Celebrate Black History, Culture, and Experiences All Year

Champion empowering and inspiring stories about Black culture, experiences, and historical figures by adding these titles to your classroom or school library.

Wash Day with Mama

Wash Day with Mama

This stunning picture book takes a joyful look into the loving and long process of a hair wash day and the beautiful bond between a daughter and mother. Perfect for Mother’s Day or all year round!

I love Sundays, because Sundays are wash days. And wash days are just for us.

Filled with heartwarming illustrations, Wash Day with Mama centers on a little girl cherishing each step of their hair washing routine w...

Ode to Grapefruit

Ode to Grapefruit

Before legendary actor James Earl Jones was recognized for his memorable, smooth voice, he was just James--a stutterer who stopped speaking for eight years as a child...and ultimately found his voice through poetry.

A National Council of Teachers of English Honor Book

Before there was Mufasa...Before there was Darth Vader... There was a young boy names James Earl Jones, who spoke with a stutter and dreaded having to talk in class.&n...

The Last Stand

The Last Stand

The author of Nigel and the Moon, delivers a tender intergenerational story inspired by his childhood in the rural south. Here's a farm stand that represents the importance of family, community, and hope.

A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BOOKPAGE, and SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • WINNER: National Council of Teachers of English Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children

Every s...

This Is Your Time

This Is Your Time

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • CBC KIDS’ BOOK CHOICE AWARD WINNER

Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges—who, at the age of six, was the first black child to integrate into an all-white elementary school in New Orleans—inspires readers and calls for action in this moving letter. Her elegant, memorable gift book is especially uplifting in the wake of Kamala Harris making US history as the first female, first Black, and fi...

Slavery and the African American Story

Slavery and the African American Story

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story: how slavery began, and how America split itself in two to end it. Here's the true story of America from the African American perspective.

From the moment Africans were first brought to the shores of the United States, they had a hand in shaping the country. Their labor created a strong economy, built our halls of government, and defined American society in profound ways. And though...

Clean Getaway

Clean Getaway

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a timely middle-grade road-trip story through landmarks of the Civil Rights movement and the map they lay for contemporary race relations.

How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma:
Grab a Suitcase: Prepacked from the big spring break trip that got CANCELLED.
Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either.
Use the Green Book...

The Color of a Lie

The Color of a Lie

In 1955, a Black family passes for white and moves to a “Whites Only” town in the suburbs. Caught between two worlds, a teen boy puts his family at risk as he uncovers racist secrets about his suburb. A new social justice thriller from the acclaimed author of This Is My America!

WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE • A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL AND KIRKUS REVIEWS<...

Dreams from My Father (Adapted for Young Adults)

Dreams from My Father (Adapted for Young Adults)

Now in paperback, this young adult adaptation of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir offers an intimate look at Barack Obama’s youth and self-discovery, which led him to a life of purpose and service. This compelling journey traces the 44th president's odyssey through family, race, and identity.

A revealing portrait of a young Black man asking questions about himself and where he belongs—long before he became one of...

A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe

A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe

In this poignant mixed voice, mixed form collection of interconnected prose, poems and stories, teen characters, their families, and their communities grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst fear and loss, these New York City teens prevail with love, resilience and hope. From the award-winning author of Chlorine Sky and Vinyl Moon.

"[A] gorgeous, tender testament to the generation of young people who shouldered the pandemic.”
-...

The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults)

The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults)

Meet five amazing Black ballerinas from The Dance Theater of Harlem, including some of the founding members. They broke barriers and made history in the world of classical dance, at a time when racism shut out Black dancers from major dance companies.

A young adult adaptation of Karen Valby's adult non-fiction title

At the peak of the civil rights movement, Lydia Abarca was the first ballerina in a Black ballet company to grace the ...

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Picture Books & Early Readers

Little Daymond Learns to Earn

Daymond John; illustrated by Nicole Miles

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar

Written and illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

The Green Piano

Roberta Flack with Tonya Bolden; illustrated by Hayden Goodman

Ice Cream Man

Glenda Armand and Kim Freeman; illustrated by Keith Mallet

Juneteenth: Our Day of Freedom

Sharon Dennis Wyeth; illustrated by Kim Holt

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read

Rita Lorraine Hubbard; illustrated by Oge Mora

The Faith of Elijah Cummings

Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Laura Freeman

Sweet Justice

Mara Rockliff; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Dream Street

Tricia Elam Walker; illustrated by Ekua Holmes

Harlem's Little Blackbird

Renee Watson; illustrated by Christian Robinson

Born Ready

Jodie Patterson; illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

Shirley Chisholm Dared

Alicia D. Williams; illustrated by April Harrison

Mae Makes a Way

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich; illustrated by Andrea Pippins

Standing in the Need of Prayer

Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Frank Morrison

All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson

Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Ashley Evans

Middle Grade

Black Boy Joy

Edited by Kwame Mbalia

A Mighty Long Way (Adapted for Young Readers)

Carlotta Walls LaNier with Lisa Frazier Page

Brave. Black. First.

Cheryl Willis Hudson; illustrated by Erin K. Robinson

Recognize!

Edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson

The Dark-Thirty

Patricia C McKissack; illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Young Adult

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