Tami Charles Books in Order

Seventh-grader Annabelle Louis copes with another new school and her mother’s approaching military deployment by creating a secret comic vlog. As Daphne, she gains an online audience, but her growing popularity complicates the friendships and identity she struggles with offline.

In 1983 Newark, thirteen-year-old Vanessa Martin dreams of the glamour of Miss America while coping with family troubles and low self-esteem. Entering a school beauty pageant challenges her ideas about beauty, ambition, and her own worth.

Beatriz Mendez dreams of becoming a professional dancer, but her brother's death draws her deeper into the gang life she wants to escape. In 1984 New Jersey, she struggles to reclaim her ambitions while protecting her grieving family.

Formerly enslaved Mary Fields competes against younger cowboys for the dangerous job of carrying mail through Montana. This picture-book biography follows her determination to overcome prejudice and protect her deliveries as a pioneering African American stagecoach driver.

Belle helps her grandmother Ti Gran prepare soup for New Year’s Day while learning why the dish matters to their family. Cooking and storytelling connect the child to Haiti’s revolution, cultural traditions, and the freedom celebrated with each shared meal.

A parent reassures a child that their life matters, connecting everyday experiences with family history and the wider universe. The book affirms the belonging and potential of Black and brown children as they encounter a sometimes painful world.

This illustrated biography follows Serena Williams’s development into a leading tennis champion, exploring her dedication, career milestones, and partnership with sister Venus. Photographs, statistics, and accounts of major victories introduce young readers to the work behind her sporting achievements.

Seventeen-year-old Denver believes a powerful R&B star can launch her and her friends into the music industry. As glamorous opportunities become increasingly controlling, she must find her voice and confront the exploitation behind their apparent big break.

In Port-au-Prince, Fallon accompanies her mother to market and longs to balance a panye on her head as gracefully as she does. Learning the skill takes patience, drawing Fallon into a family tradition carried by generations of Haitian women.

Zuri Ray joins ballet camp to spend time with her best friend Jessie, but its costumes and expectations do not suit her. Finding her own way to dance becomes a test of friendship, individuality, and respecting different interests.

Zuri Ray plans a backyard party to mark the end of summer, enlisting her friends to make every detail perfect. When their preparations unravel, she must decide whether she can enjoy a celebration that refuses to follow her plans.

Addressing Black and brown children, this picture book connects their lives to generations of achievement, creativity, and resistance. Family heritage and the contributions of earlier figures become a foundation for belonging, pride, and imagining their own possibilities.