Black History Month!

Celebrate Black History month through books! This reading list highlights African American authors and illustrators.


Picture Books:

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman - Although a classmate says that she cannot play Peter Pan in the school play because she is black, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to do.  Grace also has chapter books! Check out other books by Mary Hoffman to see Grace as she grows.

Marc Just Couldn't Sleep by Gabriela Keselman -  Marc can't sleep because he's scared. He tells his concerns to his mother, who attempts to help him get to sleep by using creative solutions such as making him mosquito-proof pajamas!

Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora - A toddler plays peek-a-boo throughout the day with family and friends.

This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt - An adaptation of This Old Man presents an introduction to jazz music and nine well-known jazz musicians, set to the rhythm of the traditional song, "This Old Man." Includes brief facts about each musician.

Welcome Precious by Nikki Grimes -  Illustrations and text welcome a new baby to some of life's delights, from "the glistening mystery of soap bubbles" to "the swish of leaves in the breeze."

Chapter Books:

Drita, My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard - When ten-year-old Drita and her family, refugees from Kosovo, move to New York, Drita is teased about not speaking English well, but after a popular student named Maxie is forced to learn about Kosovo as a punishment for teasing Drita, the two girls soon bond.

A Friendship for Today by Patricia McKissack - In 1954, when desegregation comes to Kirkland, Missouri, ten-year-old Rosemary faces many changes and challenges at school and at home as her parents separate.

Junebug by Alice Mead - An inquisitive young boy who lives with his mother and younger sister in a rough housing project in New Haven, Connecticut, approaches his tenth birthday with a mixture of anticipation and worry.


Last Summer with Maizon by Jacqueline Woodson - Eleven-year-old Margaret tries to accept the inevitable changes that come one summer when her father dies and her best friend Maizon goes away to a private boarding school.

Poetry:

Brothers & Sisters : Family Poems by Eloise Greenfield - Brothers and sisters. Full, half, step, old and young, close in age and far apart. The bond between all siblings is powerful and special. Celebrate the love of brothers and sisters everywhere with award-winning author Eloise Greenfield in this poignant collection of poems for and about families.

Hey you! C'mere : a poetry slam by Elizabeth Swados - A collection of free-verse, rap-style poems. The selections explore the urban setting, the dynamics of group friendships, and the awkwardness and joys of being a kid.

In Daddy's Arms I Am tall : African Americans celebrating fathers / illustrated by Javaka Steptoe - A collection of poems celebrating African-American fathers by Angela Johnson, E. Ethelbert Miller, Carole Boston Weatherford, and others.

Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou - Presents Maya Angelou's poem illustrated by paintings and drawings of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Features biographies of both the author and artist.

The Palm of my Heart : poetry by African American children edited by Davida Adedjouma - A collection of poems written by Afro-American children celebrating what it means to be Black.

Why War is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker - Simple, rhythmic text explores the destructiveness of War, which has grown old but not wise.