New and Recommended Children's Nonfiction Books to celebrate Black History Month

Updated January 28, 2026
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Lewis and Clark Public Library Lewis and Clark Public Library
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New and Recommended Children's Nonfiction Books to celebrate Black History Month

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28 days : moments in Black history that changed the world
Smith, Charles R., Jr.
Paper Book
Each day features a different influential figure in African-American history, from Crispus Attucks, the first man shot in the Boston Massacre, sparking the Revolutionary War, to Madame C. J. Walker, who after years of adversity became the wealthiest black woman in the country, as well as one of...
The ABCs of Black history
Cortez, Rio
Paper Book
In this New York Times bestseller that takes a bold journey through the alphabet of Black history and culture, B is for Beautiful, Brave, and Bright! Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries,...
I Am Muhammad Ali
Meltzer, Brad/ Eliopoulos, Christopher (ILT)
Paper Book
The American boxing champ and vocal civil rights activist Muhammad Ali is the 27th hero in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8. Muhammad Ali was the leading heavyweight boxer of the 20th century and a charismatic, beloved public...
Born on the water / 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...
Brave, black, first : 50+ African American women who changed the world
Hudson, Cheryl Willis
Paper Book
Published in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, discover over fifty remarkable African American women whose unique skills and contributions paved the way for the next generation of young people. Perfect for fans of Rad Women Worldwide,...
Carter reads the newspaper
Hopkinson, Deborah
Paper Book
Essential Black History Reading The first-ever picture book biography of Carter G. Woodson, the Father of Black History Month Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Honor Book), NCSS Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book ...
Child of the dream : a memoir of 1963
Robinson, Sharon
Audiobook
A child's introduction to jazz : the musicians, culture, and roots of the world's coolest music
Asim, Jabari
Paper Book
Get ready to swing with A Child's Introduction to Jazz, an interactive journey into one of the richest and most soulful music genres in the world. Listen while you learn with QR codes that will connect you to the instruments and musical flair of jazz.  ...
Frederick Douglass : the lion who wrote history
Myers, Walter Dean
Paper Book
"The go-to Frederick Douglass biography for younger students" (Booklist starred review). In this powerful picture book biography, New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers and acclaimed artist Floyd Cooper take readers on an inspiring journey through the life...
Harriet Tubman
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Paper Book
Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, a chapter book series about women who stood up, spoke up and rose up against the odds! In this chapter book biography by bestselling and award-winning author Andrea...
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...
The highest tribute : Thurgood Marshall's life, leadership, and legacy
Magoon, Kekla
Paper Book
A brilliant picture book biography about Thurgood Marshall, who fought for equality during the Civil Rights Movement and served as the first Black justice on the Supreme Court, from Coretta Scott King Honor winners Kekla Magoon and Laura Freeman. Growing up in Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall...
How do you spell unfair? : MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book "This moving picture book portrays a girl who met injustice with dignity and excelled."--Booklist (starred review) From a multi-award-winning pair comes a deeply affecting portrait of...
Infinite hope : a Black artist's journey from World War II to peace
Bryan, Ashley
Audiobook
Recipient of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award Recipient of a Bologna Ragazzi Non-Fiction Special Mention Honor Award A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 From celebrated author and illustrator Ashley Bryan comes a deeply moving...
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...
Little legends : exceptional men in black history
Harrison, Vashti
Paper Book
Author-illustrator Vashti Harrison shines a bold, joyous light on black men through history in this #1 New York Times bestseller. An important book for readers of all ages, this beautifully illustrated and engagingly written volume brings to...
Mae among the stars
Ahmed, Roda
Paper Book
A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. An Amazon Best Book of the Month! A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the...
Michelle Obama
Saanchez Vegara, Ma Isabel
Paper Book
In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Michelle Obama, the iconic first lady, advocate, lawyer, and author. Young Michelle grew up on the South Side of Chicago in a close-knit...
The People Remember
Zoboi, Ibi/ Wise, Loveis (ILT)
Paper Book
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes her debut picture book--a tour de force that uses the principles of Kwanzaa to talk about the history of African Americans. This lyrical, powerful tribute is sumptuously illustrated by New Yorker artist and rising star Loveis...
A place to land : Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation
Wittenstein, Barry
Paper Book
As a new generation of activists demands an end to racism, A Place to Land reflects on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and the movement that it galvanized. Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Selected...
A plan for the people : Nelson Mandela's hope for his nation
McDivitt, Lindsey
Paper Book
"Beautiful, informative, essential."  -- Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW) "Highly recommended for libraries that need titles about the ongoing global fight against racism."  -- School Library Journal...
Saving the day : Garrett Morgan's life-changing invention of the traffic signal
Parsons, Karyn
Paper Book
★ "Entertaining and informative. A fine contribution to African American creative nonfiction for young readers." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review From Karyn Parson's critically acclaimed Sweet Blackberry video series comes the little known story...
Sing, Aretha, sing! : Aretha Franklin, "Respect," and the civil rights movement
Abdurraqib, Hanif
Paper Book
A young Aretha Franklin captivates her community with the song "Respect" during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, in this striking picture book biography that will embolden today's young readers to sing their own truth. When Aretha Franklin sang, she didn't just sing.....
Small shoes, great strides : how three brave girls opened doors to school equality
Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux
Paper Book
Stamped (for kids) : racism, antiracism, and you
Cherry-Paul, Sonja
Paper Book
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER This chapter book edition of the groundbreaking #1 bestseller by luminaries Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds is an essential introduction to the history of racism and antiracism in America  
To boldly go : how Nichelle Nichols and Star trek helped advance civil rights
Dalton, Angela
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Hidden Figures and Mae Among the Stars! To Boldly Go tells the true story of Nichelle Nichols and how she used her platform on Star Trek to inspire and recruit a new generation of diverse astronauts and many others in the space and STEM fields. As...
Trailblazer : the story of ballerina Raven Wilkinson
Schubert, Leda
Paper Book
This beautiful picture book tells the little-known story of Raven Wilkinson, the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company and an inspiration to Misty Copeland. When she was only five years old, her parents took her to see the Ballet Russe de...
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...
The United States v. Jackie Robinson
Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta
Paper Book
A moving and inspiring nonfiction picture book about Jackie Robinson's court martial trial--an important lesser-known moment in his lifetime of fighting prejudice with strength and grace. Students who have been introduced to this American hero from such books as Brad Meltzer's I Am...
Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards for Author and Illustrator A Caldecott Honor Book A Sibert Honor Book Longlisted for the National Book Award A Kirkus Prize Finalist A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book "A must-have"--Booklist (starred review)<...
Unstoppable John: How John Lewis Got His Library Card--And Helped Change History
Zietlow Miller, Pat
Paper Book
A poignant picture book biography on how John Lewis got his library card and helped change history. All John Lewis wanted was a library card, but in 1956, libraries were only for white people. That didn't seem fair to John, and so he spent a lifetime advocating for...
Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson?
Moses, Shelia P.
Paper Book
Discover how a young girl who was the star of her school's debate team became a federal jurist and the first Black woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court. Presenting Who HQ Now: an exciting addition to the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series!
Who is Simone Biles?
Loh, Stefanie
Paper Book
Learn about the record-breaking gymnastics career and inspiring life of Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles in this book from the New York Times Best-Selling Who HQ series. In 2021, Simone Biles shocked the world when she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympic Games after...
William Still and his freedom stories : the father of the underground railroad
Tate, Don
Paper Book
From award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate comes a remarkable picture book biography of William Still, known as Father of the Underground Railroad. William Still's parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. As a...
Young, gifted and black : meet 52 Black heroes from past and present
Wilson, Jamia
Paper Book
"...to be revisited again and again...The candy-colored pages and straightforward stories are hard to resist..." -The New York Times "...diverse collection of iconic figures...vibrantly illustrated...beautifully crafted volume..." -Kirkus Reviews, Starred...
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