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Black History Month Reading List

We offer the following reading list as one way to commemorate the richness and poignancy of Black History Month.

Ellington Was Not a Street
Ages: All Ages
Author: Ntozake Shange Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Simon & Schuster/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $15.95

A beautiful book about the loss of community and memory among young African Americans, it works subtly and effectively. Looking at the pictures you want to talk to the author and ask her about the past. It is a dinner party with some of the black men and one black woman who changed history. The reader is enriched by attending. Highly recommended for all ages.

Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
Author: Kathryn Lasky Illustrator: Nneka Bennett
Candlewick Press, $16.99 (Hardcover)

Sarah Breedlove Walker (1867-1919) was a chemist, business owner, community leader, and advocate for the rights of black women. Born a sharecropper's child, she became the owner of the Mme. C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, one of the largest businesses in America in the early twentieth century. Along the way, she was influenced by Margaret and Booker T. Washington. Her life story is told in clear prose and wonderful pencil and watercolor illustrations. A picture of Sarah in her at-home laboratory is particularly inspiring.

Black Cowboy Wild Horses: A True Story
Ages: 4 - 8 yrs.
Author: Julius Lester Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc./Dial Books for Young Readers, $16.99 (Hardcover)

Bob Lemmons, a former slave, was a cowboy with legendary tracking ability. In this spectacular picture book, the reader goes along with Bob and his stallion, Warrior, as he tracks a herd of wild mustangs for days and ultimately brings them back to his ranch. The combination of Lester’s poetic prose and Pinkney’s illustrations makes this a most unusual biography with appeal to a wide range of readers - horse-lovers, history-lovers, naturalists, and lovers of a good story. The pictures of thundering, galloping horses are unmatched.

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ages: 4 & Up
Author: Doreen Rappaport Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Hyperion Books for Children, $15.99 (Hardcover)

This large format picture biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. focuses on King's resounding words, words that fueled the Equal Rights Movement and, after ten years of protests, ended legal segregation in the United States. Bryan Collier's forceful illustrations -- a combination of watercolor and cut paper collage -- give the reader/viewer an uncanny sense of Dr. King's charisma, and author Doreen Rappaport's well-chosen words are likely to inspire many listeners/viewers to learn more about King's life and his message of non-violence.

Romare Bearden: Collage of Memories
Ages: 6 - 10 yrs.
Author: Jan Greenberg Illustrator: Romare Bearden
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., $17.95 (Hardcover)

For the first time, children have their own book where they can discover the life and work of Romare Bearden, one of the most important American artists of the 20th century. Award-winning author Jan Greenberg tells the intriguing story of the collagist who made "visual jazz." Book Description

When Marian Sang
Ages: 6 - 10 yrs.
Author: Brian Selznick
Scholastic Inc., $16.95 (Hardcover)

This handsome oversize book tells admirably the life-story of the celebrated black singer Marian Anderson (1897-1993). Author Ryan manages to cover the highlights of Anderson's long career in a spare and sober text that never lapses into kiddy talk but treats the book's heroine and its audience - children - with the respect they deserve. Artist Brian Selznick's large, sepia-toned pictures project a near-photographic authenticity, giving the listener/viewer the sense of being right there with Marian. This is the most beautiful and worthwhile picture book to come down the pike in a long while. Don't miss it! Selma G. Lanes ©2002 Parents' Choice

Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth
Ages: 7 - 10 yrs.
Author: Anne Rockwell Illustrator: Gregory Christie
Random House Children's Books/Knopf, $16.95 (Hardcover)

A powerful and handsomely illustrated biography of one of the abolitionist movement's most compelling voices.

Through My Eyes: Autobiography of Ruby Bridges
Ages: 8 - 12 yrs.
Author: Ruby Bridges
Scholastic Inc., $16.95 (Hardcover)

Ruby Bridges played a significant role in the history of civil rights. In 1961, as a tiny first-grader escorted by federal agents, she integrated an all-white school in New Orleans. This is Ruby's recollections of external and internal events. Powerful and powerfully moving.

My Heroes, My People: African Americans and Native Americans in the West
Ages: 8 - 12 yrs.
Author: Morgan Monceaux Author: Ruth Katcher Illustrator: Morgan Monceaux
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $18.00

Black cowboys, black marshals, and Native American leaders have long been omitted from historical reference books. Here, they are celebrated in glorious color. The thirty-six portraits of men and women are done in bold, folk art style, and the accompanying text is lively and peppered with quotations.

Remember The Journey to School Integration
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.
Author: Toni Morrison
Houghton Mifflin Children's Books, $18.00 (Hardcover)

This photo-history of the difficult period after the Supreme Court ruled segregation in schools unconstitutional opens by drawing the reader into the introduction: "This is a book about you."
In picture book format, the lines of text discuss the carefully chosen photographs in simple, clear prose using the first person narrator point-of-view. A variety of photographs are included to document the times, depicting the complicated and complex reality.

The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.
Author: Russell Freedman
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin /Clarion Books, $18.00 (Hardcover)

This outstanding photographic history book from Russell Freedman is filled with quotations from Marian Anderson, and the text is complimented by an array of documents: photographs of Anderson throughout her life, printed programs from her concerts, and newspaper clippings. Not only is her struggle against racial discrimination gripping but her success is inspiring. She is respected by legions as one of the greatest voices ever.

No More! Stories and Songs of Slave Resistance
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.
Author: Doreen Rappaport Illustrator: Shane E Evans
Candlewick Press, $17.99 (Hardcover)

Doreen Rappaport pulls together many different stories and songs from African American history that reflect the resistance and escape attempts of many enslaved peoples. Most of the stories are from true accounts; some were developed from historical records. Shane Evans' large, expressive illustrations are evocative of the period and the subject matter.

Powerful Words
Ages: 9 - 12 yrs.
Author: Wade Hudson Illustrator: Sean Qualls
Scholastic Inc./Scholastic Nonfiction, $19.95 (Hardcover)

Too often the study of African American history is reduced to a timeline with Slavery and the Civil Rights Movement circled in red. Though these events are crucial, young people often learn about them without getting a sense of how extraordinary ideas are expressed in context. Powerful Words addresses this challenge beautifully. Not only are readers given well written historical “shorts” that foreshadow the writing excerpts, they are also provided some information about the impact of the words they read. For those parents who lament the decline of public discourse and oratory, this book is an exquisite read aloud.

African American Musicians
Ages: 10 - 14 yrs.
Author: Eleanora E. Tate
John Wiley & Sons, $22.95 (Hardcover)

This lively collection of profiles tells the inspiring stories of twenty-five African American musicians: both the legendary and the forgotten musical heroes whose contributions to the industry were invaluable to those who later followed in their footsteps. Each well-rounded biography covers a musician's origins, challenges, and accomplishments. Book Description

African American Teachers
Ages: 10 - 14 yrs.
Author: Clinton Cox
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, $22.95 (Hardcover)

Meet the black teachers who spread the gift of knowledge—from the early years to modern times. Benjamin Banneker, Peter Humphries, James P. Comer, M.D., W. E. B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and many more. Book Description

African American Women Writers
Ages: 10 - 14 yrs.
Author: Brenda Wilkinson
John Wiley & Sons, $22.95 (Hardcover)

Meet the black women writers who Lived Their Dreams – from the early years to modern times.
Writers include Margaret Walker Alexander, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, and many more. Book Description

A Strong Right Arm
Ages: 10 & Up
Author: Michelle Y. Green
Penguin Putnam Inc./Dial Books for Young Readers, $15.99 (Hardcover)

This five-foot-two, ninety-eight pound young woman's strong right arm led her all the way to three years of professional baseball play with the Negro League's Indianapolis Clowns. Her struggles against the injustices of racism and sexism are told as matter-of-fact asides to her joy in playing baseball.

Harlem Stomp
Ages: 12 & Up
Author: Laban Carrick Hill
Little, Brown and Company Children's Publishing/Megan Tingley Books, $18.95 (Hardcover)

The Harlem Renaissance continues to provide compelling material for authors. This volume offers seldom seen photographs and subject matter, such as “jive” terms popularized during the period. The era encompassed so much art, music and literature- the author touches upon it all. Packed with information accessible through a thorough index, this cultural history is equally a great browsing book, where readers discover something unique with each turn of the page. Author Laban Carrick Hill does a fine job of describing the joy and pain experienced by African Americans during this period. Award winning artist, Christopher Myers has provided almost irresistible cover art.

Frederick Douglass
Ages: 12 & Up
Author: Peter Burchard
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $18.95 (Hardcover)

This new biography presents Douglass as he lived through the misery, tragedy, and heartbreak of his early years, as he escaped from slavery only to endure anxiety and outrage in the free states of the North. He eventually made his way to Great Britain, where he lectured forcefully against slavery. Book Description

Explore Your World With Poetry Sid Fleischman What You May Be Missing in a Magazine Shaun Tan and the Graphic Novel The Year of Mark Twain The Good Sense of Nonsense Browse All Articles >>	You are in: Reading \| Black History Month Reading List Black History Month Reading List We offer the following reading list as one way to commemorate the richness and poignancy of Black History Month. Ellington Was Not a Street Ages: All Ages Author: Ntozake Shange Illustrator: Kadir Nelson Simon & Schuster/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $15.95 A beautiful book about the loss of community and memory among young African Americans, it works subtly and effectively. Looking at the pictures you want to talk to the author and ask her about the past. It is a dinner party with some of the black men and one black woman who changed history. The reader is enriched by attending. Highly recommended for all ages. Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker Ages: 4 - 8 yrs. Author: Kathryn Lasky Illustrator: Nneka Bennett Candlewick Press, $16.99 (Hardcover) Sarah Breedlove Walker (1867-1919) was a chemist, business owner, community leader, and advocate for the rights of black women. Born a sharecropper's child, she became the owner of the Mme. C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, one of the largest businesses in America in the early twentieth century. Along the way, she was influenced by Margaret and Booker T. Washington. Her life story is told in clear prose and wonderful pencil and watercolor illustrations. A picture of Sarah in her at-home laboratory is particularly inspiring. Black Cowboy Wild Horses: A True Story Ages: 4 - 8 yrs. Author: Julius Lester Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc./Dial Books for Young Readers, $16.99 (Hardcover) Bob Lemmons, a former slave, was a cowboy with legendary tracking ability. In this spectacular picture book, the reader goes along with Bob and his stallion, Warrior, as he tracks a herd of wild mustangs for days and ultimately brings them back to his ranch. The combination of Lester’s poetic prose and Pinkney’s illustrations makes this a most unusual biography with appeal to a wide range of readers - horse-lovers, history-lovers, naturalists, and lovers of a good story. The pictures of thundering, galloping horses are unmatched. Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ages: 4 & Up Author: Doreen Rappaport Illustrator: Bryan Collier Hyperion Books for Children, $15.99 (Hardcover) This large format picture biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. focuses on King's resounding words, words that fueled the Equal Rights Movement and, after ten years of protests, ended legal segregation in the United States. Bryan Collier's forceful illustrations -- a combination of watercolor and cut paper collage -- give the reader/viewer an uncanny sense of Dr. King's charisma, and author Doreen Rappaport's well-chosen words are likely to inspire many listeners/viewers to learn more about King's life and his message of non-violence. Romare Bearden: Collage of Memories Ages: 6 - 10 yrs. Author: Jan Greenberg Illustrator: Romare Bearden Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., $17.95 (Hardcover) For the first time, children have their own book where they can discover the life and work of Romare Bearden, one of the most important American artists of the 20th century. Award-winning author Jan Greenberg tells the intriguing story of the collagist who made "visual jazz." Book Description When Marian Sang Ages: 6 - 10 yrs. Author: Brian Selznick Scholastic Inc., $16.95 (Hardcover) This handsome oversize book tells admirably the life-story of the celebrated black singer Marian Anderson (1897-1993). Author Ryan manages to cover the highlights of Anderson's long career in a spare and sober text that never lapses into kiddy talk but treats the book's heroine and its audience - children - with the respect they deserve. Artist Brian Selznick's large, sepia-toned pictures project a near-photographic authenticity, giving the listener/viewer the sense of being right there with Marian. This is the most beautiful and worthwhile picture book to come down the pike in a long while. Don't miss it! Selma G. Lanes ©2002 Parents' Choice Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth Ages: 7 - 10 yrs. Author: Anne Rockwell Illustrator: Gregory Christie Random House Children's Books/Knopf, $16.95 (Hardcover) A powerful and handsomely illustrated biography of one of the abolitionist movement's most compelling voices. Through My Eyes: Autobiography of Ruby Bridges Ages: 8 - 12 yrs. Author: Ruby Bridges Scholastic Inc., $16.95 (Hardcover) Ruby Bridges played a significant role in the history of civil rights. In 1961, as a tiny first-grader escorted by federal agents, she integrated an all-white school in New Orleans. This is Ruby's recollections of external and internal events. Powerful and powerfully moving. My Heroes, My People: African Americans and Native Americans in the West Ages: 8 - 12 yrs. Author: Morgan Monceaux Author: Ruth Katcher Illustrator: Morgan Monceaux Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $18.00 Black cowboys, black marshals, and Native American leaders have long been omitted from historical reference books. Here, they are celebrated in glorious color. The thirty-six portraits of men and women are done in bold, folk art style, and the accompanying text is lively and peppered with quotations. Remember The Journey to School Integration Ages: 9 - 12 yrs. Author: Toni Morrison Houghton Mifflin Children's Books, $18.00 (Hardcover) This photo-history of the difficult period after the Supreme Court ruled segregation in schools unconstitutional opens by drawing the reader into the introduction: "This is a book about you." In picture book format, the lines of text discuss the carefully chosen photographs in simple, clear prose using the first person narrator point-of-view. A variety of photographs are included to document the times, depicting the complicated and complex reality. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights Ages: 9 - 12 yrs. Author: Russell Freedman Publisher: Houghton Mifflin /Clarion Books, $18.00 (Hardcover) This outstanding photographic history book from Russell Freedman is filled with quotations from Marian Anderson, and the text is complimented by an array of documents: photographs of Anderson throughout her life, printed programs from her concerts, and newspaper clippings. Not only is her struggle against racial discrimination gripping but her success is inspiring. She is respected by legions as one of the greatest voices ever. No More! Stories and Songs of Slave Resistance Ages: 9 - 12 yrs. Author: Doreen Rappaport Illustrator: Shane E Evans Candlewick Press, $17.99 (Hardcover) Doreen Rappaport pulls together many different stories and songs from African American history that reflect the resistance and escape attempts of many enslaved peoples. Most of the stories are from true accounts; some were developed from historical records. Shane Evans' large, expressive illustrations are evocative of the period and the subject matter. Powerful Words Ages: 9 - 12 yrs. Author: Wade Hudson Illustrator: Sean Qualls Scholastic Inc./Scholastic Nonfiction, $19.95 (Hardcover) Too often the study of African American history is reduced to a timeline with Slavery and the Civil Rights Movement circled in red. Though these events are crucial, young people often learn about them without getting a sense of how extraordinary ideas are expressed in context. Powerful Words addresses this challenge beautifully. Not only are readers given well written historical “shorts” that foreshadow the writing excerpts, they are also provided some information about the impact of the words they read. For those parents who lament the decline of public discourse and oratory, this book is an exquisite read aloud. African American Musicians Ages: 10 - 14 yrs. Author: Eleanora E. Tate John Wiley & Sons, $22.95 (Hardcover) This lively collection of profiles tells the inspiring stories of twenty-five African American musicians: both the legendary and the forgotten musical heroes whose contributions to the industry were invaluable to those who later followed in their footsteps. Each well-rounded biography covers a musician's origins, challenges, and accomplishments. Book Description African American Teachers Ages: 10 - 14 yrs. Author: Clinton Cox Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, $22.95 (Hardcover) Meet the black teachers who spread the gift of knowledge—from the early years to modern times. Benjamin Banneker, Peter Humphries, James P. Comer, M.D., W. E. B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and many more. Book Description African American Women Writers Ages: 10 - 14 yrs. Author: Brenda Wilkinson John Wiley & Sons, $22.95 (Hardcover) Meet the black women writers who Lived Their Dreams – from the early years to modern times. Writers include Margaret Walker Alexander, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, and many more. Book Description A Strong Right Arm Ages: 10 & Up Author: Michelle Y. Green Penguin Putnam Inc./Dial Books for Young Readers, $15.99 (Hardcover) This five-foot-two, ninety-eight pound young woman's strong right arm led her all the way to three years of professional baseball play with the Negro League's Indianapolis Clowns. Her struggles against the injustices of racism and sexism are told as matter-of-fact asides to her joy in playing baseball. Harlem Stomp Ages: 12 & Up Author: Laban Carrick Hill Little, Brown and Company Children's Publishing/Megan Tingley Books, $18.95 (Hardcover) The Harlem Renaissance continues to provide compelling material for authors. This volume offers seldom seen photographs and subject matter, such as “jive” terms popularized during the period. The era encompassed so much art, music and literature- the author touches upon it all. Packed with information accessible through a thorough index, this cultural history is equally a great browsing book, where readers discover something unique with each turn of the page. Author Laban Carrick Hill does a fine job of describing the joy and pain experienced by African Americans during this period. Award winning artist, Christopher Myers has provided almost irresistible cover art. Frederick Douglass Ages: 12 & Up Author: Peter Burchard Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $18.95 (Hardcover) This new biography presents Douglass as he lived through the misery, tragedy, and heartbreak of his early years, as he escaped from slavery only to endure anxiety and outrage in the free states of the North. He eventually made his way to Great Britain, where he lectured forcefully against slavery. Book Description	Sign Up Parents' Choice news & features delivered to your inbox. Sign Up Now >>