Juneteenth for Kids

The Juneteenth holiday (a portmanteau of June and nineteen) commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union general Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas, that all previously enslaved people were free — finally freeing slaves in Texas over two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Juneteenth holiday is a time to celebrate as well as a time to examine our history, to reflect on the legacy of slavery, and to look toward the future. Here are some books by Black authors and artists that celebrate African American culture, resistance and achievement.

Updated May 11, 2023
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LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Happy Valley Library
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The ABCs of Black history
Cortez, Rio
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER B is for Beautiful, Brave, and Bright! And for a Book that takes a Bold journey through the alphabet of Black history and culture. Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and...
The Juneteenth story : celebrating the end of slavery in the United States
Agostini, Alliah L.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2022 Black Kid Lit Award for Best Historical title. With colorful illustrations and a timeline, this introductory history of Juneteenth for kids details the evolution of the holiday commemorating the date the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their...
Opal Lee and what it means to be free : the true story of the grandmother of Juneteenth
Duncan, Alice Faye
Paper Book
Booklist starred review Black activist Opal Lee had a vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone. This true story celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that...
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...
Let the children march
Clark-Robinson, Monica
Paper Book
This powerful picture book introduces young readers to a key event in the struggle for Civil Rights. Winner, Coretta Scott King Honor Award. In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King...
The undefeated
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal A 2020 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time...
Born on the water
Hannah-Jones, Nikole
Paper Book
The 1619 Project's lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renee Watson. A...
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...
The door of no return
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
From the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family. In his village in Upper...
Before she was Harriet
Cline-Ransome, Lesa
Paper Book
Who was Harriet Tubman before she was Harriet? We know her today as Harriet Tubman, but in her lifetime she was called by many names. As General Tubman she was a Union spy. As Moses she led hundreds to freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Minty she was a slave whose...
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...
Box : Henry Brown mails himself to freedom
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor Book In a moving, lyrical tale about the cost and fragility of freedom, a New York Times best-selling author and an acclaimed artist follow the life of a man who courageously shipped himself out of slavery. What have I to fear? ...
Freedom in Congo Square
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
Winner of a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2016 A School Library Journal Best Book of 2016: Nonfiction Starred reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and The...
A flag for Juneteenth
Taylor, Kim
Paper Book
Expert quilter Kim Taylor shares a unique and powerful story of the celebration of the first Juneteenth, from the perspective of a young girl. On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army delivered the message that African Americans in Texas were free....
The bell rang
Ransome, James
Paper Book
Recipient of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019 A young slave girl witnesses the heartbreak and hopefulness of her family and their plantation community when her brother escapes for freedom in this...
Sing a song : how "Lift Every Voice and Sing" inspired generations
Lyons, Kelly Starling
Paper Book
"Lyons delivers the history of a song that has inspired generations of African-Americans to persist and resist in the face of racism and systemic oppression. . . . A heartfelt history of a historic anthem."--Publishers Weekly Sing a song full of the faith that the dark...
Free at last : a Juneteenth poem
Kincaid-Rolle, Sojourner
Paper Book
This lyrical celebration of Juneteenth, deeply rooted in Black American history, spans centuries and reverberates loudly and proudly today. After 300 years of forced bondage; hands bound, descendants of Africa picked up their...
Hey black child
Perkins, Useni Eugene
Paper Book
Six-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Bryan Collier brings this classic, inspirational poem to life, written by poet Useni Eugene Perkins. Hey black child, Do you know who you are? Who really...
All different now : Juneteenth, the first day of freedom
Johnson, Angela
Paper Book
Experience the joy of Juneteenth in this celebration of freedom from the award-winning team of Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis. Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the...
Bud, not Buddy
Curtis, Christopher Paul.
Paper Book
Hit the road with Bud in this Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning classic about a boy on a journey to find his father--from Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.   It's 1936, in Flint...
Freedom over me : eleven slaves, their lives and dreams brought to life
Bryan, Ashley
Paper Book
Newbery Honor Book Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, Ashley Bryan offers a moving and powerful picture book that contrasts the monetary value of a person with...
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.
Juneteenth jamboree
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
A young girl, who has just moved to her parents' hometown, realizes that she has come home after the African American emancipation celebration of Juneteenth. It's a fine day in June. Cassandra's family has just moved from the city back to her parents' hometown in Texas. Cassie likes...
Love twelve miles long
Armand, Glenda.
Paper Book
Set in the 1820s, this is the touching story of a slave who is separated from her son and walks 12 miles every night to see him. Beautifully illustrated and with lyrical text, Twelve Miles Long is a heart-warming story of the loving bond between mother and son. Frederick cannot understand why he can...
Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards for Author and IllustratorA Caldecott Honor BookA Sibert Honor BookLonglisted for the National Book AwardA Kirkus Prize FinalistA Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book"A must-have"--Booklist (starred review)Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and...
Show way
Woodson, Jacqueline.
Paper Book
Winner of a Newbery Honor! Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with...
Sojourner Truth's step-stomp stride
Pinkney, Andrea Davis.
Paper Book
Born into slavery, Belle had to endure the cruelty of several masters before she escaped to freedom. But she knew she wouldn't really be free unless she was helping to end injustice. That's when she changed her name to Sojourner and began traveling across the country, demanding equal rights for...
Freedom, we sing
Le©?n, Amyra
Paper Book
"I wonder, then, what freedom is. Is it a place? Is it a thought? Can it be stolen? Can it be bought?" As powerful as it is beautiful, Freedom, We Sing is a lyrical picture book designed to inspire and give hope to readers around the world. Molly Mendoza's immersive, lush...
Stamped (For Kids) Racism, Antiracism, and You
Reynolds, Jason.
Ebook
This chapter book edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller by luminaries Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds is an essential introduction to the history of racism and antiracism in America   RACE. Uh-oh. The R-word.  ...
They Built Me for Freedom : The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park
Ellis, Tonya Duncan/ Mohammed, Jenin (ILT)
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...
All good in the hood
Reed, Dwayne
Paper Book
This bounce-to-the-beat picture book by America's favorite rapping teacher from Chicago is a tribute to the sights and sounds of a city neighborhood and the special bond between brothers as they help each other overcome their fears.    Today is June 19th,...
Juneteenth
Garrett, Van G.
Paper Book
A lyrical picture book about our newest national holiday, Juneteenth follows the annual celebration in Galveston, Texas--birthplace of Juneteenth--through the eyes of a boy coming to understand his place in Black American history in a story from three Texan creators. A young Black child...
Opal Lee
Moses, Shelia P.
Paper Book
Inspired by the #1 New York Timesbestseller She Persistedby Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who spoke up and rose up against the odds-including Opal Lee! Opal Lee grew up as a Black girl in Texas at a time when Black and white...
Juneteenth is
Tripplett, Natasha
Paper Book
An intimate look at Juneteenth, this story is a warm look at a family and a community.  Juneteenth is the smell of brisket filling the air. Juneteenth is the sounds of music, dancing, and cheering ringing from the parade outside. It is love. It is prayer....
The Juneteenth cookbook : recipes and activities for kids and families to celebrate
Agostini, Alliah L.
Paper Book
*As Featured on Oprah Daily* Celebrate Juneteenth and radiate #BlackJoy through traditional food and cultural activities. A commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, the Juneteenth holiday has been observed in the Black community for...
Black boy joy
Mbalia, Kwame
Paper Book
THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * FIVE STARRED REVIEWS Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors--including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia. ★ "Pick up...
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...
The night before freedom : a Juneteenth story
Armand, Glenda
Paper Book
This moving picture book tells the story of Juneteenth with all the care and reverence such a holiday deserves. The rhyming text and stunning illustrations will teach children about this historic day in history. 'Twas the night before freedom, and all through the South,

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