Newark, NJ – My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Newark, an initiative of Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN) built on the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, announced today the MBK Newark 2026 Summer Reading List featuring 30 books for early childhood to adult readers. The annual list encourages families to read together to improve literacy skills for students and adults both over the summer.

“Improving literacy among our students, including Black and Brown boys of color is a leading priority for MBK Newark and the city at-large. Community involvement is a key factor in the effort’s success,” said Mark Comesañas, executive director of My Brother’s Keeper Newark. “Each year, we curate a list of books reflective of diverse backgrounds and experiences for children and families to see both themselves and different perspectives. We look forward to working with partner organizations to distribute the books, celebrate Newark authors, and encourage all residents to read this summer.”

MBK Newark focuses on six key life milestones to improve outcomes for young men of color. The MBK 2026 Summer Reading List highlights Milestone 2, Reading at Grade level by Third Grade, when reading to learn, not just learning to read, becomes essential for the foundation of a student’s academic success.

The list serves to engage Newark residents of all ages to contribute to investments by the City of Newark and Newark Public Schools, including Mayor Ras Baraka’s 10-point Youth Literacy Plan and the Newark Public Schools 2026 Summer Reading List, to bring students’ reading skills above grade level. One local collaborator includes Reading Partners, which is currently recruiting local tutors in partnership with GreenLight Fund Greater Newark, to improve literacy outcomes for 4,500 students.

Books on the list include titles written and illustrated by Newark authors, including West Ward Councilman Dupré L. Kelly and Khairi Williams (“You Can Do It All”); David D., Aiyana Heart, and Jada Rae Ruiz (“Meet the Tayberries”); and Daniela Palacios and Patricia Patalinjug (“El Nuevo País y la Nueva Amiga de Sara/Sara’s New Country and New Friend”).

“A movement is not a movement unless it is moving progressively forward and tomorrow cannot be built with stagnant ideas.” said authors of “You Can Do It All” West Ward Councilman Dupré L. Kelly and Khairi Williams. “Momentum begins with literacy, understanding, and self-belief. Our book “You Can Do It All” being added to the MBK 2026 Summer Reading List aligns with the incredible mission of My Brother’s Keeper Newark, making sure our children do not just dream about success, but actively march toward it .”

MBK Newark plans to distribute 500 copies of the books at local events throughout the summer, including Black Boy Joy Festival on August 1 at Military Park, Reading Under the Stars on August 5 at Ivy Hill Park, and others.

The MBK Newark 2026 Summer Reading List

Ages 0-3
“You Can Do It All” by Khairi Williams & Dupré L. Kelly (Newark Author)
“Whose Toes are Those?” by Jabari Asim; illustrated by LeUyen Pham
“Cerca/Close” by Juan Felipe Herrera; illustrated by Blanca Gómez
“At the Park” by Sally Anne Garland
“I Believe I Can” by Grace Byers; illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

Ages 4-6
“Meet the Tayberries” by David D. Ruiz & Aiyana Heart Ruiz; illustrated by Jada Rae Ruiz
(Newark Author)
“El Nuevo País y la Nueva Amiga de Sara/Sara’s New Country and New
Friend” by Daniela Palacios; illustrated by Patricia Patalinjug (Newark Author)
“Hey Young Prince!: Discover God's Greatness Within You” by Felicia Campbell; illustrated Zuri Gray
“Little Black Boy: Oh, the Things You Will Do!” by Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Larry C. Fields III
“Freedom Soup” by Tami Charles

Ages 7-9
“The Rhythm of Time” by Questlove and S.A. Cosby
“The Library in the Woods” by Calvin Alexander Ramsey; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
“Montgomery and the Case of the Golden Key” by Tracy Occomy Crowder
“Call Me Roberto!: Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos” by Nathalie Alonso; illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
“A Fist for Joe Louis and Me” by Trinka Hakes Noble

Ages 10-13
“Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!” by Marley Dias
“Kwame Crashes the Underworld ” by Craig Kofi Farmer
“The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze” by Derrick Barnes
“Black Star” by Jason Reynolds by Kwame Alexander
“Tight” by Torrey Maldonado

Ages 14-17
“Show and Prove” by Sofia Quintero
“Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds
“The Contender” by Robert Lipsyte
“Money Out Loud: All the Financial Stuff No One Taught Us” by Berna Anat
“We Are Not From Here” by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Ages 18+
“Grocery Shopping with My Mother” by Kevin Powell
“Every Day We Get More Illegal” by Juan Felipe Herrera
“The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois” by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
“Toni Morrison: The Princeton Lectures” by Toni Morrison
“America, U.S.A. How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries” by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

To view the full MBK Newark 2026 Summer Reading List, including book synopses, click here.

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About My Brother’s Keeper Alliance
The My Brother's Keeper Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation, leads a cross-sector national call to action focused on building safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity. In addition to providing ongoing support to its network of nearly 250 MBK Communities and mobilizing individuals and institutions to take action, the MBK Alliance works to accelerate impact in local communities through direct investments of funding, training, and other essential resources.

About Newark Opportunity Youth Network
Newark Opportunity Youth Network launched in 2016 with a multi-pronged approach to improving outcomes for opportunity youth in our community - and across New Jersey. To execute this mission, our network is comprised of four key elements: Education, Workforce Development, Policy Advocacy, and Systems Building. Every city and region is unique, but when this approach is localized to a particular community's needs, only then, can large-scale, sustainable impact for opportunity youth become possible.