Juneteenth

June 19 is a federal holiday which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Celebrate Juneteenth with books, history, and more for all ages!

Updated June 10, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
All different now : Juneteenth, the first day of freedom
Johnson, Angela
Paper Book
Experience the joy of Juneteenth in this celebration of freedom from the award-winning team of Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis. Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the...
Black food : stories, art & recipes from across the African diaspora
Terry, Bryant
Paper Book
A beautiful, rich, and groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world, curated by food activist and author of Vegetable Kingdom Bryant Terry. WINNER OF THE ART OF EATING PRIZE . JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE . ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS...
Build a house
Giddens, Rhiannon
Paper Book
Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut. As an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, and cofounder of the traditional African American string band the Carolina...
Free at last : a Juneteenth poem
Kincaid-Rolle, Sojourner
Paper Book
This lyrical celebration of Juneteenth, deeply rooted in Black American history, spans centuries and reverberates loudly and proudly today.After 300 years of forced bondage;hands bound, descendants of Africapicked up their souls--all that they owned--leaving shackles where they fell on the ground...
Juneteenth is an often overlooked event in our nation’s history. On June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas some two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth
Clinch, Shasta
Paper Book
In the United States, Black people were enslaved for hundreds of years. In 1863, during the American Civil War, many enslaved people were freed. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas heard the news that they were free for the first time. On Juneteenth, people celebrate this day with parades,...
Juneteenth
Garrett, Van G.
Paper Book
A lyrical picture book about our newest national holiday, Juneteenth follows the annual celebration in Galveston, Texas--birthplace of Juneteenth--through the eyes of a boy coming to understand his place in Black American history in a story from three Texan creators. A young Black child...
Juneteenth : a novel
Ellison, Ralph.
Ebook
From the author of the classic novel Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison's Juneteenth is a powerful and brilliantly crafted tale that explores themes of identity, race, and ambition. "[A] stunning achievement. . . . Ellison sought no less than to create a Book of...
Juneteenth : our day of freedom
Wyeth, Sharon Dennis
Paper Book
Some call it Freedom Day; some call it Emancipation Day; some call it Juneteenth. Learn more about this important holiday that celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States in this Step 3 History Reader. On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation...
The Juneteenth alphabet
Petifer, Andrea Underwood
Paper Book
Celebrate Juneteenth with this heartfelt introduction for kids ages 3 to 6. A is for ancestors, and B is for Black. There is a complex history behind Juneteenth--but in The Juneteenth Alphabet, kids (and adults) can find celebratory moments of joy and inspiration as they learn about the...
The Juneteenth cookbook : recipes and activities for kids and families to celebrate
Agostini, Alliah L.
Paper Book
*As Featured on Oprah Daily* *2024 Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year* *A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature (CSMCL) Best Multicultural Book of 2024*   Celebrate Juneteenth and radiate #BlackJoy through traditional food...
Juneteenth for Mazie
Cooper, Floyd
Other
Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty and freedom on Juneteenth, a great day in American history, the day her ancestors were no longer slaves.

A Juneteenth reading list from Charis Books & More

Celebrate fiction and nonfiction by African American authors that continue to shape our culture and celebrate liberation.
The night before freedom : a Juneteenth story
Armand, Glenda
Paper Book
This moving picture book tells the story of Juneteenth with all the care and reverence such a holiday deserves. The rhyming text and stunning illustrations will teach children about this historic day in history. 'Twas the night before freedom, and all through the South,
On Juneteenth
Gordon-Reed, Annette
Paper Book
Weaving together American history, dramatic family chronicle, and searing episodes of memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed's On Juneteenth provides a historian's view of the country's long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African-Americans have...
Opal Lee and what it means to be free : the true story of the grandmother of Juneteenth
Duncan, Alice Faye
Paper Book
Booklist starred review Black activist Opal Lee had a vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone. This true story celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many...

Top Ten Juneteenth books for all ages by Black & Bookish

Watermelon & red birds : a cookbook for Juneteenth and black celebrations
Taylor, Nicole A.
Paper Book
The very first cookbook to celebrate Juneteenth, from food writer and cookbook author Nicole A. Taylor--who draws on her decade of experiences observing the holiday. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Major...
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.