Children's Book Suggestions | Black History Month 2026

A few of our favorite books about Black Americans past and present published in 2025. For more book ideas, check out our Black History Month lists from past years (2025, 2024 Chapter Books, 2024 Picture Books) or browse the library catalog.

More great books are honored annually with the Children's Africana Book Award, Coretta Scott King Book Awards, and NAACP Image Awards.

Updated January 17, 2026
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Trees stand tall
Mangal, Mélina
People are like trees--strong, flexible, and rooted. In Trees Stand Tall, two young children admire the trees outside their window. When they take the city bus to a family picnic at a park, the children observe and mimic the trees with their cousins. Seeing that the trees...

Board Book (Age 0-2)

Won't go!
Seeboruth, Sumana
"Parents and children alike will relate to the struggle in this charming read, perfect for sparking conversations about handling big feelings" - Booklist Time to leave? No, no, no! I'm too busy. I can't go! When it's time to leave for dance class, this stubborn...

Board Book (Age 0-2)

100 goats and granny!
Atinuke
With a hefty dollop of humor, Atinuke's rollicking counting story takes on a life of its own when Granny's mischievous goats start escaping. Granny's got a goat! Granny's got a goat! Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, but more and more and more and more!...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

M is for mango
Atinuke
From the award-winning creators of Baby Goes to Market comes a delicious tale of mischievous toddlers, juicy mangoes, and cunning monkeys--starring the letter M. Oh look . . . M is for Monkeys! Oh NO! M is for Mine! M is...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

I got you : a brother's promise
Barnes, Derrick
A touching and joyful celebration of siblinghood, by New York Times bestselling author Derrick Barnes Rasheed has the best big brother in the world! Anthony has been his hero from day one, making him feel safe during storms and included in all kinds of fun activities....

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Little Red and Big, Bad Fred
Belote, Ashley
Little Red Riding Hood like you've never seen before! This fractured fairy-tale will have kids in stitches as Little Red optimistically befriends Fred (who may or may not try to EAT Little Red), reminding readers to always see the best in others, even when they have sharp teeth and are definitely...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Big family beach day
Crews, Nina
Kirkus Best Book "The love that binds this family together is as warm as the summer sun." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) An extended family enjoys a day at the beach in this intergenerational tribute to family, friendship, new experiences, and...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Watch out for falling Iguanas
Danticat, Edwidge
ON A RARE CHILLY DAY IN MIAMI, Florida, young Leila sets off for school bundled up in her bright red jacket. But this isn't just any cold day-her grandmother, Grandma Issa, gives her an unusual warning: 'Watch out for falling iguanas.' As Leila navigates her morning, she can't stop thinking about...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The gathering table
Eady, Antwan
The author of Nigel and the Moon delivers a joyful picture book about how a Southern family gathers around a special table for year-round celebrations that highlight the importance of family, community, and coming together. A NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR ...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Big kids
Going, K. L.
A vibrant and relatable picture book about first-day-of-school nerves that encourages young readers to celebrate new experiences and the big buddies they're sure to make along the way.  It's the first day of school and everywhere our small hero looks there...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Girls on the rise
Gorman, Amanda
Paper Book
An electrifying picture book by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman Who are we? We are a billion voices, bright and brave; we are light, standing together in the fight. Girls are strong and powerful alone,...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

A cup of quiet
Grimes, Nikki
Paper Book
From award-winning author Nikki Grimes comes a beautiful picture book about the special bond between a child and grandparent, perfect for fans of Thank You, Omu and Fry Bread. When the squeal of tires and thrum of Grandpa's hammer fill the air, Grandma gets...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Lily's dream : a fairy friendship
Jackson, Bea
Paper Book
A flightless fairy befriends a human girl and discovers her magic in this enchanting picture book from the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Parker Looks Up. Lily is a young fairy determined to learn to fly just like the others who soar on shimmering,...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Little big man
Johnson, Varian
Paper Book
An excellent choice for Father's Day gifting! From literary powerhouse and Coretta Scott King Honor- and Boston Globe / Horn Book Honor-winning author of The Parker Inheritance Varian Johnson and New York Times bestselling illustrator Reggie Brown comes a heartwarming father-son...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Pajammin'
Marley, Ziggy
Inspired by Bob Marley's iconic song "Jamming," this joyful picture book by eight-time Grammy winner Ziggy Marley about a fun-filled pajama party celebrates screen-free family time, creativity, and connection. Join a family's pajama party sleepover as they spend a fun night...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Leo at the farmer's market
McQuinn, Anna
Paper Book
Lola's younger brother Leo explores the tastes, colors, and cultures of a busy Saturday market in a new Leo Can! adventure board book! A great read aloud and perfect gift for babies and toddlers that explores new experiences in the city with mommy and son. Leo and...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The history of we
Smith, Nikkolas
An awe-inspiring picture book about the origin and advancement of humans, from author and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Nikkolas Smith. Fossil records show that the first humans were born in Africa. Meaning, every person on Earth can trace their ancestry back...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Family feast!
Weatherford, Carole Boston
From the award-winning author and illustrator of Standing in the Need of Prayer comes a joyous picture book about an intergenerational Black family cooking a delicious feast and appreciating their quality time together. Aunts, uncles, cousins, all pitch in. ...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

When I move
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
An ode to being active and dramatic play. For fans of Ruth Krauss's I Can Fly and Ashley Spires's The Most Magnificent Thing, this picture book will inspire young readers to getting moving and start imagining! Simple, engaging rhymes will inspire little ones to jump, run, and explore the limitless...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Space for everyone
Wedlick, Seina
Paper Book
This lyrical and heartwarming picture book follows a Nigerian girl who worries about her family's upcoming move. But she soon realizes that no matter where they go, there will always be room at their kitchen table for her community to gather around. When Zainab runs down the...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Art's art
Agostini, Alliah L.
A Funny and Heartfelt Story About Creativity, Adaptability, and Friendship Discover a relatable story about the messiness of creativity and the power of patience in Art's Art, a charming Level 2 early reader from the Paw Prints Readers series--perfect for building reading confidence...

Early Reader (Level 2)

We dig fossils
Agostini, Alliah L.
Get out your shovels and fossil brushes for this delightful Step 2 reader following a family's search for fossils! A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Ava loves rocks! But what she really really loves are fossils! Ava and her family are on a mission...

Early Reader (Level 2)

Sports are fun!
Avant-garde, Zaila
Scripps National Spelling Bee champ, New York Times bestselling author, and Sports Illustrated Sports Kid of the Year Zaila Avant-garde shares her love of sports in this level 1 Step Into Reading book. Perfect for children just beginning to read. Be a soccer...

Early Reader (Level 1)

King & Kayla and the case of the escape artist
Butler, Dori Hillestad
Paper Book
King takes center stage when there's a mystery to solve at his new doggy day care. When King visits the new doggy day care, he meets lots of new friends, including Houdini, who claims he can escape any situation. King vows to keep an eye on Houdini, but the next thing you know,...

Early Reader (Level 4)

I can grow it!
Greenawalt, Kelly
Paper Book
Princess Truly gardens and has fun with her friends, across three rhyming stories perfect for beginning readers! You can read with Acorn! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy...

Early Reader (Level 2)

A fairy finds her song
Jackson, Bea
Paper Book
A fairy searches for her special skill in this enchanting Level 1 Ready-to-Read in the Fairies Welcome series from New York Times bestselling illustrator Bea Jackson. Every fairy has a talent except Lily...or so she thinks. Her human friend, Willow, knows how special Lily...

Early Reader (Level 2)

Super Ty!
Lyons, Kelly Starling
Paper Book
Ty rocks out with friends in this new book in the Geisel Honor-winning series! Join Ty on his imaginative adventures in Ty's Travels: Showtime, a My First I Can Read story by acclaimed author and illustrator team Kelly Starling Lyons and Niña Mata. Music, imagination,...

Early Reader (Level 2)

Sleepover night!
Ransom, Candice F.
It's sleepover time! Join Brother and Sister as they spend a night away from home in this Step 1 reader, perfect for children who know their alphabet and are eager to learn how to read! The Day kids series is full of family fun! Brother and Sister are having a sleepover! They're...

Early Reader (Level 1)

Makeda makes a mountain
Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola
Paper Book
The third title in a delightful new Level 2 I Can Read! series from acclaimed author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and illustrator Lydia Mba, starring Makeda, an exuberant seven-year-old "maker" and problem solver who loves to create. Perfect for readers who love Rosie Revere...

Early Reader (Level 3)

J vs. K
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
A New York Times and IndieBound bestseller! Created by real-life rivals and #1 New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft this hilarious illustrated story features two talented fifth graders going head...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Synclaire Fields knows the score
Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola
Meet the kids in Mrs. Z's wacky and wonderful third-grade class! Synclaire Fields is proud to be the best in the class at math--until one mistake in a high-stakes situation means she's NOT the best after all. So who is she instead? Synclaire Fields is the Math Kid...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Kaya Morgan's crowning achievement
Tew, Jill
Paper Book
A vibrant and heart-warming novel about the unforgettable joys of the Renaissance Faire, overcoming grief through cherished memories, and remaining true to yourself-even in cosplay. For as long as she could remember, Kaya Morgan has spent her summers with her dad at the greatest...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Inside the park
Williams, Andrea
Paper Book
From Andrea Williams, the bestselling author of We Are Family with LeBron James, comes Inside the Park, the story of a young baseball fan's misadventures after getting locked inside a pro baseball stadium on the eve of the biggest game of the season. In this all-new,...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Jazzy the witch in broom doom
Bagley, Jessixa
Paper Book
"Whimsy abounds in this playful" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) middle grade graphic novel about a young witch who struggles to fit in--perfect for fans of The Okay Witch and Hooky! In her town full of witches, Jazzy's always been a little bit different....

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

Creaky Acres
Brill, Calista
Paper Book
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER! A heartwarming graphic novel about being the new kid in middle school, making new friends, and learning to trust yourself through the power of horseback riding--perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson's Roller Girl. "Readers will fall in love...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

Winging it
Lloyd, Megan Wagner
From the Eisner-nominated creators of instant bestsellers Allergic and Squished comes a charming and funny graphic novel about family, friendship, and self-discovery! Twelve-year-old Luna never wanted to move from California to Virginia, even if it is near historic Washington...

Children's Graphic Novel (Grades 3-5)

The incredibly human Henson Blayze
Barnes, Derrick
All eyes in the small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, have been on Henson Blayze since he first showed star power in youth football. Now a thirteen-year-old phenom playing his first varsity game, he stuns the crowd with his sheer talent and drive. Knowing they're seeing a national legend in the...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Serwa Boateng's guide to saving the world
Brown, Roseanne A.
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents the thrilling conclusion to Roseanne A. Brown's middle grade trilogy about a pre-teen girl who, as half-Slayer and half-vampire, is caught between two worlds. Serwa Boateng has gone head-to-head with vampires, witches, and even a death...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Coach
Reynolds, Jason
Three starred reviews! In this "beautifully executed victory lap" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) to Jason Reynolds's award-winning and New York Times bestselling Track series, meet Coach as a boy striving to come into his own as a track star while...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Will's race for home : a western
Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! ★ "Rhodes deftly captures a unique ­aspect of this historical event, with a perspective that is ­often under-represented in historical ­fiction. A poignant and honest look at the trials of racism that defined the...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The Book of Anansi
Thomas, Angie
Paper Book
The highly anticipated sequel to the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy--a boldly original and suspenseful fantasy adventure by one of the most popular and imaginative voices of this generation, Angie Thomas. All of...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

All the blues in the sky
Watson, Renée
Paper Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year | A Chicago Public Library Best Kids' Book of the Year | An NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book | A 2025 Horn Book Fanfare Selection Book | A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book # 1 New York Times bestselling and...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Dear Jackie
Bagley, Jessixa
A middle schooler's plan to fit in with her new friends by writing herself a fake love letter backfires spectacularly in this funny and all-too-relatable graphic novel perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and the Berrybrook Middle School series. Jackie and Milo have been best...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Way off track
Brundtland, Carl
Nansi has never lost a race... until snobby Tania beats her in an unofficial event. Surely it's Tania's flashy shoes that gave her the edge. Nansi has to get a pair before the track tryouts! But how will she kick up 338 dollars? Incorporating Jamaican culture and the West African trickster character...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Space Chasers by Leland Melvin
Melvin, Leland
When a team of brilliant kids-turned-astronauts find themselves in serious trouble in outer space, they must work together to get back home. This is the first book in an incredible middle-grade graphic novel series created by real life astronaut, Leland Melvin! Launch into...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

One Crazy Summer: The Graphic Novel
Williams-Garcia, Rita
Paper Book
"I wish I didn't know that I was marching my sisters into a boiling pot of trouble cooking in Oakland..." Eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She's had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

How sweet the sound
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
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...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 4-8)

The Black Mambas : the world's first all-woman anti-poaching unit
Crull, Kelly
Head out on patrol with the Black Mambas, South Africa's first women-led anti-poaching unit. This anti-poaching team is unlike any other: they carry no weapons. Instead, they keep animals safe with frequent patrols and a keen eye for footprints, snares, and other clues that poachers are...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 6-10)

Go tell it : how James Baldwin became a writer
Harris, Quartez
Paper Book
A USA Today Bestseller!  * 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 <...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 4-8)

Who Is Beyonce?
Jewel, Kirsti
Okay, readers, now let's get in formation! Learn about the life of the perfectionist performer known as Queen Bey and how she created her flawless discography of hit records like Renaissance and Cowboy Carter. In 2003, Beyoncé went solo after being in the popular...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 8-12)

I am Simone Biles
Meltzer, Brad
Paper Book
Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, joins the ranks of this New York Times bestselling Ordinary People Change the World picture book biography series about heroes, for ages 5 to 9. At age eight, Simone Biles began working with a gymnastics trainer, and by...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 5-9)

Who was Katherine Johnson?
Moses, Shelia P.
Read all about how a young Black girl who loved numbers grew into a brilliant mathematician who helped land the first person on the moon in this inspiring addition to the Who Was? series. From a very young age, Katherine Johnson counted everything--the number of dirty dishes she...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 8-12)

Beacon of hope : the life of Barack Obama
Rappaport, Doreen
Paper Book
A magnificently illustrated picture book biography of Barack Obama​: a tireless organizer, a brilliant orator, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the first Black president of the United States of America. Before he became the president, Barack Obama was a little...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 4-8)

Freedom celebration : a Juneteenth party
Dalton, Angela
Gloria and her relatives celebrate Juneteenth and share the history and significance of this freedom celebration in a Level 3 I Can Read.  The Morris family celebrates Juneteenth together every year with a barbeque including red food and drinks. Gloria and Grandma Daisy...

Children's Holiday Book (Age 4-8)

It's almost time for ... Halloween!
Oso, Maisha
Paper Book
How to Catch a Monster meets The Night Before series in this laugh-out-loud rhyming picture book celebrating the excitement leading up to Halloween--the first in a new series! It's almost time for Halloween, and excitement is running high! It might not be here yet, but...

Children's Holiday Book (Age 4-8)

So many years : a Juneteenth story
Wynter, Anne
The celebrated author of Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Nell Plants a Tree and a Caldecott Honor artist come together for a poetic picture book introduction to Juneteenth and its origin. Oh, how you would dance! How you would sing! How you would celebrate! With lyrical...

Children's Holiday Book (Age 4-8)


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