Growing up I didn’t really get the difference in the books that I was reading. Yea, there was a variety of characters, but I didn’t see how it would shape my view of the world so early. Now that I’m a parent, I’m realizing how important it is for my son to be reading black children’s books with characters that look like him. Now that Black History Month is coming, the books are more easily grabbable at the front of your library or bookstore.
Black History Month means so much more when you have children, especially African American children. It’s not just a month to celebrate our heritage, but also to connect those lessons to our children and a reminder for every one of the beautiful people we can honor.
As parents we can do so much to teach and incorporate the lessons our history has taught us and one way is through your night story time or by sharing books with your children. Here are a few black children’s books you might want to pick up during Black History Month and for the 11 months after.
- Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table – Jacqueline Briggs Martin
- Gordon Parks – Jamey Christoph
- Ira’s Shakespeare Dream – Glenda Armand
- Discovering Black America – Linda Tarrant-Reid
- Biddy Mason Speaks Up – Arisa White
- My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – Martin Luther King, III
- What Was Your Dream, Dr. King? – Mary Kay Carson
- President of the Whole Sixth Grade – Sherri Winston
- You Should Meet Misty Copeland – Laurie Calkhoven
- Sauerkraut – Kelly Jones
- The Youngest Marcher – Cynthia Levinson
- Freedom Summer – Deborah Wiles
- Hey, Black Child – Useni Eugene Perkins
- Trombone Shorty – Troy Andrews
- When Marian Sang – Pam Munoz Ryan
- Born to Swing – Mara Rockliff
- Just a Lucky So and So: The Story of Louis Armstrong – Lesa Cline-Ransme
- Play Louis, Play – Muiel Harris Weinstein
- Josephine – Patricia Hruby Powell
- When the Beat Was Born – Laban Carrick Hill
- The Day You Begin – Jacqueline Woodson
- Radiant Child, The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat – Javaka Steptoe
- Lift Your Light a Little Higher – Heather Henson
- Ticktock Banneker’s Clock – Shana Keller
- The Hallelujah Flight – Phil Bildner
- Henry’s Freedom Box – Ellen Levine
- Words Set Me Free – Lesa Cline-Ransome
- Jump Back, Paul – Sally Derby
- The Stone Thrower – Jael Ealey Richardson
- Skit-Skat Raggedy Cat – Roxane Orgill
- Let ‘Er Buck – Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Gordon James
- Woosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Invenions – Chris Barton
- Little Leaders: Bold Women in History – Vashti Harrison
- Mae Among the Stars – Roda Ahmed
- The Young Marcher – Cynthia Levinson
- All American Boys – Brendon Kiely and Jason Reynolds
- What Color is My World – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld
- Princess Hair – Sharee Miller
- Piecing Me Together – Renee Watson
- We March – Shane Evans
- Yesterday I had the Blues – Jeron Ashford Frame
- Look What Brown Can Do – T. Marie Harris
- One Crazy Summer – Rita Williams-Garcia
- Chocolate Me! – Taye Diggs
- Harlem’s Little Blackbird – Renee Watson
- Of Thee I Sing – Barack Obama
- Jabari Jumps – Gaia Cornwall
- Hair Love – Matthew A Cherry
- Please Baby Please – Tanya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee
- Saturday – Oge Mora
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