Books For Kids: Black History
Brown Girl Dreaming
By Jacqueline Woodson
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Jacqueline Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. 10 and up
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
By Vashti Harrison
Meet 40 trailblazing women who broke barriers of race and gender to pave the way for future generations. This book brings to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of black history including: abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, and poet Maya Angelou. 8-11 years
Thurgood
By Jonah Winter, Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Thurgood Marshall was a born lawyer–the loudest talker, funniest joke teller, and best arguer from the time he was a kid growing up in Baltimore in the early 1900s. He would go on to become the star of his high school and college debate teams, a stellar law student at Howard University, and, as a lawyer, a one-man weapon against the discriminatory laws against black Americans. After only two years at the NAACP, he was their top lawyer and had earned himself the nickname Mr. Civil Rights. He argued–and won–cases before the Supreme Court, including one of the most important cases in American history: Brown v Board of Education. And he became the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice in history. 5-9 years
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library
By Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an Afro-Puerto Rican named Arturo Schomburg. This law clerk’s life’s passion was to collect books, letters, music and art from Africa and the African diaspora. He wanted to bring to light the achievements of people of African descent through the ages. When Schomburg’s collection became so big it began to overflow his house, he turned to the New York Public Library. He created and curated a collection that was the cornerstone of the new Negro Division. A century later, his groundbreaking collection, known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, has become a beacon to scholars all over the world. 9-12 years
Young, Gifted and Black:
Meet 52 Heroes from the Past and Present
By Jamie Wilson, Illustrated by Andrea Pippins
Young, Gifted and Black introduces historic and present-day icons and heroes. Meet figureheads, leaders and pioneers like Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks as well as cultural trailblazers and athletes like Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams. Strong, courageous, talented and diverse, these extraordinary men and women’s achievements will inspire a new generation to chase their dreams. 9-12 years
28 Days: Black History That Changed the World
By Charles R. Smith, Illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Each day features a different influential figure in African-American history. Young readers will learn about Crispus Attucks, the first man shot at the Boston Massacre, Madame C.J. Walker, who after years of adversity became the wealthiest black woman in the country, Barack Obama, the America’s first African-American president and many more important men and women. 6-10 years
Heroes of Black History: Biographies of Four Great Americans
By The Editors of Time for Kids
This book presents the stories of four great American heroes every child should know. In one volume children will learn about Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, and Barack Obama. Heroes of Black History shines a light on the long fight for social justice in the United States as it highlights the accomplishments and personal histories of these four pivotal Americans. 8 and up
Let the Children March
By Monica Clark-Robinson, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
I couldn’t play on the same playground as the white kids.
I couldn’t go to their schools.
I couldn’t drink from their water fountains.
There were so many things I couldn’t do.
In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hatred, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. 6-9 years
Hidden Figures:
The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
By Margot Lee Shetterly, Illustrated by Laura Freeman
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good. They participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. They provided the calculations for America’s first journeys into space. They did this at a time when being black and a woman limited their options. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius to change the world. 4-8 years
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
You may like: Books For Kids: Underground Railroad https://barbaralowell.com/books-kids-underground-railroad
Kids Books: Civil Rights Movement https://barbaralowell.com/kids-books-civil-rights-movement
Books For Kids: March on Washington https://barbaralowell.com/books-for-kids-march-on-washington
Kids Books: Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott
By Ntozake Shange, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Walking many miles to school in the dusty road, young Coretta Scott knew the unfairness of life in the segregated south. A yearning for equality began to grow. Together with Martin Luther King, Jr., she gave birth to a vision of change through nonviolent protest. It was the beginning of a journey with dreams of freedom for all. 4-8 years
Coretta Scott King: First Lady of Civil Rights
By George E. Stanley, Illustrated by Meryl Henderson
Coretta Scott King is well known for being the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and for her own civil rights and world peace activism. She also received many awards and honorary degrees. But before she did all of those impressive things, Coretta was a strong little girl who could out climb anyone in her neighborhood, was very close to her dad, and had a beautiful singing voice. Coretta learned that if you work hard enough, your dreams can come true. 8-12 years
Who Was Coretta Scott King
By Gail Herman, Illustrated by Gregory Copeland
Growing up in Alabama, Coretta Scott King graduated valedictorian from her high school before becoming one of the first African American students at Antioch College in Ohio. It was there that she became politically active and joined the local chapter of the NAACP. After her marriage to Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta took part in the Civil Rights Movement. Following her husband’s assassination in 1968, she assumed leadership of the movement. 8-12 years
Coretta Scott King: Dare to Dream
By Angela Shelf Medearis, Illustrated by Anna Rich
From her childhood encounters with discrimination to her activism as an adult, Coretta Scott King dreamed of finding a place where people were treated equally. This biography tells the story of how she came to stand up against prejudice and violence during the African American Civil Rights Movement. 8-12 years
Women Who Broke the Rules: Coretta Scott King
By Kathleen Krull, Illustrated by Laura Freeman
Coretta Scott King, the wife of civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., established her own career in activism. She took part in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, worked to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and founded the Center for Nonviolent Change. She dedicated her life to fighting for civil rights. 6-9 years
A Book To Share With Kids:
My Life, My Love, My Legacy
By Coretta Scott King and Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds
Coretta’s is a love story, a family saga, and the memoir of an extraordinary black woman in 20th century America. She was a brave leader, who, in the face of hatred, stood committed, proud, forgiving, nonviolent, and hopeful every day of her life.
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
You may like:
Kids Books: Civil Rights Movement https://barbaralowell.com/kids-books-civil-rights-movement
Books For Kids: Martin Luther King, Jr. https://barbaralowell.com/kids-books-martin-luther-king-jr