fi. Six teenagers are recruited for a 23 year space mission to find a new Earth. I also love her book More Perfect. I will basically read anything Temi Oh writes!
October 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Day 24 of my favourite Black authored books. Do You Dream of Terra Two. This is brilliant, young adult, character-driven gripping sci-fi. Six teenagers are recruited for a 23 year space mission to find a new Earth. I also love her book More Perfect. I will basically read anything Temi Oh writes!
Day 23 of my favourite Black authored books and I’ve recently finished this wonderful young adult book My Life as a Chameleon. This beautifully brings to life the experiences of a mixed heritage girl growing up in Lagos and Manchester and deals with identity and mental health.
October 23, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Day 23 of my favourite Black authored books and I’ve recently finished this wonderful young adult book My Life as a Chameleon. This beautifully brings to life the experiences of a mixed heritage girl growing up in Lagos and Manchester and deals with identity and mental health.
Day 22 of my favourite Black authored books is King of Dead Things by Nevin Holness. This YA book explores a hidden magical London, a group of teenage misfits and Caribbean folklore. It’s one of my favourites!
October 22, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Day 22 of my favourite Black authored books is King of Dead Things by Nevin Holness. This YA book explores a hidden magical London, a group of teenage misfits and Caribbean folklore. It’s one of my favourites!
Day 21 of my favourite Black authored books and we have The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde. An unsettling horror fantasy about what happens when an urban legend threatens a prestigious boarding school.
October 21, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Day 21 of my favourite Black authored books and we have The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde. An unsettling horror fantasy about what happens when an urban legend threatens a prestigious boarding school.
Day 20 of my favourite Black authored books for kids and teens. Today is Augmented by Kenechi Udogu, a great sci-fi novel about friendship, romance and rebellion set in a post climate change future.
October 20, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Day 20 of my favourite Black authored books for kids and teens. Today is Augmented by Kenechi Udogu, a great sci-fi novel about friendship, romance and rebellion set in a post climate change future.
Day 19 of my favourite Black authored books and it’s Liccle Bit by the late, great Alex Wheatle. A big-hearted and powerful look at teenage boyhood and peer pressure. I also really enjoyed the BBC adaptation. For ages 12+
October 19, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Day 19 of my favourite Black authored books and it’s Liccle Bit by the late, great Alex Wheatle. A big-hearted and powerful look at teenage boyhood and peer pressure. I also really enjoyed the BBC adaptation. For ages 12+
Day 16 of my favourite Black authored books and we’re into the ones for teens. I loved this book about vengeful ancestors, circus performers and people trafficking with a messy, tough central character I adored. A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Yaba Badoe
October 18, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Day 16 of my favourite Black authored books and we’re into the ones for teens. I loved this book about vengeful ancestors, circus performers and people trafficking with a messy, tough central character I adored. A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Yaba Badoe
Day 17 of my favourite kids books by Black authors. And today’s gem is Rat by Patrice Lawrence (ages 10+) about one boy’s mission for revenge along with his two pet rats. It’s about community, loneliness and family. And it’s a super readable book from Barrington Stoke too.
October 17, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Day 17 of my favourite kids books by Black authors. And today’s gem is Rat by Patrice Lawrence (ages 10+) about one boy’s mission for revenge along with his two pet rats. It’s about community, loneliness and family. And it’s a super readable book from Barrington Stoke too.
Day 16 (&15) of recommending my favourite Black authored kids books are two brilliant ones that centre Black boys and music. Nineties nostalgia and japes with Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer. And a blend of rap competitions, humour and Black masculinity with Steady for This.
October 16, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Day 16 (&15) of recommending my favourite Black authored kids books are two brilliant ones that centre Black boys and music. Nineties nostalgia and japes with Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer. And a blend of rap competitions, humour and Black masculinity with Steady for This.
Day 14 of Black authored kidlit. My son and I have both loved this graphic novel. This is about a Black girl scientist who invents a plastic eating monster called Chomp who starts to grow out of control. For ages 7+ @heychante.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Day 14 of Black authored kidlit. My son and I have both loved this graphic novel. This is about a Black girl scientist who invents a plastic eating monster called Chomp who starts to grow out of control. For ages 7+ @heychante.bsky.social
Day 13 of great Black authored kids books. Mia and the Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy is a page-turning epic fantasy with great world building, strange creatures and family and friendship at the core. I loved the sibling relationship in this book too!
October 13, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Day 13 of great Black authored kids books. Mia and the Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy is a page-turning epic fantasy with great world building, strange creatures and family and friendship at the core. I loved the sibling relationship in this book too!
Day 12 of my month of Black kids books. This is The Tunnels Below by Nadine Wild Palmer. A wonderful, slightly surreal fantasy adventure set in a hidden world beneath London. Cecilia finds herself working to save her new friends from a tyrannical overlord. Original and brilliant.
October 12, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Day 12 of my month of Black kids books. This is The Tunnels Below by Nadine Wild Palmer. A wonderful, slightly surreal fantasy adventure set in a hidden world beneath London. Cecilia finds herself working to save her new friends from a tyrannical overlord. Original and brilliant.
Today’s Black authored book is this gem. do love a Benjamin Dean book - (especially his YA) but he writes fantastic middle grade books. This adventure about demons who fall from the sky, an extra-ordinary friendship and a controlling authority is amazing.
October 11, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Today’s Black authored book is this gem. do love a Benjamin Dean book - (especially his YA) but he writes fantastic middle grade books. This adventure about demons who fall from the sky, an extra-ordinary friendship and a controlling authority is amazing.
My Black book for today is (and excuse the blowing of one’s own trumpet) my own. Because it won the Readers Choice Award at the Diverse Book Awards last night and I’m still feeling v emotional about it! This explores Black Tudor history through time travel and I’m so bloody proud of it!
October 10, 2025 at 7:52 AM
My Black book for today is (and excuse the blowing of one’s own trumpet) my own. Because it won the Readers Choice Award at the Diverse Book Awards last night and I’m still feeling v emotional about it! This explores Black Tudor history through time travel and I’m so bloody proud of it!
Continuing sharing a whole month of great Black authored kids books. Today is Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun - one of the first books that really got me into reading middle grade. I mean it’s Balck girl scifi and her Afro hair is her superpower. I could not love this series more.
October 9, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Continuing sharing a whole month of great Black authored kids books. Today is Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun - one of the first books that really got me into reading middle grade. I mean it’s Balck girl scifi and her Afro hair is her superpower. I could not love this series more.
Next up for my month of Black kids books is another double - both by Clare Weze. She blends real world social issues with elements of magic and science creating unique and wonderful adventures. Up Above The City is her latest book and highlights the hidden plight of refugee communities.
October 7, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Next up for my month of Black kids books is another double - both by Clare Weze. She blends real world social issues with elements of magic and science creating unique and wonderful adventures. Up Above The City is her latest book and highlights the hidden plight of refugee communities.
I was going to post a Black book every day this month and here we are on the 5th and I’m only just starting….its been a WEEK! But let’s go. The brilliant 10 Children who changed the world by Paterson Joseph. A wonderful way to bring Black British history to life for kids 9+
October 5, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I was going to post a Black book every day this month and here we are on the 5th and I’m only just starting….its been a WEEK! But let’s go. The brilliant 10 Children who changed the world by Paterson Joseph. A wonderful way to bring Black British history to life for kids 9+
Is there a collective noun for a group of Black British history books?
October 1, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Is there a collective noun for a group of Black British history books?