Black History Month: Teen Nonfiction

Updated February 3, 2026
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A mighty long way : my journey to justice at Little Rock Central High School
LaNier, Carlotta Walls
Paper Book
Follow the story of Carlotta Walls LaNier, who in 1957 at the age of fourteen was one of nine black students who integrated the all-white Little Rock Central High School and became known as the Little Rock Nine. At fourteen years old, Carlotta Walls was the youngest member of the...
Illustrated Black history : honoring the iconic and the unseen
McCalman, George
Paper Book
NAACP IMAGE AWARD: OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK "What a gift this book is." -- Hilton Als, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and author "Leaps off the page." -- Publishers Weekly A gorgeous collection of 145 original portraits that celebrates Black...
Call him Jack : the story of Jackie Robinson, Black freedom fighter
Williams, Yohuru
Paper Book
An enthralling, eye-opening portrayal of this barrier-breaking American hero as a lifelong, relentlessly proud fighter for Black justice and civil rights. According to Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson was "a sit-inner before the sit-ins, a freedom rider...
Overground railroad : the Green book and the roots of black travel in America
Taylor, Candacy A.
Paper Book
Overground Railroad chronicles the history of the Green Book, which was published from 1936 to 1966 and was the "Black travel guide to America." For years, it was dangerous for African Americans to travel in the United States. Because of segregation, Black travelers couldn't eat,...
Revolution in our time : the Black Panther Party's promise to the people
Magoon, Kekla
Paper Book
A National Book Award Finalist A Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor Book A Michael L. Printz Honor Book A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book With passion and precision, Kekla Magoon relays an essential account of the Black...
Black birds in the sky : the story and legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Colbert, Brandy
Paper Book
A searing new work of nonfiction from award-winning author Brandy Colbert about the history and legacy of one of the most deadly and destructive acts of racial violence in American history: the Tulsa Race Massacre. Winner, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. In the early morning of June 1, 1921,...
The Tulsa race massacre
Laughlin, Kara L.
Paper Book
A brief introduction into the violent Tulsa Race Massacre that occurred on May 31-June 1 1921. Additional features include detailed captions and sidebars, critical-thinking questions, a phonetic glossary, an index, and sources for further research.
The burning : Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921
Beard, Hilary
Paper Book
One of the worst acts of racist violence in American history took place in 1921, when a White mob numbering in the thousands decimated the thriving Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Burning recreates Greenwood at the height of its prosperity, explores...
Together : an inspiring response to the "separate-but-equal" Supreme Court decision that divided America
Nathan, Amy
Paper Book
"An ambitious account of the legacies of Plessy and Ferguson . . . Undeniably timely and representative of the necessary work ahead."--Kirkus Reviews "Amy Nathan's well-researched and beautifully written book makes clear the history of racism that has kept Black people...
The rebellious life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
Theoharis, Jeanne
Paper Book
"Jeanne's book not only inspired the documentary but has been a catalyst in changing our national understanding of Rosa Parks. Highly recommend!"-Soledad O'Brien, executive producer of the Peabody Award-winning documentary The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks "A must...
Singled out : the true story of Glenn Burke
Maraniss, Andrew
Paper Book
*" An excellent exercise in narrative nonfiction." --Booklist (starred review) From New York Times bestselling author Andrew Maraniss comes the remarkable true story of Glenn Burke, a "hidden figure" in the history of sports- the inventor of the high five and the first...
Changing the equation : 50+ US Black women in STEM
Bolden, Tonya
Paper Book
Changing the Equation is a celebratory and inspiring look at some of the most important Black women in STEM. Coretta Scott King Honor author Tonya Bolden explores Black women who have changed the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and...
Stamped : racism, antiracism, and you
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
Don't miss this "fresh and conversational" (TIME Magazine), "potent and provocative" (The San Francisco Chronicle), #1 New York Times bestselling exploration of racism--and antiracism--in America. ...
Lifting as we climb : black women's battle for the ballot box
Dionne, Evette
Paper Book
For African American women, the fight for the right to vote was only one battle. This Coretta Scott King Author Honor book tells the important, overlooked story of black women as a force in the suffrage movement--when fellow suffragists did not accept them as equal...
March Forward Girl
Beals, Melba Pattillo
Paper Book
"Beals' recollection of white oppression and her rise above it will haunt readers. A must-read for teens." --School Library Journal From the legendary civil rights activist and author of the million-copy-selling Warriors Don't Cry comes an ardent and profound childhood memoir of...
Pathfinders : the journeys of 16 extraordinary Black souls
Bolden, Tonya
Paper Book
Over the centuries, untold numbers of black men and women in America have achieved great things against the odds. Pathfinders is a collective biography of sixteen diverse American men and women of African descent who made their mark on American history in the 18th to 20th centuries. People who...
Hidden human computers : the black women of NASA
Edwards, Sue Bradford
Paper Book
Hidden Human Computers discusses how in the 1950s, black women made critical contributions to NASA by performing calculations that made it possible for the nation's astronauts to fly into space and return safely to Earth. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential...
Loving vs. Virginia : a documentary novel of the landmark civil rights case
Powell, Patricia Hruby
Ebook
From acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell comes the story of a landmark civil rights case, told in spare and gorgeous verse. In 1955, in Caroline County, Virginia, amidst segregation and prejudice, injustice and cruelty, two teenagers fell in love. Their life together broke the law, but their...
The March Against Fear
Bausum, Ann
Paper Book
James Meredith's 1966 march in Mississippi began as one man's peaceful protest for voter registration and became one of the South's most important demonstrations of the civil rights movement. It brought together leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael, who formed an unlikely...
In the shadow of Liberty : the hidden history of slavery, four presidents, and five black lives
Davis, Kenneth C.
Audiobook
2017 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction finalist Did you know that many of America's Founding Fathers―who fought for liberty and justice for all―were slave owners? Through the powerful stories of five enslaved people who were "owned" by four of our...
Turning 15 on the road to freedom : my story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March
Lowery, Lynda Blackmon
Paper Book
A memoir of the Civil Rights Movement from one of its youngest heroes A Sibert Informational Book Medal Honor Book KirkusBest Books of 2015 BooklistEditors' Choice 2015 BCCBBlue Ribbon 2015 As the youngest...
The Port Chicago 50 : disaster, mutiny, and the fight for civil rights
Sheinkin, Steve.
Paper Book
An astonishing World War II military story of civil rights from New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin. A National Book Award Finalist A YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist A School Library Journal...
Courage has no color : the true story of the Triple Nickles : America's first Black paratroopers
Stone, Tanya Lee.
Paper Book
They became America's first black paratroopers. Why was their story never told? Sibert Medalist Tanya Lee Stone reveals the history of the Triple Nickles during World War II. World War II is raging, and thousands of American soldiers are fighting overseas against the injustices...
Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, written by himself : a new critical edition
Douglass, Frederick
Paper Book
A critical edition of one of the most influential literary documents in American and African American history   "This edition is the most valuable teaching tool on slavery and abolition available today. It is exceptional."--Nancy Hewitt, Distinguished...
Rosa Parks :
Parks, Rosa,
Ebook
I know why the caged bird sings
Angelou, Maya.
Paper Book
Superbly told, with the poet's gift for language and observation, Angelou's autobiography of her childhood in Arkansas - a world of which most Americans are ignorant.

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