Black History Month

February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring the history, achievements, and contributions of Black people. Enjoy these recently published fiction and nonfiction titles featuring Black achievement, history, biographies, Black authors and characters.

Updated February 5, 2026
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How sweet the sound
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Featuring artists ranging from Miles Davis to Kendrick Lamar, dive into this stunningly illustrated celebration of the history of Black music in America by the award-winning author of The Undefeated. Listen to the sound of...
Harlem rhapsody
Murray, Victoria Christopher
Paper Book
In 1919, as civil unrest grips the county, in a flourishing part of New York City called Harlem, something special is stirring. Here, the New Negro is rising and Black pride is evident everywhere... in music, theatre, fashion and the arts. And there on stage in the center of this renaissance is...
Jubilee : recipes from two centuries of African American cooking
Tipton-Martin, Toni
Paper Book
"A celebration of African American cuisine right now, in all of its abundance and variety."-Tejal Rao, The New York Times JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER . IACP AWARD WINNER . IACP BOOK OF THE YEAR TONI TIPTON-MARTIN NAMED THE 2021 JULIA CHILD AWARD RECIPIENT AND...
Black history is your history
Cassidy, Taylor
Paper Book
"[Makes] history personal in a way that middle grade readers will connect to and feel empowered by." --School Library Journal (starred review) From TikTok star and creator of Fast Black History Taylor Cassidy comes a "lively...accessible and appealing" (...
Overlooked Milestones of Black History (from the Archives)
Hinton, Kaavonia
Paper Book
A perfect book for young readers to discover lesser-known events that have shaped Black history in the United States. The Stono Rebellion of enslaved people in 1739. Harriet Tubman's Combahee River raid in 1863. The Biloxi Wade-in to desegregate beaches in 1959. Throughout history, Black...
When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy
Montgomery, Beronda L
Paper Book
This stunning cultural and personal reclamation of Black history and Black botanical mastery offers up lessons from the natural world shared through the stories of long-lived trees. The histories of trees in America are also the histories of Black Americans. Pecan trees were...
A short history of Black craft in ten objects
Awake, Robell
Paper Book
Ten beautifully illustrated essays tell the stories of handcrafted objects and their makers, providing inspiration and insight into Black history and craftsmanship. Black artisans have long been central to American art and design, creating innovative and highly...
The swans of Harlem : five Black ballerinas, a legacy of sisterhood, and their reclamation of a groundbreaking history
Valby, Karen
Paper Book
Meet five amazing Black ballerinas from The Dance Theater of Harlem, including some of the founding members. They broke barriers and made history in the world of classical dance, at a time when racism shut out Black dancers from major dance companies. A young adult adaptation of...
Finding a place called home : a guide to African-American genealogy and historical identity
Woodtor, Dee.
Paper Book
"I teach the kings of their ancestors so that the lives of the ancients might serve them as an example, for the world is old but the future springs from the past." Mamadou Kouyate "Sundiata", An Epic of Old Mali, a.d. 1217-1257 Two major questions of the ages are: Who am I? and Where am I going?...
Greatness
Bethencourt, Regis
Paper Book
Take a journey through Black history and find your greatness in this stunning book from the award-winning team behind the New York Times bestsellers Crowned and Glory. When Nasir and Imani step into their Grandma's studio,...
Losing Sight
Richardson, Tati
Paper Book
What if a mysterious pair of glasses helped you to see life--and love--clearly? Sports reporter Tanika "Nikki" Ryan is at the top of her game until she isn't. Squinting at the teleprompter and flubbing lines, she loses her coveted Thursday Night football spot to a younger, less...
Black diamond kings
Smith, Charles R., Jr.
Paper Book
"Each spread is a celebration of the skill and power displayed on the field...but the book takes care to balance that joy with an acknowledgement of the larger societal context in which the men played and the discrimination they faced." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books...
Cooking up change
Platt, Michael
Paper Book
In Cooking Up Change--the eagerly awaited sequel to teen chef and food justice advocate Michael Platt's Recipes for Change--Platt journeys through a year in Black history with a little help from his beloved grandmother as he retells 12 important historic events and shares a recipe...
Black-owned : the revolutionary life of the Black bookstore
Adams, Char
Paper Book
**L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist** **A November LibraryReads Pick** Longtime NBC News reporter Char Adams writes a deeply compelling and rigorously reported history of Black political movements told through the lens of Black-owned bookstores, which have been centers for...
Inventions to count on : a celebration of black inventors
Miroballi, Dana Marie
Paper Book
From forgotten innovators like Anna M. Mangin to well-known inventors like James West, this picture book is a celebration of Black history and inventors with a unique counting rhyme One heater keeps a family warm / Sheltered from the winter storm.
Ida B. Wells : journalist, advocate & crusader for justice
Dunbar, Erica Armstrong
Paper Book
Meet journalist and activist Ida B. Wells in this second vibrant middle grade biography in the Rise. Risk. Remember. Incredible Stories series spotlighting Black women who left their mark on history from acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Candace...
Becoming spectacular : the rhythm of resilience from the first African American Rockette
Jones, Jennifer
Paper Book
The first African American Rockette charts her journey to one of the world's most celebrated dance troupes in this gripping performing arts memoir that, for the first time, goes behind the velvet curtains at Radio City's legendary holiday show. "Smashing through glass windows and...
The conjuring of America : mojos, mermaids, medicine, and 400 years of Black women's magic
Stewart, Lindsey
Paper Book
Kirkus Best Books of 2025 | BookRiot's Best Books of 2025 | NPR's New Books to Read | Ms. Magazine's Most Anticipated Feminist Book  A crucial telling of U.S. history centering the Black women whose magic gave rise to the rich tapestry of American...
Trailblazer : perseverance in life and politics
Moseley-Braun, Carol
Paper Book
The first Black woman ever elected to the Senate. The first woman to represent the state of Illinois. The first Black woman to serve as a U.S Ambassador to New Zealand. These are just a few of the "firsts" that Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun can lay claim to since first entering politics in the...
The Six Triple Eight : a true story of the Black woman battalion of World War II
Abari, Tonya
Paper Book
A powerful and vibrantly illustrated account of the resilience and dedication of the unsung Black heroines who played a major role in World War II. Perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free, and Tyler Perry's blockbuster film The Six Triple Eight. ...
The kiss countdown
Easton, Etta
Paper Book
A struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut. Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to...
The Kwanzaa story : celebrating culture through community
Agostini, Alliah L.
Paper Book
Discover the history and importance of Kwanzaa, a week-long December holiday celebrated in Black, African, and African American cultures.  In The Kwanzaa Story, little Alliah (of The Juneteenth Story fame) is all grown up and, along with her husband LeVaur,...
I'm that girl : living the power of my dreams
Chiles, Jordan
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller With a Foreword by Simone Biles The sensational two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles's heartfelt, inspiring memoir chronicling her unlikely path to the podium--including the unprecedented challenges, the joy of winning, the crushing pain of defeat,...
That's how they get you : an unruly anthology of Black American humor
Young, Damon
Paper Book
From the Thurber Prize-winning author of What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker comes a pioneering collection of Black humor from some of the most acclaimed writers and performers at work today A critic explores the paradox of finding community in "the dozens" while...
The afterlife of Malcolm X : an outcast turned icon's enduring impact on America
Whitaker, Mark
Paper Book
A New York Public Library and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2025 Published to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of his birth, the first major study of Malcolm X's influence in the sixty years since his assassination, exploring his enduring impact on culture,...
Chadwick Boseman, King of Wakanda : a hero on and off the screen
Singleton, Chris
Paper Book
Chadwick Boseman, King of Wakanda, A Hero On and Off the Screen, shows the power of grit, perseverance, and character in a dynamic biography for kids. ​ Chadwick Boseman, King of Wakanda, A Hero On and Off the Screen, shows the power of...
Mae Jemison
Williams, Lesley
Paper Book
A graphic novel for children ages 7 to 10. Mae Jemison was the first Black woman to go to space. She is an astronaut, doctor, engineer, writer, teacher, and dancer. Her adventurous spirit has taken her from healing people around the world, to dancing on stage, to orbiting the earth on the space...
Before the ships : the birth of Black excellence
Oso, Maisha
Paper Book
Before the Ships is a powerful and poetic celebration of the early roots of Black history. The great achievements and accomplishments across Africa prior to the Transatlantic slave trade are told through melodious text and evocative illustrations, that culminate into the strength and...
African American almanac : 400 years of Black excellence
Bracks, Lean'tin L.
Paper Book
Courage, resilience and triumph! Celebrating the African American experience, the extraordinary people, and their profound influence on American history! African Americans helped build the United States. Their contributions, deeds, and influence are interwoven into the fabric of the...
Praisesong for the kitchen ghosts : stories and recipes from five generations of Black country cooks
Wilkinson, Crystal
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians, through powerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes, from the former poet laureate of Kentucky."With Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts...
Psalms of my people : a story of Black liberation as told through hip-hop
Duncan, Lenny
Paper Book
If you want to understand the Black experience in the US, you have to understand hip-hop. James Baldwin, in his famous talk "The Struggle for the Artist's Integrity," suggests that "the poets (by which I mean all artists) are finally the only people who know the truth about us." And...
The sable cloak
Grant, Gail Milissa
Paper Book
In this atmospheric novel set in the Jim Crow South, a powerful Black family fights to protect their empire--an "unforgettable must-read" for readers of Tayari Jones (Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling author). Jordan Sable, a prosperous...
The American queen
Miller, Vanessa
Paper Book
A WOMAN EVOLVE BOOK CLUB PICK | A NORTH CAROLINA READS PICK | A Christy Award WINNER | A 2024 American Fiction Award WINNER | A 2025 Audie Awards WINNER | Best Historical Fiction of 2024 (She Reads) | FEATURED IN GMA, WASHINGTON POST, AND ESSENCE | There is only one known queen who truly ruled a...
Sparks fly
Jamal, Zakiya N.
Paper Book
When Stella Renee Johnson's roommate invites her to a sex club party but bails at the last minute, Stella decides to use the opportunity to finally cash in her V-card. But just when things are heating up between Stella and a sexy stranger, they realize they don't have protection and Stella, taking...
Tempest
Ibura, K.
Paper Book
In this lyrical and epic contemporary novel with magical fantasy elements, a girl must learn to master her powers over the wind before a sinister secret organization finds her. Perfect for fans of Legendborn,  A Song Below Water, and Vespertine. After Veronique's...
The love lyric
Forest, Kristina
Paper Book
An R&B singer and a corporate executive find love that hits the right notes in this USA Today bestselling romance by Kristina Forest. Iris Greene used to be a woman with a plan. But all of that changed after she met the love of her life at twenty-five, got pregnant and...
The dark maestro : a novel
Slocumb, Brendan
Paper Book
His cello made him famous. His father made him a target. "In this perfectly crafted thriller, Slocumb acts as the master conductor, bringing together a twisty plot and gorgeously wrought characters." -The Boston Globe Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy, growing...
The devil three times : a novel
Fayne, Rickey
Paper Book
Finalist for the PEN Open Book Award Shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Finalist for the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction "A debut of enormous ambition" spanning eight generations of a Black family in...
Can't get enough
Ryan, Kennedy
Paper Book
"Can't Get Enough balances brutal emotion, whip-smart humor, and delicious spice. Moving, romantic, and thrumming with life, this is Ryan's best work yet." ―Talia Hibbert Hendrix Barry lives a fabulous life. She has phenomenal friends,...
Split the sky
Arnold, Marie
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book! In this haunting story about family, legacy, and sacrifice, a young Black girl living in a Texas sundown town must find the courage to stand up for what's right even when it means facing impossible choices--perfect for fans of...
Once upon a time in Dollywood
Jordan, Ashley
Paper Book
Eve Ambroise may be a rising star playwright, but her personal life is falling part. Desperate for a fresh start, she breaks up with her fiance, cuts off her parents, and heads to the Tennessee mountains. But keeping up the lie that she's just on a writing retreat becomes near impossible when faced...
Family feast!
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
From the award-winning author and illustrator of Standing in the Need of Prayer comes a joyous picture book about an intergenerational Black family cooking a delicious feast and appreciating their quality time together. Aunts, uncles, cousins, all pitch in. ...
The game is afoot
Bryant, Elise
Paper Book
ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S 10 BEST MYSTERY NOVELS OF 2025 A clever and hilarious new mystery about a mother who thinks she has to do it all--even solve a murder--from the author of It's Elementary After rage quitting her job, Mavis finally has time to...
Great Black Hope
Franklin, Rob
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Cool and concise; a talent to watch." --Jay McInerney author of Bright Lights, Big City "You're going to get papercuts, you're going to turn the pages so fast." --Brad Thor, Today A gripping debut from...

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