Black History Month: Children's Books

Updated February 1, 2024
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Life doesn't frighten me
Angelou, Maya.
Paper Book
Shadows on the wallNoises down the hallLife doesn't frighten me at allMaya Angelou's brave, defiant poem celebrates the courage within each of us, young and old. From the scary thought of panthers in the park to the unsettling scene of a new classroom, fearsome images are summoned and dispelled by...
Fancy party gowns : the story of fashion designer Ann Cole Lowe
Blumenthal, Deborah
Paper Book
A beautiful picture book about Ann Cole Lowe, a little-known African-American fashion designer who battled personal and social adversity in order to pursue her passion of making beautiful gowns and went on to become one of society's top designers. Wisps of cloth would fall...
I am Ruby Bridges
Bridges, Ruby
Paper Book
Ruby Bridges tells her story as never before and shares the events of the momentous day in 1960 when Ruby became the first Black child to integrate the all-white William Franz Elementary as a six year old little girl -- a personal and intimate look through a child's lens at a landmark moment in...
A library
Giovanni, Nikki
Paper Book
In this lyrical picture book, world-renowned poet, New York Times bestselling author, and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni and fine artist Erin Robinson craft an ode to the magic of a library as a place not only for knowledge but also for imagination,...
Dream big, little one
Harrison, Vashti
Paper Book
This beautifully illustrated board book edition of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by #1 New York Times bestselling author Vashti Harrison showcases women who changed the world, and is the perfect goodnight book to inspire big dreams.
Little leaders : bold women in black history
Harrison, Vashti
Paper Book
#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...
Amazing Grace
Hoffman, Mary
Paper Book
Grace loves stories, whether they're from books, movies, or the kind her grandmother tells. So when she gets a chance to play a part in Peter Pan, she knows exactly who she wants to be. Remarkable watercolor illustrations give full expression to Grace's high-flying imagination.
My very favorite book in the whole wide world
Mitchell, Malcolm
Paper Book
From Super Bowl champion and literacy crusader Malcolm Mitchell comes an exciting new story that shows even reluctant readers that there is a book out there for everyone! Meet Henley, an all-around good kid, who hates to read. When he's supposed to be reading, he would rather do anything else....
Malcolm Little : the boy who grew up to become Malcolm X
Shabazz, Ilyasah.
Paper Book
Malcolm X grew to be one of America's most influential figures. But first, he was a boy named Malcolm Little. Written by his daughter, this inspiring picture book biography celebrates a vision of freedom and justice. Bolstered by the love and wisdom of his large, warm family,...
Hidden figures : the true story of four black women and the space race
Shetterly, Margot Lee
Paper Book
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 who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book...
Radiant child : the story of young artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
Steptoe, Javaka
Paper Book
Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award! Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he...
Be a king : Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream and you
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
Young People's Poet Laureate Carole Boston Weatherford and award-winning illustrator James E. Ransome use key moments from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life to inspire future generations to stand up for what's right, make the world a better place, and be a King. You can be...
Schomburg : the man who built a library
Weatherford, Carole Boston
DVD
Arturo Schomburg's passion for collecting books, music, and art led to the creation of the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

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