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Aug 20, 202120 min read

Children's Books Celebrating Black History

Picture Books:

Ambitious Girl by Meena Harris

B is for Baby by Atinuke


Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Boonoonoonous Hair by Olive Senior



Chocolate Me! by Taye Diggs

Cranky Right Now by Julie Berry

Crowned With Glory by Dorena Williamson


Daddy Speaks Love by Leah Henderson

Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen


The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

Don't Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller


Firebird by Misty Copeland

Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford


by Ashley Bryan

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry

Hey Black Child by Useni Eugene Perkins


I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu by Refiloe Moahloli

I, Too, Am America by Langston Hughes

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena

Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson


Lola Plants a Garden (Lola) by Anna McQuinn

Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste

Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera


Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña

Mommy's Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow


Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady

Not Quite Snow White by Ashley Franklin


Olu and Greta by Diana Ejaita

Oona (Oona #1) by Kelly DiPucchio

Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds


Princess Hair by Sharee Miller

Shady Baby by Gabrielle Union


Stay This Way Forever by Linsey Davis

Stella Keeps the Sun Up by Clothilde Ewing


Stella's Stellar Hair by Yesenia Moises

Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora


Too Small Tola by Atinuke

The Water Princess by Susan Verde


When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner

Who Are Your People by Bakari Sellers


The World Belonged to Us by Jacqueline Woodson

The Year We Learned How to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson

You Can Do It! by Tony Dungy (Audiobook)





1st and 2nd Grades:

Don't Throw it to Mo (Mo Jackson) by David A. Adler

Get in the Game! by Daniel Hayes

I Love Being Me! by Mechal Renee Roe

New Kid (New Kid #1) by Jerry Craft


Tiana's Winter Treats by Ruth Homberg

Twins (Twins #1) by Varian Johnson

Ty's Travels: Zip, Zoom! (Ty's Travels) by Kelly Starling Lyons





3rd and 4th Grades:

Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants (The Questioners #2) by Andrea Beaty

In Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants, Ada must rely on her curious mind, her brave spirit, and her best pals Rosie Revere and Iggy Peck to solve a mystery in her own backyard.


Ada Twist is full of questions. A scientist to her very core, Ada asks why again and again. One question always leads to another until she’s off on a journey of discovery! When Rosie Revere’s Uncle Ned gets a little carried away wearing his famous helium pants, it’s up to Ada and friends to chase him down. As Uncle Ned floats farther and farther away, Ada starts asking lots of questions: How high can a balloon float? Is it possible for Uncle Ned to float into outer space? And what’s the best plan for getting him down?






Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz






Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors—including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia.


Black boy joy is…


Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.

Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.

Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times.

Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching.


And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.


Contributors include: B. B. Alston, Dean Atta, P. Djèlí Clark, Jay Coles, Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Don P. Hooper, George M. Johnson, Varian Johnson, Kwame Mbalia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Tochi Onyebuchi, Julian Randall, Jason Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, DaVaun Sanders, and Julian Winters




Blended by Sharon M. Draper

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia

Crossover (The Crossover #1) by Kwame Alexander


Finding Langston (Finding Langston #1) by Lesa Cline-Ransome





From debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating story full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right—even in the face of great opposition.

Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she’s never met, hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who’s been in prison for a terrible crime?

A crime he says he never committed.

Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. Everyone else thinks Zoe’s worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she’s worthy of auditioning for Food Network’s Kids Bake Challenge.


But with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcus’s conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesn’t know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies.





Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes






The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown

For fans of Small Spaces, Doll Bones, and Mary Downing Hahn, a truly chilling (and historically inspired) ghost story from the award-winning author of The Forgotten Girl.


Celeste knows she should be excited to spend two weeks at her grandparents' lake house with her brother, Owen, and their cousins Capri and Daisy, but she's not.

Bugs, bad cell reception, and the dark waters of the lake... no thanks. On top of that, she just failed her swim test and hates being in the water―it's terrifying. But her grandparents are strong believers in their family knowing how to swim, especially having grown up during a time of segregation at public pools.

And soon strange things start happening―the sound of footsteps overhead late at night. A flickering light in the attic window. And Celete's cousins start accusing her of pranking them when she's been no where near them!


Things at the old house only get spookier until one evening when Celeste looks in the steamy mirror after a shower and sees her face, but twisted, different...

Who is the girl in the mirror? And what does she want?


Past and present mingle in this spine-tingling ghost story by award-winning author India Hill Brown.



Gone Crazy in Alabama (Gaither Sisters #3) by Rita Williams-Garcia

A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa More Ramee



Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 (I Survived #7) by Lauren Tarshis




King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy's grief takes him beyond the bayous of his backyard, to learn that there is no right way to be yourself.


Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.


It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy-that he thinks he might be gay. "You don't want anyone to think you're gay too, do you?"


But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King's friendship with Sandy is reignited, he's forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother's death.


The Thing About Jellyfish meets The Stars Beneath Our Feet in this story about loss, grief, and finding the courage to discover one's identity, from the author of Hurricane Child.






Lu (Track #4) by Jason Reynolds

Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel (Dyamonde Daniel #1) by Nikki Grimes

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis


The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson






Partly Cloudy by Tanita S. Davis

From award-winning author Tanita S. Davis comes a nuanced exploration of the microaggressions of middle school and a young Black girl named Madalyn who learns that being a good friend means dealing with the blue skies and the rain—and having the tough conversations on days that are partly cloudy. Perfect for fans of A Good Kind of Trouble and From the Desk of Zoe Washington.


Lightning couldn’t strike twice, could it? After a terrible year, Madalyn needs clear skies desperately. Moving in with her great-uncle, Papa Lobo, and switching to a new school is just the first step.

It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, though. Madalyn discovers she’s the only Black girl in her class, and while most of her classmates are friendly, assumptions lead to some serious storms.


Papa Lobo’s long-running feud with neighbor Mrs. Baylor brings wild weather of its own, and Madalyn wonders just how far things will go. But when fire threatens the community, Madalyn discovers that truly being neighborly means more than just staying on your side of the street— it means weathering tough conversations—and finding that together a family can pull through anything.


Award-winning author Tanita S. Davis shows us that life isn’t always clear, and that partly cloudy days still contain a bit of blue worth celebrating.






The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane by (Azaleah Lane #3) Nikki Shannon Smith

Mama and Daddy are heading out of town, which means Azaleah and her sisters get to spend the weekend at Auntie Sam's. The girls can't wait for their special weekend! Azaleah even decides to bake cookies to surprise her parents when they return. After all, as Mama says, "Cooking for someone is like giving them a gift." But the cookies are a disaster! Azaleah is stumped. She's sure she did everything right. Can Azaleah get to the bottom of the cookie catastrophe before Mama and Daddy get back?












Simon B. Rhymin' by Dwayne Reed






A Soft Place to Land by JanaeMarks

In this compelling and heartfelt mystery story, Janae Marks—author of the acclaimed bestselling From the Desk of Zoe Washington—follows a young girl reshaping her meaning of home. Perfect for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Rebecca Stead. Two starred reviews! A Project Lit Club Book Club Selection, S&L Lead Title, Banks Street Best Children's Books of the Year, and Kids' Indie Next List Pick!


Joy Taylor has always believed home is the house she lived in her entire life. But then her dad lost his job, and suddenly, home becomes a tiny apartment with thin walls, shared bedrooms, and a place for tense arguments between Mom and Dad. Hardest of all, Joy doesn’t have her music to escape through anymore. Without enough funds, her dreams of becoming a great pianist—and one day, a film score composer—have been put on hold.


A friendly new neighbor her age lets Joy in on the complex’s best-kept secret: the Hideout, a cozy refuge that only the kids know about. And it’s in this little hideaway that Joy starts exchanging secret messages with another kid in the building who also seems to be struggling, until—abruptly, they stop writing back. What if they’re in trouble?


Joy is determined to find out who this mystery writer is, fast, but between trying to raise funds for her music lessons, keeping on a brave face for her little sister, and worrying about her parents’ marriage, Joy isn’t sure how to keep her own head above water.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper






Summer in the City (Mango Delight #2) by Fracaswell Hyman

Get ready, world—Mango’s about to become a STAR! In this sequel to Mango Delight, the delightful heroine’s adventures—and misadventures—continue as she prepares to make her off-Broadway debut.


Where Mango goes, drama is sure to follow! It’s summer break, and Mango is content to spend her time babysitting her brother, hanging with her friend Izzy, and binge-watching movies late into the night. Then she runs into her drama teacher, who has some big news: their middle school play Yo, Romeo! is headed to the stage in New York City . . . and he wants Mango for the lead role! After overcoming her mom’s initial reluctance—and with some firm rules established—Mango goes off to Brooklyn to stay with her Aunt Zendaya in a teeny apartment and prepare for her theatrical debut. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, but soon Mango must confront homesickness, insecurity, and the all-important question of what it means to be a good friend—especially when you’re far away from the people you love.





The Swag in the Socks by Kelly J. Baptist

Xavier Moon is stepping out of the shadows when his great-uncle gives him some outlandish socks and some even stranger requests. A story about heart, confidence, and standing on your own two feet that is perfect for fans of The Season of Styx Malone and The Parker Inheritance.


Xavier Moon is not one to steal the show. He’s perfectly content to play video games and sit at his bedroom window watching the neighborhood talk outside.


But for Xavier’s twelfth birthday, he receives a pair of funky socks and a challenge from his great-uncle, Frankie Bell, saying it’s time to swag out and speak up. First on the list: get into the legendary Scepter League. Xavier’s grandfather, great-uncle, and father were all invited to join the elite boys’ after-school club that admits only the most suave and confident young men. Xavier has never had the courage to apply before, but his wild socks are getting him some big attention, so maybe it’s time to come out of the shadows and follow in his family's footsteps. Or maybe Xavier will march down a new path altogether.





Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles

Tristan Strong Punches a Whole in the Sky (Tristan Strong #1) by Kwame Mbalia





Ways to Grow Love (Ryan Hart #2) by Renée Watson

Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson continues her charming young middle grade series starring Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit and sunshine.


Ryan Hart loves her family and friends. She's looking forward to summer vacation, spending time with loved ones, and her first trip to sleepaway camp! But when an unexpected camper shows up, Ryan finds it's hard to share your best friend and harder to be a friend to someone who isn't a good friend to you. She's also waiting for her new sister to be born -- and hoping the baby doesn't ruin everything. The Hart family is experiencing a lot of changes, and Ryan needs to grow her patience in many ways, find ways to share the love, meet new challenges, and grow into the leader her mom and dad named her to be. This summer and the start of fifth grade just might give Ryan the chance to show how she grows and glows!




We are Family by Lebron James and Andrea Williams

When Jayden and his teammates find out there’s not going to be a Hoop Group this year—and maybe ever again—they have to learn to lean on each other if they want to save their basketball season, in this inspiring new middle grade novel from NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams. A New York Times bestseller!


Jayden Carr has been training all summer to be ready for Hoop Group—the free afterschool basketball program where his hero, NBA superstar Kendrick King, got his start. But when his beloved coach tells him there’s not going to be a Hoop Group this year, Jayden is heartbroken.


And he’s not the only one. Coach Beck’s daughter, Tamika, was planning to be the first girl ever to start for the squad. Chris King, Kendrick’s only nephew, spent the summer bragging that his uncle was coming home just to watch him play. For Anthony Pierson, Hoop Group was supposed to be his way out of trouble. And for Dexter Donyel, all 4’6” of him, Hoop Group was his chance to finally be part of a team, instead of just watching from the stands.


For each kid, Hoop Group was more than just a chance to ball; it was an escape, a dream, a family. Now their prospects seem all but impossible—but then the world hasn’t met Jayden, Tamika, Chris, Anthony, and Dex before. Determined to have their shot, the five new friends scrap, hustle, fight, and play hard to save their season to prove that sometimes a chance is all it takes.


The first step to winning is getting out on the court.









Who Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott? (Who HQ Graphic Novels) by Insha Fitzpatrick

Discover the story behind Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in this compelling graphic novel -- written by Oh My Gods! author Insha Fitzpatrick and illustrated by #DrawingWhileBlack organizer Abelle Hayford.


Presenting Who HQ Graphic Novels: an exciting new addition to the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series!


From refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger to sparking civil rights protests across America, explore how Rosa Parks's powerful act earned her the title "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." A story of resistance, strength, and unwavering spirit, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the life of the American Civil Rights leader -- brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page.





5th and 6th Grades:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson





by Jamar J. Perry

Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this adventurous middle-grade fantasy debut perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Tristan Strong celebrates the triumphs and challenges of a boy finding his truth path to greatness.


As the true Descendant, I command to open

The door to Chidani; it shall be broken


Magic awaits those who seek the queen’s peace

And all the suffering you feel will cease


Those who open the histories will hear a sound

What was lost has finally been found.


Cameron Battle grew up reading The Book of Chidani, cherishing stories about the fabled kingdom that cut itself off from the world to save the Igbo people from danger. Passed down over generations, the Book is Cameron’s only connection to his parents who disappeared one fateful night, two years ago.


Ever since, his grandmother has kept the Book locked away, but it calls to Cameron. When he and his best friends, Zion and Aliyah, decide to open it again, they are magically transported to Chidani. Instead of a land of beauty and wonder, they find a kingdom in extreme danger, as the queen’s sister seeks to destroy the barrier between worlds. The people of Chidani have been waiting for the last Descendant to return and save them . . . is Cameron ready to be the hero they need?




Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis





Fast Pitch by Nic Stone

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field.


Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way.


Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat.


Strike two: Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending—and family-name-ruining—crime may have been a setup.


Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice’s teammates are beginning to wonder if she’s captain-qualified.


It's up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past—and fast—before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.







Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

Debut author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.


Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp.


In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home.


Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.





The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis






Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen

From Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel David Makonnen comes an Afrofuturist adventure about a mythical Ethiopian empire. Sci-fi and fantasy combine in this epic journey to the stars.


Yared Heywat lives an isolated life in Addis Prime -- a hardscrabble city with rundown tech, lots of rules, and not much to do. His worrywart Uncle Moti and bionic lioness Besa are his only family... and his only friends.


Often in trouble for his thrill-seeking antics and smart mouth, those same qualities make Yared a star player of the underground augmented reality game, The Hunt for Kaleb's Obelisk. But when a change in the game rules prompts Yared to log in with his real name, it triggers an attack that rocks the city. In the chaos, Uncle Moti disappears.


Suddenly, all the stories Yared's uncle told him as a young boy are coming to life, of kingdoms in the sky and city-razing monsters. And somehow Yared is at the center of them.


Together with Besa and the Ibis -- a game rival turned reluctant ally -- Yared must search for his uncle... and answers to his place in a forgotten, galaxy-spanning war.




The Last Last-Day-of-Summer (A Legendary Alston Boys Adventure #1) by Lamar Giles






Black Panther meets X-Men in this “fast-paced, action-packed, and empowering” (A. F. Steadman, New York Times bestselling author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief) middle grade adventure about a British Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, The Marvellers, and Rick Riordan!


Onyeka has a lot of hair­—the kind that makes strangers stop in the street and her peers whisper behind her back. At least she has Cheyenne, her best friend, who couldn’t care less what other people think. Still, Onyeka has always felt insecure about her vibrant curls…until the day Cheyenne almost drowns and Onyeka’s hair takes on a life of its own, inexplicably pulling Cheyenne from the water.


At home, Onyeka’s mother tells her the shocking truth: Onyeka’s psychokinetic powers make her a Solari, one of a secret group of people with superpowers unique to Nigeria. Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves embroiled in a momentous battle between truth and lies…







Ophie's Ghost by Justina Ireland

Winner, Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction! The New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation makes her middle grade debut with a sweeping tale of the ghosts of our past that won’t stay buried, starring an unforgettable girl named Ophie.


Ophelia Harrison used to live in a small house in the Georgia countryside. But that was before the night in November 1922, and the cruel act that took her home and her father from her. Which was the same night that Ophie learned she can see ghosts.


Now Ophie and her mother are living in Pittsburgh with relatives they barely know. In the hopes of earning enough money to get their own place, Mama has gotten Ophie a job as a maid in the same old manor house where she works.


Daffodil Manor, like the wealthy Caruthers family who owns it, is haunted by memories and prejudices of the past—and, as Ophie discovers, ghosts as well. Ghosts who have their own loves and hatreds and desires, ghosts who have wronged others and ghosts who have themselves been wronged. And as Ophie forms a friendship with one spirit whose life ended suddenly and unjustly, she wonders if she might be able to help—even as she comes to realize that Daffodil Manor may hold more secrets than she bargained for.





Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis





When Winter Robeson Came By Brenda Woods

The whole world seems to transform during the summer of 1965, when Eden’s cousin from Mississippi comes to visit her in L.A. just as the Watts Riots erupt, in this stirring new novel by Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods.


When Eden’s cousin Winter comes for a visit, it turns out he’s not just there to sightsee. He wants to figure out what happened to his dad, who disappeared ten years earlier from the Watts area of L.A. So the cousins set out to investigate together, and what they discover brings them joy—and heartache. It also opens up a whole new understanding of their world, just as the area they’ve got their sights on explodes in a clash between the police and the Black residents. For six days Watts is like a war zone, and Eden and Winter become heroes in their own part of the drama. Eden hopes to be a composer someday, and the only way she can describe that summer is a song with an unexpected ending, full of changes in tempo and mood--totally unforgettable.





Biography:


Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba



Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange




Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Frelon by Kelly Starling Lyons and Laura Freeman



I am Rosa Parks by Rosa Parks and Jim Haskins



Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed


Michael Jordan by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara


Patrick Mahomes by Kenny Abdo



Satchel Paige by Lesa Cline-Ransome



Sweet Dreams, Sarah by Vivian Kirkfield



Young Pele: Soccer's First Star by Lesa Cline-Ransome





Non-Fiction:


Harlem by Walter Dean Myers


I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism and You by Sonja Cherry Paul, Jason Reynolds, and Ibram X. Kendi


The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatheford


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