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
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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...
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 : a novel
Ellison, Ralph.
Paper Book
From the author of bestselling Invisible Man--the classic novel of African-American experience--this long-awaited second novel tells an evocative tale of a prodigal of the twentieth century. Brilliantly crafted, moving, and wise, Juneteenth is the work...
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 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
Paper Book
Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty. She is ready to celebrate freedom. She is ready to celebrate a great day in American history. The day her ancestors were no longer slaves. Mazie remembers the struggles and the triumph, as she gets ready to celebrate Juneteenth.

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.
On Juneteenth
Gordon-Reed, Annette
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The essential, sweeping story of Juneteenth's integral importance to American history, as told by a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Texas native. Weaving together American history, dramatic family chronicle, and searing episodes of...
They built me for freedom : the story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park
Ellis, Tonya Duncan
Paper Book
A moving picture book about the history of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas--and the origins of Juneteenth. When people visit me, they are free--to run, play, gather, and rejoice. They built me to remember. On June 19, 1865, the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned...

Top Ten Juneteenth books for all ages by Black & Bookish

What is Juneteenth?
Jewel, Kirsti
Paper Book
Discover more about Juneteenth, the important holiday that celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, a group of enslaved men, women, and children in Texas gathered around a Union solder and listened as he read the most remarkable words they...
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

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