This study examines how African American children--in grades kindergarten through 2--and their parents selected books within the context of a unique family literacy program entitled, "I Never Knew There Were So Many Books About Us!: Parents and Children Reading African American Children's Literature Together". This study is informed by research related to the benefits of reading aloud and children's literature, children's book preferences, and the ways that they select titles. The findings indicated that parents and children negotiated the process of selecting books together in various ways; both the title and cover were used as a means by which to choose children's literature; and multiple factors such as gender and personal interests played key roles in the book selection process. The article ends with pedagogical implications and conclusions. (Contains 2 tables.)