Representation that Radiates Joy
The Cost of Knowing I Brittney Morris
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Dear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother's imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY.
Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah. But as much as Alex tries, he often comes up short.
It's hard to for him to be present when every time he touches an object or person, Alex sees into its future. When he touches a scoop, he has a vision of him using it to scoop ice cream. When he touches his car, he sees it years from now, totaled and underwater. When he touches Talia, he sees them at the precipice of breaking up, and that terrifies him. Alex feels these visions are a curse, distracting him, making him anxious and unable to live an ordinary life.
And when Alex touches a photo that gives him a vision of his brother's imminent death, everything changes.
With Alex now in a race against time, death, and circumstances, he and Isaiah must grapple with their past, their future, and what it means to be a young Black man in America in the present.
Builds Confidence and Self-Love with Every Page
Builds Confidence and Self-Love with Every Page
We don’t just include diverse books — we center them. Every story we carry celebrates BIPOC voices and puts underrepresented protagonists front and center, ensuring every child can say, “That’s me.”
Authored by a BIPOC Creator — Real Representation, not Tokenism
Authored by a BIPOC Creator — Real Representation, not Tokenism
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Vetted by Educators and Families for Quality and Age-Fit
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Meet the Founder
Hi, children’s book lover! I’m Kanika.
As a classroom teacher, I’d spent countless afternoons searching for stories where my students could see themselves and came up empty-handed. I was tired of books that treated diversity like a checkbox, or worse, turned childhood joy into trauma. So, I did what teachers do best — I built what was missing.
My best friend and I began curating, partnering with independent authors and BIPOC creators to source high-quality stories that celebrated identity and belonging. We turned our living rooms into libraries and our mission into movement.
In 2019, Stories of a Colorful World launched with a simple promise: no more token shelves, no more exhausting searches — just stories that reflect every child’s worth.
Today, our collection spans 300+ titles by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color authors — books that build empathy, pride, and confidence one story at a time.
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Building Empathy & Cultural Pride
Each book is selected to stretch empathy, self-awareness, and cultural pride at every age and stage.
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Stories They’ll Return To
Our books are revisited again and again, with age-appropriate themes that build emotional intelligence, identity, and curiosity.
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