African-American Heritage Books for KidsLike this list

38 items

• Born on the Water

  Hannah-Jones, Nikole,

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  Stymied by her unfinished family tree assignment for school, a young girl seeks Grandma's counsel and learns about her ancestors, the consequences of slavery, and the history of Black resistance in the United States. Ages 7-12.

• Root Magic

  Royce, Eden,

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  Set in the 1960s, Root Magic explores the family of Jez Turner and their struggle through the loss of a loved one, systemic racism, and learning the passed down art of root magic. Ages 8-12.

• Runaway

  the Daring Escape of Ona Judge

  Shepard, Ray Anthony,

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  A free verse narration of Ona Judge's self-emancipation from George Washington's household. Ages 4-8.

• Your Name Is a Song

  Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah

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  A girl shares her frustration over her class mispronouncing her name and her mother helps her to see the beauty in names. Ages 4-8.

• Shirley Chisholm Is a Verb!

  Chambers, Veronica,

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  Shirley Chisholm was a doer, an active and vocal participant in America's democracy, and a force to be reckoned with. Her accomplishments in Congress and during her bid as a presidential candidate leave a lasting legacy that continues to inspire,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Overground Railroad

  Cline-Ransome, Lesa,

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  Leaving behind the oppression of the sharecropping system, Ruth Ellen and her parents leave North Carolina on the Silver Meteor train to New York City to start a new life. Ages 4-8.

• The Oldest Student

  How Mary Walker Learned to Read

  Hubbard, Rita L.,

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  A picture book biography sharing the inspiring and incredible true story of the nation's oldest student, Mary Walker, who learned to read at the age of 116. Ages 5-10.

• Black Is a Rainbow Color

  Joy, Angela, 1975-

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  A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on. Ages 4-8.

• The Undefeated

  Alexander, Kwame,

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  The Undefeated highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. Ages 6-12.

• A Day at the Museum

  Platt, Christine A., 1976-

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  In this easy-to-read story, a family visits the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Ages 5-7.

• A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks

  Duncan, Alice Faye,

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  Nurtured by her parents who celebrated her gift for words, Gwendolyn Brooks wrote twenty poetry collections, two autobiographies, and a novel, giving voice to the urban Black experience and becoming the first Black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mae Among the Stars

  Ahmed, Roda, 1981-

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  When young Mae Jemison is asked by her teacher what she wants to be when she grows up, Mae tells her mostly white classmates that she wants to be an astronaut, a dream that her parents wholeheartedly support. Ages 5-8.

• Let the Children March

  Clark-Robinson, Monica,

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  Under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, children and teenagers marched against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. Many endured hardships such as being sprayed by water hoses, attacked by police dogs and even jailed. Ages 6-9.

• Counting on Katherine

  How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13

  Becker, Helaine,

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  From Katherine's early beginnings as a gifted student to her heroic accomplishments as a prominent mathematician at NASA, this is the story of a groundbreaking American woman who not only calculated the course of moon landings but, in turn, saved…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Be a King

  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream and You

  Weatherford, Carole Boston, 1956-

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  Inspired by the hopes, dreams, and major life accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., children and adults of all ages and races and in all walks of life are called to stand up for equal rights and justice every day. Ages 5-9.

• My Hair Is a Garden

  Cabrera, Cozbi A.,

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  Miss Tillie helps teach MacKenzie how to care for her hair, like a garden. Ages 5-9.

• Before She Was Harriet

  Cline-Ransome, Lesa,

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  Harriet Tubman was more than just a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She was also a nurse, a spy and a military general. Ages 5-9.

• Crown

  An Ode to the Fresh Cut

  Barnes, Derrick,

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  "You came in as a lump of clay, a blank canvas, a slab of marble. But when my man is done with you, they'll want to post you up in a museum!" Ages 4-12.

• Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

  Williams-Garcia, Rita,

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  Clayton feels most alive when he's with his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd. But then Cool Papa Byrd dies, and Clayton's mother forbids Clayton from playing the blues. Ages 8-12.

• The Youngest Marcher

  the Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist

  Levinson, Cynthia,

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  Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks, eager to stand up to segregation, marched alongside thousands of fellow students in the 1963 Birmingham Children's March. Ages 6-10.