Black History Month

Most of you are probably aware that February is Black History Month. So I’m going to share some of my favorite books to celebrate this month and share some history with your children. I’ve arranged it by who or what the book’s topic is and included the appropriate ages. These are only some of the many amazing books out there, so I hope you find some great new books!

Martin Luther King, Jr.
If You Lived at the Time of Martin Luther King by Levine and Peck : The “If You Lived at the Time of…” series is a great way to show kids what certain events in time were like. This version focuses on the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. Ages 7 and up.

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Dorean Rappaport : This is another great picture book about Martin and all of his amazing speeches. Ages 5 and up.

The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr by Johnny Ray Moore : This is a great picture book that introduces Martin as a little boy. Ages 0-6

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Christine King Farris : Like the title says, this book is told by Martin Luther King’s sister Christine. This is a great peek into the life of Martin before he was the great leader he eventually became. Ages 6 and up.

Frederick Douglass

Love Twelve Miles Long by Glenda Armand : I reviewed this one over at my blog and it is one of my favorites. It tells the story of Frederick Douglass and his mother and her 12 mile trek to visit him once a week. Ages 3-8

Harriet Tubman
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Weatherford : I’m a big fan of the illustrations in this one. Harriet’s story is told in a very poetic style in this one.

Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story : This is a Scholastic Level 2 reader for ages 4 and up. It is basically the same as the next book, just written for a younger audience.

Through My Eyes: Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges : This is an award-winning autobiography of Ruby Bridges, one of the icons of the civil rights movement. Ages 8 and up.

Rosa Parks
If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringold : In this story, a bus does talk, and tells Marcia all about Rosa Parks and the day she decided not to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. Ages 4 and up.

The Story of Rosa Parks by Patricia Pingry : This is another very simply board book that introduces Rosa Parks and her pivotal moment in history. Ages 2-5

Rosa  by Nikki Giovanni : This one is a Caldecott honor book. Another story of Rosa Parks. Ages 4 and up.

Other
Langston’s Train Ride by Robert Burleigh : A great book about the train ride that  inspired Langston Hughes to write his first poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”. Ages 4 and up.

David A. Adler’s A Picture Book of… series  : This is a series of pictures books that covers Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and George Washington Carver. These are really simply and great for younger kids. Ages 1 and up.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Pinkney : This is the story of the famous Woolworth’s counter sit-in. It ends with an introduction to the civil rights movement and some of the people who played an important part in it. Ages 8 and up.

Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles : This one is really sweet. It is about two little boys, one white and one black, who are best friends. They don’t understand why this is a big deal. When segregation ends, they run to the local pool to go swimming together, only to find out that even the law has changed, people’s attitudes haven’t. Ages 5 and up.

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Weatherford : Another story about the Woolworth’s counter sit-in. This one is for slightly younger readers and is told from the POV of a young girl black girl who just wants to sit at the counter and order a banana split just like everyone else. Ages 4 and up.

Only Passing Through by Anne Rockwell : A gorgeous picture book, this tells the story of Sojourner Truth. This one has won a bunch of awards. Ages 6 and up.

Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winer : The story of how slaves used the drinking gourd (Big Dipper) to guide themselves to freedom. This is one of my favorites from when I was younger. Ages 2 and up.

I added all of these and about 50 more to my amazon store (http://astore.amazon.com/babbooandsig-20) If you go there, I do get a slight commission from your purchase, which will go towards giveaways and other blogging goodness.