Children's Book Suggestions | Black History Month

This list shares some of our favorite nonfiction and chapter books for readers in Grades 3-8.

For younger readers, see our Children's Book Suggestions: Black History Month Picture Books list.

For nonfiction books about Black Americans and their contributions to US History, look for biographies of individuals in 921 (by subject last name) and general Black history in 973.0496.

For more of the best children's books by Black authors and illustrators, check out the Coretta Scott King Awards awarded annually by the American Library Association since 1970.

Updated January 30, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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An American story
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Book A 2023 New York Times Best Children's Book A 2023 Publisher's Weekly Best Picture Book An NPR Best Book of the Year #1 New York Times Bestselling and...
This Coretta Scott King Award-winner uses stunning mixed media illustrations by Dare Coulter to model how to have a hard conversation about a difficult historical topic. (Picture Book Age 5-8)
All aboard the schooltrain : a little story from the Great Migration
Armand, Glenda
Paper Book
"Schooltrain! Schooltrain! Don't be late! The school bell rings at half past eight!" This tender family story, inspired by the author's own, illuminates a dynamic chapter in American history known as the Great Migration -- and the many trains people rode toward freedom.<...

This historical fiction story uses the picture book format and experiences from the author's childhood to teach the youngest readers about the Great Migration. (Picture Book Age 6-9)

African proverbs for all ages
Cole, Johnnetta B.
Paper Book
African Proverbs for All Ages is a beautifully-illustrated, engaging picture book about the power of proverbs, how they evolve over time, and the wisdom of various cultures in Africa. It has been said that a proverb is a short sentence based on long experience. ...

Each illustration in this colorful picture book is paired with 4 proverbs from an African culture, allowing readers to guess which proverb actually inspired the image! (Children's Picture Books Age 4-8)

The last last-day-of-summer
Giles, L. R.
Paper Book
"The Last Last-Day-of-Summer reminds me that all children deserve to exist in magical spaces where their imaginations and familial bonds will them into heroism. Every single child should have the freedom to be one of The Legendary Alstons. And I, for one, am grateful to Giles, and this brilliant...

Twin brothers accidentally freeze time on the last day of summer vacation, extending their summer but significantly multiplying the weirdness of their small town. (Grades 3-5)

Dragons in a bag
Elliott, Zetta
Paper Book
The dragon's out of the bag in this diverse, young urban fantasy from an award-winning author! When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she's not his grandmother--but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering...

An ordinary 9-year-old boy sets off on a quest to deliver 3 baby dragons to a magical land. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

There was a party for Langston
Reynolds, Jason
Ebook
A Caldecott Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds's debut picture book is a snappy, joyous ode to Word King, literary genius, and glass-ceiling smasher Langston Hughes and...

Inspired by a photo of Maya Angelou and Amiri Baraka dancing at the party the NYPL threw to honor the poet Langston Hughes, this illustrated poem by powerhouse Jason Reynolds and Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey is a love letter to Hughes' influence on American literature and culture.

The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Paper Book
During one of the most important times in the civil rights movement, one unforgettable family goes on a road trip in this Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honoree, from author Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. ...

A classic Newbery Award-winning book from powerhouse Christopher Paul Curtis, which tells the story of a family road trip to Birmingham that coincides with the bombing at the 16th St Baptist Church in September 1963. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Amari and the night brothers
Alston, B. B.
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller! Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a series filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor. Amari Peters has...

After her brother goes missing, a middle school girl gets an invitation to join a supernatural investigation agency. Great for fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson! (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Isaiah Dunn is my hero
Baptist, Kelly J.
Paper Book
A coming-of-age tale about a boy who discovers a love of poetry after finding his late father's journal. Adapted from a story that first appeared in Flying Lessons & Other Stories and perfect for fans of The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. Isaiah is now the...

A young boy finds his voice after his father's death using a notebook full of stories about his secret superhero identity. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Dactyl Hill Squad. Book one
Older, Daniel Josâe
Paper Book
"An unforgettable historical, high-octane adventure." -- Dav Pilkey, author-illustrator of the Dog Man seriesIt's 1863 and dinosaurs roam the streets of New York as the Civil War rages between raptor-mounted armies down South. Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are...

In an alternate timeline where the Civil War was fought on dinosaurs, a young girl who can communicate telepathically with the ancient beasts sets out to find her brother, a wounded soldier. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Hands
Maldonado, Torrey
Paper Book
"Gorgeous and gripping, Hands is a poetic page-turner. You might just finish it in one sitting. Torrey Maldonado understands the kids he writes for at the deepest level." -Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Inquisitor's Tale The author of What Lane?<...

A short, gripping novel by a master of high-interest titles for young men, exploring the choice one teen has to make when his abusive stepfather is released from jail. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Ways to make sunshine
Watson, Renâee
Paper Book
From Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson, the first book in a young middle grade series about Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit, kindness, and sunshine. Ryan Hart can be and do anything. Her name means "king", that she is a leader, and she...

This sweet, wholesome series about a 4th grade girl and her family is set in Portland and inspired by both the author's childhood in the city and Beverly Cleary's beloved Ramona books. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

King and the dragonflies
Callender, Kacen
Paper Book
A 2021 Coretta Scott King Honor Book! Winner of the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature! Winner of the 2020 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry! In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy's grief takes him...

An award-winning novel from an LGBTQ+ author about a young boy dealing with grief and his sexuality in a conservative Louisiana town. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

It's the end of the world and I'm in my bathing suit
Reynolds, Justin A.
Paper Book
A hilarious new middle-grade from Justin A. Reynolds that asks: What happens when five unsupervised kids face the apocalypse under outrageously silly circumstances? Twelve-year-old Eddie Gordon Holloway has concocted his most genius plan ever to avoid chores . . . especially the dreaded L...

Grounded for a laundry-avoidance scheme that backfired, Eddie is left at home on the day of the big beach bash when everything from the power to the WiFi shuts down. He teams up with the other kids in the neighborhood as they navigate the potential apocalypse...in his bathing suit. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The Great Greene Heist
Johnson, Varian
Paper Book
Saving the school -- one con at a time."A political heist page-turner set in middle school? Is that even possible? Varian Johnson shows us how it's done." - Gordon Korman, author of SWINDLE "Do yourself a favor and start reading immediately." - Rebecca Stead, author of WHEN YOU REACH ME Jackson...

Ocean's Eleven but set in a middle school, with a group of friends teaming up to stop a classmate from tampering with the student council elections. (Young Teen Grades 5-7)

The Manifestor prophecy
Thomas, Angie
Ebook
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller! Internationally bestselling superstar author Angie Thomas makes her middle grade debut with the launch of an inventive, hilarious, and suspenseful new contemporary fantasy trilogy inspired by African American history and folklore. It's not...

The author of The Hate U Give makes her middle grade debut with a fantasy adventure epic about a young girl from a family of secret wizards. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

From the desk of Zoe Washington
Marks, Janae
Paper Book
#1 Kids Indie Next List * Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of the Year * SLJ Best Book of the Year * Kirkus Best Book of the Year * Junior Library Guild Selection * Edgar Award Nominee * Four Starred Reviews * Bank Street Best...

A middle school cupcake baker discovers her father, imprisoned since she was a young child, is innocent of the crime he was convicted for. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Tristan Strong punches a hole in the sky
Mbalia, Kwame
Paper Book
Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend Eddie when they were in a bus accident together. But on his first night at his grandparents' farm, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. When Tristan chases after, he finds himself...

From the Rick Riordan Presents series focused on fantasy adventure stories inspired by world mythology traditions, Tristan Strong introduces readers to a magical world featuring figures from Black and West African folklore. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A good kind of trouble
Ramâee, Lisa Moore
Paper Book
From debut author Lisa Moore Ramée comes this funny and big-hearted debut middle grade novel about friendship, family, and standing up for what's right, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and the novels of Renée Watson and Jason Reynolds. Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic...

A middle school student's decision to wear an armband in protest of an incident of police violence brings her into conflict with school officials and her classmates. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Wildseed witch
Dumas, Marti
Paper Book
Hasani's post-seventh-grade summer to-do list is pretty simple: get a bigger following for her makeup YouTube channel and figure out how to get her parents back together. What she does NOT expect is that an emotional outburst will spark a latent magical ability in her. Or that the magic will be...

Makeup enthusiast Hasani just wants to focus on building her YouTube channel, but the discovery of magical powers sends her to an exclusive camp for witches. (Young Teen Grades 5-7)

Ghost
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
A National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read. Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this...

The first of four novels of kids on a track team, perfect for runners and sports enthusiasts. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Clean getaway
Stone, Nic
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a timely middle-grade road-trip story through landmarks of the Civil Rights movement and the map they lay for contemporary race relations. How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma: Grab a...

A middle school boy learns more about his grandma, both good and bad, when they take an unsanctioned road trip across the country using the historical Green Book as a guide. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The girl who married a skull, and other African stories : a cautionary fables & fairytales book
Ashwin, Kate
Paper Book
"Dynamic and thought-provoking." -- KIRKUS Have you heard the one about the skull who borrowed body parts to pass himself off as a human so he could trick the village beauty into marriage? No? Well, what about when the daughters of Frog and Snake had a playdate? Okay, fine...

A graphic novel collection of African folktales, each written and illustrated by a different pair of Black creators. (Young Teen Graphic Novels Grades 5-7)

New kid
Craft, Jerry
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature!  Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low...

The first graphic novel to win a Newbery Medal is popular with young readers of all backgrounds drawn to the familiar story of starting over in a new place. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)


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