Ignite a Passion for African American History with Books
We celebrate the history and legacy of African Americans throughout the year, but February is a special month. Take some time to introduce students to leaders like Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Harriet Tubman with these trusted books. And learn more about the accomplishments of African American artists and sports figures. Click on each book to find downloadable (and shareable!) activities, lesson plans, leveled passages, and word games.
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Written by Faith Ringgold
This book weaves the history Harriet Tubman and her work with the Underground Railroad into a...
Pre-K - 2nd
Written by Marie Bradby
The is a fictionalized story of the life of young Booker T. Washington. When his mother presents...
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by Ruby Bridges
The autobiography of Ruby Bridges, who recounts what happened in November of 1960, when she became...
3rd - 7th
Written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld
As they fix up their new house, Herbie and his sister discover how many things that we use every day were designed by black inventors. Individual biographies accompany each invention.
3rd - 7th
Written by David A. Adler
An introduction to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., from his childhood to his assassination....
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by Laurie Halse Anderson
A story about 13-year-old Isabel, an African-American slave during the Revolutionary War. Against...
5th - 9th
Written by Don Tate
George loved words. But George was enslaved. Forced to work long hours, George was unable to attend...
1st - 5th
Written by David A. Adler
The story of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white person in Montgomery, Alabama...
1st - 4th
Written by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Based on the life of opera singer Marian Anderson, the book recounts her struggle to pursue her...
2nd - 5th
Written by Don Tate
A former slave, Bill began drawing at the age of 83. His drawings were based upon his memories of...
1st - 6th
Written by Ann Malaspina
Meet Alice Coachman, whose parents think she needs to act more like a lady. Alice doesn’t give up...
1st - 4th
Written by Kelly Starling Lyons
Written to commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation, this is the story of a little girl, her...
1st - 3rd
Written by Doreen Rappaport
This story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told using his own “big words.”
1st - 3rd
Written by Lee Bennett Hopkins
This anthology presents American history through poems from a diverse group of writers.
K - 7th
Written by Eloise Greenfield
An illustrated biography of Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of former slaves who wanted nothing...
1st - 5th
Written by Peter Golenbock
Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940s, becoming the first African American on a...
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by James Buckley Jr.
An accessible biography of the life of Muhammad Ali. One of the world's most famous boxers who also became a civil rights hero and ambassador to the world. He was known as "The Greatest" for a reason.
3rd - 7th
Written by Virginia Hamilton
A collection of 24 African-American folktales including those featuring animals, fairy tales, the supernatural, and slave stories.
2nd - 11th
Written by Katheryn Russell-Brown
Ever since she was a little girl, Melba Doretta Liston loved music. One day, her momma bought her a...
1st - 3rd
Written by Kitty Kelley
The story of the historic March on Washington on August 28, 1963, written specifically for young...
K - 4th
Written by Ruby Bridges
Written as a letter from civil rights activist and icon Ruby Bridges to the reader, This Is Your...
5th - 10th
Written by Deborah Hopkinson
“Carter G. Woodson didn’t just read history. He changed it.” As the father of Black History...
1st - 5th
Written by Nikki Grimes
Discover the incredible story of a young daughter of immigrants who would grow up to be the first...
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by Veronica Chambers
A timely picture book biography about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress, who...
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by Tonya Bolden
Discover the incredible true story of how one of history's most successful potato farmers began...
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by Suzanne Slade
In this book you will find one-finger ball-spinning, rapid-fire mini-dribbling, and a ricochet head...
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by Don Tate
William Still’s parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy...
1st - 5th
Written by Robert Coles
The story of Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to attend an all-white school in New...
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by Jacqueline Woodson
Noticing Annie, a white girl, sitting on a fence watching Clover and her black friends play, Clover...
K - 3rd
Written by Faith Ringgold
The story takes place in 1939, and 9-year-old Cassie Lightfoot wants to be free to leave her Harlem...
K - 3rd
Written by Christopher Paul Curtis
Set in 1963, this story centers around Kenny Watson who travels with his parents, his brother...
4th - 7th
Written by Laban Carrick Hill
Dave was more than a slave—he was a craftsman and a poet. He engraved his pottery with poems that...
K - 4th
Written by Jabari Asim
When he’s put in charge of caring for his family’s chickens, young John Lewis—who aspires to become a preacher—finds that the flock makes an ideal congregation.
K - 3rd
Written by David A. Adler
Before Usain Bolt or Tyson Gay, Bob Beamon or Carl Lewis, Jesse Owens was perhaps the greatest and...
Pre-K - 3rd
Written by Margot Lee Shetterly
Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated...
3rd - 7th
Written by Jodie Shepherd
Meet Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel to space. Mae Jemison was a bright...
