February is Black History Month! Here's a list of books in our library about famous African Americans or about exciting moments in black history and the lovable characters who lived through them!
This story begins with shoes. This story is all for true. This story walks. And walks. And walks. To the blues.
Rosa
Parks took a stand by keeping her seat on the bus. When she was
arrested for it, her supporters protested by refusing to ride. Soon a
community of thousands was coming together to help one another get where
they needed to go. Some started taxis, some rode bikes, but they all
walked and walked.
With dogged feet. With dog-tired feet. With boycott feet. With boycott blues.
And, after 382 days of walking, they walked Jim Crow right out of town. . .
When four courageous
black teens sat down at a lunch counter in the segregated South of 1960,
the reverberations were felt both far beyond and close to home. This
insightful story offers a child's-eye view of this seminal event in the
American Civil Rights Movement. Connie is used to the signs and customs
that have let her drink only from certain water fountains and which bar
her from local pools and some stores, but still . . . she'd love to sit
at the lunch counter, just like she's seen other girls do.
Showing
how an ordinary family becomes involved in the great and personal cause
of their times, it's a tale that invites everyone to celebrate our
country's everyday heroes, of all ages.
Henry "Box" Brown's
ingenious escape from slavery is celebrated for its daring and
originality. Throughout his life, Henry was fortified by music, family,
and a dream of freedom. When he seemed to lose everything, he forged
these elements into the song that sustained him through the careful
planning and execution of his perilous journey to the North.
There's a place in this 1950s southern town where all are welcome, no
matter what their skin color...and 'Tricia Ann knows exactly how to get
there. To her, it's someplace special and she's bursting to go by
herself.
When her grandmother sees that she's ready to take such a
big step, 'Tricia Ann hurries to catch the bus heading downtown. But
unlike the white passengers, she must sit in the back behind the Jim
Crow sign and wonder why life's so unfair.
Still, for each
hurtful sign seen and painful comment heard, there's a friend around the
corner reminding 'Tricia Ann that she's not alone. And even her
grandmother's words -- "You are somedbody, a human being -- no better,
no worse than anybody else in this world" -- echo in her head, lifting
her spirits and pushing her forward.
The story of America
and African Americans is a story of hope and inspiration and unwavering
courage. But it is also the story of injustice; of a country divided by
law, education, and wealth; of a people whose struggles and achievements
helped define their country. This is the story of the men, women, and
children who toiled in the hot sun picking cotton for their masters;
it's about the America ripped in two by Jim Crow laws; it's about the
brothers and sisters of all colors who rallied against those who would
dare bar a child from an education. It's a story of discrimination and
broken promises, determination and triumphs.
Like every other kid in
his class, Joe Stoshack has to write a report on an African American
who's made an important contribution to society. Unlike every other kid
in his class, Joe has a special talent: with the help of old baseball
cards, he can travel through time. So for his report, Joe decides to go
back to meet one of the greatest baseball players ever, Jackie Robinson,
to find out what it was like to be the man who broke baseball's color
barrier. Joe plans on writing a prize-winning report. But he doesn't
plan on a trip that will for a short time change the color of his
skin--and forever change his view of history and his definition of
courage.
This picture-book biography is an excellent and accessible introduction
for young readers to learn about one of the world’s most influential
leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Doreen Rappaport weaves the
immortal words of Dr. King into a captivating narrative to tell the
story of his life. With stunning art by acclaimed illustrator Bryan
Collier,
Martin’s Big Words is an unforgettable portrait of a man whose dream changed America—and the world—forever.
Deza is the smartest
girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a
special path in life. But the Great Depression hit Gary hard, and there
are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work,
Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end
up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie’s beautiful voice
inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother
find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father.
The
twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the
Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.
In the summer of 1968,
after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month
with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two
younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their
mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of
their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
There are few picture
books written about the Civil War, and none are as powerful as this one.
This story, about how a young black soldier rescues a white soldier,
opens young readers' eyes to the injustices of slavery and the
senselessness of war. Highly charged emotionally, this masterful
retelling of a true story is seen through the white soldier's eyes.
Ruth and the Green Book
is the story of one black family's trip from Chicago to Alabama by car
in the late 1940s. Along the way they encounter prejudice, but they also
discover The Green Book, a real guide to accommodations which was
published for decades to aid African-American travelers as they faced
prejudice on the roads across the country.
A family silently
crawls along the ground. They run barefoot through unlit woods, sleep
beneath bushes, take shelter in a kind stranger's home. Where are they
heading? They are heading for Freedom by way of the Underground
Railroad.
Two lonely characters, one black and one white, meet on the street and become friends.
For more great Black History Month books, visit our online catalog, and select the "Black History Month" resource list!
