New and Recommended Children's Nonfiction Books to celebrate Black History MonthUnpublished

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In this New York Times bestseller that takes a bold journey through the alphabet of Black history and culture, B is for Beautiful, Brave, and Bright! Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries,...

The American boxing champ and vocal civil rights activist Muhammad Ali is the 27th hero in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8. Muhammad Ali was the leading heavyweight boxer of the 20th century and a charismatic, beloved public...

An Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller! In the first middle grade offering from Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi, young readers are introduced to the remarkable and true-life story of Cudjo Lewis, one of the last survivors of the Atlantic human trade, in an adaptation of...

From Laura Obuobi, acclaimed author of NAACP Image Award nominee Black Gold and What Love Looks Like, comes a triumphant nonfiction picture book about ballet star Michaela Mabinty DePrince, one of the most celebrated ballerinas of our generation. This lyrical true tale follows...

Written by award-winning Black British children's author Sharna Jackson, Black Artists Shaping the World celebrates the diversity of work being produced today by Black artists from around the globe, introducing young readers to twenty-six contemporary artists from Africa and of the African...

The 1619 Project's lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renee Watson. A...

Published in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, discover over fifty remarkable African American women whose unique skills and contributions paved the way for the next generation of young people. Perfect for fans of Rad Women Worldwide,...

Essential Black History Reading The first-ever picture book biography of Carter G. Woodson, the Father of Black History Month Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Honor Book), NCSS Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book ...

Get ready to swing with A Child's Introduction to Jazz, an interactive journey into one of the richest and most soulful music genres in the world. Listen while you learn with QR codes that will connect you to the instruments and musical flair of jazz.  ...

Civil rights icon Claudette Colvin teams up with Phillip Hoose--author of the Newbery Honor and National Book Award-winning blockbuster biography Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice--to tell her groundbreaking story in this unforgettable picture book illustrated by New York Times<...

Voting gives people a voice in their communities. In the past, racist laws and practices kept Black American voices silent. No place was more affected by this racism than the state of Mississippi. In 1964, organizers and volunteers brought change to Mississippi. This movement to register Black...

Discover the story of young James Baldwin in this ode to the legendary writer and the power of the written word-with exquisite prose from acclaimed poet Quartez Harris, and breathtaking illustrations from New York Times bestselling creator and Caldecott Honoree Gordon C. James.

Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who stood up, spoke up and rose up against the odds! In this chapter book biography by bestselling and award-winning author Andrea...

Experience history with this picture book of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic speech, including an audio CD. This Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book will inspire young readers! From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King: "My father's dream...

A powerful and poetic picture book about Black history in the United States, from the shores of Africa and slavery, to the civil rights and Black Lives Matter movements. With stunning lyricism reminiscent of traditional African spirituals and today's rhythm and flow of hip-hop, a...

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award--nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women in STEM who helped NASA launch men into space...

A brilliant picture book biography about Thurgood Marshall, who fought for equality during the Civil Rights Movement and served as the first Black justice on the Supreme Court, from Coretta Scott King Honor winners Kekla Magoon and Laura Freeman. Growing up in Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall...

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about the Underground Railroad and Black Americans' struggle for freedom. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. Before the Civil War, there was a crack team of abolitionists who used quilts...

A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book "This moving picture book portrays a girl who met injustice with dignity and excelled."--Booklist (starred review) From a multi-award-winning pair comes a deeply affecting portrait of...

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...

Recipient of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award Recipient of a Bologna Ragazzi Non-Fiction Special Mention Honor Award A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 From celebrated author and illustrator Ashley Bryan comes a deeply...

Celebrate and explore Juneteenth with your kids through Black American food and cultural traditions.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Meet the little leaders. They're brave. They're bold. They changed the world. Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women...

Author-illustrator Vashti Harrison shines a bold, joyous light on black men through history in this #1 New York Times bestseller. An important book for readers of all ages, this beautifully illustrated and engagingly written volume brings to...

A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. An Amazon Best Book of the Month! A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the...

Tip your hat to fashion designer and civil rights icon Mae Reeves in this picture book biography written in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture! "A fine introduction to a determined trailblazer." -The New York Times...

John Horse (c. 1812-1882, also known as Juan Caballo) was a famed chief, warrior, tactician, and diplomat who played a dominant role in Black Seminole affairs for half a century. His story is central to that of the Black Seminoles-descendants of Seminole Indians, free Blacks, and escaped slaves...

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Michelle Obama, the iconic first lady, advocate, lawyer, and author. Young Michelle grew up on the South Side of Chicago in a close-knit...

Enjoy this tribute to Former First Lady Michelle Obama and her contributions to building the healthy future that America's children deserve--a White House story that's perfect for celebrating America's 250th birthday!   Former First Lady Michelle Obama had an idea. A big,...

From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes her debut picture book--a tour de force that uses the principles of Kwanzaa to talk about the history of African Americans. This lyrical, powerful tribute is sumptuously illustrated by New Yorker artist and rising star Loveis...

As a new generation of activists demands an end to racism, A Place to Land reflects on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and the movement that it galvanized. Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Selected...

"A powerful story." --The Horn Book "A worthy addition to children's biography collections." --Booklist "A solid treatment of an important but little-known figure, and it may prompt kids to think about the role and composition of a free press....

Lyrical, inspiring, and affecting text paired with bright, appealing illustrations make Ready to Fly perfect for aspiring ballerinas everywhere who are ready to leap and to spread their wings! Ready to Fly is the true story of Sylvia Townsend, an African...

★ "Entertaining and informative. A fine contribution to African American creative nonfiction for young readers." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review From Karyn Parson's critically acclaimed Sweet Blackberry video series comes the little known story...

A young Aretha Franklin captivates her community with the song "Respect" during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, in this striking picture book biography that will embolden today's young readers to sing their own truth. When Aretha Franklin sang, she didn't just sing.....

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story: how slavery began, and how America split itself in two to end it. Here's the true story of America from the African American perspective. From the moment Africans were first brought to the shores of the United States,...

On November 14, 1960, first graders Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost, and Gail Etienne stepped into history by going to school. Escorted by U.S. Marshals and facing swarms of shouting protestors, they became the first children in New Orleans to integrate a previously all-white school, just ten...

The New York Times' 14 Antiracist Books for Kids and Teens Arnold Adoff Poetry Awards 2020, Special Recognition Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2019 Bank Street College of Eduction Best Children's Books 2019 Lee Bennett...

From Young People's Poet Laureate Carole Boston Weatherford and award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier, a stirring account of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, as witnessed by the Alabama River. Some say water is the mightiest force on earth. But the...

Adapted from Emmanuel Acho's New York Times bestseller Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, comes an essential young readers edition aimed at opening a dialogue about systemic racism with our youngest generation. Young people have the power to affect...

Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal A 2020 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time...

A moving and inspiring nonfiction picture book about Jackie Robinson's court martial trial--an important lesser-known moment in his lifetime of fighting prejudice with strength and grace. Students who have been introduced to this American hero from such books as Brad Meltzer's I Am Jackie...

Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards for Author and Illustrator A Caldecott Honor Book A Sibert Honor Book Longlisted for the National Book Award A Kirkus Prize Finalist A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book "A must-have"--Booklist (starred review)<...

A poignant picture book biography on how John Lewis got his library card and helped change history. All John Lewis wanted was a library card, but in 1956, libraries were only for white people. That didn't seem fair to John, and so he spent a lifetime advocating for...

A 2023 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist An awe-inspiring autobiographical picture book about a young African American girl who lived during the shutdown of public schools in Farmville, Virginia, following the landmark civil rights case Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka....

Discover how a young girl who was the star of her school's debate team became a federal jurist and the first Black woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court. Presenting Who HQ Now: an exciting addition to the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series!

Learn about the record-breaking gymnastics career and inspiring life of Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles in this book from the New York Times Best-Selling Who HQ series. In 2021, Simone Biles shocked the world when she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympic Games after...

Read all about about the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in this empowering addition to the Who Was? series. Shirley Chisholm showed interest in politics early on, majoring in sociology at Brooklyn College in New York City. During this time she was awarded for her...

From award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate comes a remarkable picture book biography of William Still, known as Father of the Underground Railroad. William Still's parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. As a...

A picture book biography about the barber shop of woodcarver Elijah Pierce, recipient of the highest folk art honor in the United States. "Creeeeak!" goes the screen door to self-taught artist Elijah Pierce's barbershop art studio. A young boy walks in for an ordinary...

"...to be revisited again and again...The candy-colored pages and straightforward stories are hard to resist..." -The New York Times "...diverse collection of iconic figures...vibrantly illustrated...beautifully crafted volume..." -Kirkus Reviews, Starred...