About Bonya Books

I didn't wake up one day with a sudden spark of inspiration. Bonya Books was born from a slow burn — decades of classroom experiences, quiet frustrations, and an unwavering belief that Black children deserve better.

I am a retired reading specialist with a Master's and Education Specialist degree in reading instruction and decades of experience working with young learners. Today I occasionally return to the classroom as a substitute — because once teaching is in your blood, it never really leaves.

A Career of Watching and Learning

I have spent my career watching children light up when the right book lands in their hands — and watching that light dim when they can't find themselves anywhere on the page.

For my entire career, I've noticed the dearth of educational materials that center Black children. When Black characters appear at all, they are often sidekicks or afterthoughts — rarely the hero, rarely the center of their own story. And when Black history is represented, it is almost always reduced to slavery and Civil Rights. Those chapters are pivotal and must be taught — but they are only the beginning. There are extraordinary people, places, and stories that remain overlooked, and our children deserve to know them.

Chinwe O., founder of Bonya Books and retired reading specialist, smiling warmly
Chinwe O., founder of Bonya Books and retired reading specialist, smiling warmly

I've also watched what happens when Black students do see themselves in well-written, authentic stories — not preachy ones, but genuinely good ones. They lean in. They engage. They come alive. The renowned reading researcher Rudine Sims Bishop taught us that books should serve as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors — reflecting children's own lives, opening views into others', and inviting them to step through into new worlds. Every Bonya Books resource is created with that philosophy at its core.

Why Bonya Books Was Born

I've witnessed something else in my years of teaching: when children practice reading comprehension strategies on material they actually care about — without the shadow of a standardized test looming over them — they internalize those skills at a deeper level. That joy of reading, that genuine engagement, is something I've committed my work to protecting.

And then there are the smaller moments that say everything. When I generate an image of a person using artificial intelligence, the default is White. When I browse children's videos on YouTube, even the animated animals have blue eyes. These are not accidents — they are reflections of whose stories are centered by default. Bonya Books exists to push back against that default, one resource at a time.

Every resource I create is an act of honoring Black children — their joy, their curiosity, their brilliance, and their right to see themselves at the center of their own education.

This is my small part. And I am so glad you're here.

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