Lists and Suggestions for Kids
List: Black History Month for Grades 2-3
Mae Among the Stars
Ahmed, Roda.
Mae wanted to be an astronaut. She dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by ... More
Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans
Bildner, Phil.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. A man known as the "Trashcan Wizard" sings and da... More
Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment
Curry, Parker.
"This book is based on the viral photograph of African American toddler Parker Curry, who, dur... More
A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream
Dempsey, Kristy.
Also available in Hoopla. A young girl growing up in Harlem in the 1950s, whose mother cleans and s... More
Black Is a Rainbow Color
Joy, Angela.
"A child reflects on the meaning of being black in this anthem about a people, a culture, a hi... More
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad
Levine, Ellen.
Also available in Hoopla. A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box&... More
The Quickest Kid in Clarksville
Miller, Pat Zietlow.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Growing up in the segregated town of Clarksville, Tennessee... More
Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters
Obama, Barack.
Also available in Overdrive. "In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, President Bar... More
Mr. Crum's Potato Predicament
Renaud, Anne.
Also available in Hoopla. When a fussy patron sends his order of potatoes back twice, chef George Cr... More
Granddaddy's Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box
Bandy, Michael S.
Also available in Hoopla. "Life on the farm with Granddaddy is full of hard work, but despite ... More
Overground Railroad
Cline-Ransome, Lesa.
Also available in Hoopla. "A girl named Ruth Anne tells the story of her family's train j... More
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore
Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Relates the story of the National Memorial African Bookstor... More
The Bell Rang
Ransome, James.
Also available in Overdrive. A slave family is distressed when they discover their son Ben has run a... More
Patricia's Vision: The Doctor Who Saved Sight
Lord, Michelle.
"Born in 1940s Harlem, Patricia Bath dreamed of being a doctor--even though that wasn't a... More
Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks
Slade, Suzanne.
Also available in Hoopla. A biography of African American poet, Gwendolyn Brooks. ... More
She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm
Russell-Brown, Katheryn.
"A picture biography of educator and politician Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 was the first Bl... More
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
Hill, Laban Carrick.
Chronicles the life of Dave, a nineteenth-century slave who went on to become an influential poet, ... More
Superheroes Are Everywhere
Harris, Kamala.
"Senator Kamala Harris's picture book memoir in which she tells her life story and shows ... More
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist
Levinson, Cynthia.
Presents the life of nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks who became the youngest known child to be ... More
Katherine Johnson
Feldman, Thea.
Also available in Overdrive. Meet Katherine Johnson, a brilliant mathematician who worked at NASA i... More
A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon
Slade, Suzanne.
Biography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. ... More
The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just
Mangal, Mélina.
Also available in Overdrive. Presents the life and accomplishments of the African American scientist... More
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rappaport, Doreen.
Illustrated by Bryan Collier Winner of the 2001 NY Times Best Illustrated Children's Book Award... More
Preaching To The Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis
Asim, Jabari.
Also available in Hoopla. "Critically acclaimed author Jabari Asim and Caldecott Honor-winning... More
Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America
Weatherford, Carole Boston.
Also available in Hoopla. Gordon Parks is most famous for being the first black director in Hollywo... More
Before She Was Harriet
Cline-Ransome, Lesa.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. A lush and lyrical biography of Harriet Tubman, written in ... More
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read
Hubbard, Rita L.
"A picture book biography sharing the inspiring and incredible true story of the nation's... More
The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage
Alko, Selina.
The story of interracial couple Mildred and Richard Loving, who got married in Washington, D.C., an... More
Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Winter, Jonah.
Also available in Overdrive. As an elderly woman, Lillian recalls that her great-great-grandparents... More
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
Shetterly, Margot Lee.
Also available in Hoopla. Explores the previously uncelebrated but pivotal contributions of NASA... More
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
Steptoe, Javaka.
Also available in Overdrive. Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocked to... More
Nina: Jazz Legend and Civil-Rights Activist Nina Simone
Brière-Haquet, Alice.
With evocative black-and-white illustrations and moving prose, readers are introduced to Nina Simon... More
The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop
Weatherford, Carole Boston.
Presents the history of hip-hop including, how it evolved from folktales, spirituals, and poetry, t... More
Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer
DePrince, Michaela.
Also available in Overdrive. "At the age of three, Michaela DePrince found a photo of a baller... More
Trailblazer: The Story of Ballerina Raven Wilkinson
Schubert, Leda.
"When she was only five years old, her parents took her to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo... More
Bronzeville Boys and Girls
Brooks, Gwendolyn.
A collection of poems that celebrate the joy, beauty, imagination, and freedom of childhood. ... More
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life
Bryan, Ashley.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. "Using original slave auction and plantation estate do... More
Ellington Was Not a Street
Shange, Ntozake.
Also available in Hoopla. In a reflective tribute to the African-American community of old, noted po... More
The Undefeated
Alexander, Kwame.
Also available in Overdrive. "The Newbery Award-winning author of The Crossover pens an ode to... More
Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen?
Smith, Sherri L.
Also available in Overdrive. "During World War II, black Americans were fighting for their cou... More
The ABCs of Black History
Cortez, Rio.
Also available in Hoopla. "B is for Beautiful, Brave, and Bright! And for a Book that takes a B... More
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
Nelson, Kadir.
Also available in Overdrive. An simple introduction to African-American history, from Revolutionary-... More
28 Days: Moments in Black history that Changed the World
Smith, Charles R., Jr.
Also available in Overdrive. "A picture book look at many of the men and women who revolutioni... More
The President Sang Amazing Grace
Mulford, Zoe.
Also available in Hoopla. 'Following the 2015 mass shooting that took nine lives in a historic... More
Freedom in Congo Square
Weatherford, Carole Boston.
Also available in Hoopla. "As slaves relentlessly toiled in an unjust system in 19th century L... More