LibGuides: Black History Month 2021: Books for Kids and Teens

Nonfiction Books for Elementary Students

Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy; Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
Publication Date: 2020-01-14
A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on. GRADE: PreK-3
Different Differenter by Jyoti Gupta; Tarannum Pasricha (Illustrator)
Publication Date: 2019-02-01
Different Differenter thoughtfully addresses everyday skin color consciousness and bias in a way that's easy to understand, setting the context for hard conversations. Beautifully illustrated and includes activities. GRADE 1-5
The Talk by Wade Hudson (Editor); Cheryl Willis Hudson (Editor)
ISBN: 9780593121610
Publication Date: 2020-08-11
This powerful collection of short stories, essays, poems, and art is a call-to-action that invites all families to be anti-racist and advocates for change. Contributors include Tracey Baptiste, Derrick Barnes, Cozbi A. Cabrera, Raúl Colón, Adam Gidwitz, Nikki Grimes, Grace Lin, Meg Medina, Christopher Myers, Duncan Tonatiuh, and Renée Watson. GRADE 3-7
We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices by Wade Hudson (Editor); Cheryl Willis Hudson (Editor)
Publication Date: 2018-09-04
Featuring poems, letters, personal essays, art, and other works from industry leaders such as Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds, this anthology empowers the nation's youth to listen, learn, and build a better tomorrow. GRADE 3-7
Woke by Mahogany L. Browne; Theodore Taylor (Illustrator)
Publication Date: 2020-03-10
Woke is a collection of poems by women of color that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out. GRADE 3-7
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander; Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
Publication Date: 2019-04-02
Highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. GRADE 3-UP

Nonfiction Books for Secondary Students

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds; Ibram X. Kendi
A timely, crucial, and empowering exploration of racism--and antiracism--in America. Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives. GRADE 5-UP

Stamped Educator Guide

This Book Is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell; Aurelia Durand (Illustrator)
Publication Date: 2020-01-07
This book is written for EVERYONE who lives in this racialized society--the young person who doesn't know how to speak up, the kid who has lost themself trying to fit into the dominant culture, the children who have been harmed because no one stood up for them, and their families, teachers, and administrators. GRADE 5-UP
Say Her Name by Zetta Elliott; Loveis Wise (Illustrator, Cover Design by)
Publication Date: 2020-01-14
These poems pay tribute to victims of police brutality as well as the activists insisting that Black Lives Matter, and will move every reader to reflect, respond-and act. GRADE 7-UP
Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults) by Bryan Stevenson
Publication Date: 2018-09-18
Acclaimed lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson offers a glimpse into the lives of the wrongfully imprisoned and his efforts to fight for their freedom. Through this adaptation, young people of today will find themselves called to action and compassion in the pursuit of justice. GRADE 7-UP
We Are Not yet Equal by Carol Anderson; Tonya Bolden
Publication Date: 2019-10-29
When America achieves milestones of progress toward full and equal black participation in democracy, the systemic response is a consistent racist backlash that rolls back those wins. Written in an approachable narrative style that provides teen readers with context to historic moments; includes photographs. A YA adaptation of Carol Anderson's bestselling nonfiction book, White Rage. GRADE 7-UP.
March: Book One by John Lewis; Andrew Aydin; Nate Powell (Illustrator)
Publication Date: 2013-08-13
March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis' personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement. A 3-book series in graphic novel format. GRADE 7-UP.

Additional Resources and Recommendations

Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List for Kids
A list of fiction and nonfiction curated by the Schomburg Center, a research library of the New York Public Library and an archive repository for information on people of African descent worldwide.
Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List for Teens
list of fiction and nonfiction curated by the Schomburg Center, a research library of the New York Public Library and an archive repository for information on people of African descent worldwide.
Social Justice Books Themed Book Lists
Themed lists of books with diverse and/or social justice content for all ages.
The Brown Bookshelf
An organization devoted to promoting awareness of the myriad Black voices writing for young readers.
We Need Diverse Books
A grassroots organization that advocates changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.
Diverse Bookfinder
The Diverse BookFinder is a comprehensive collection and searchable database of diverse children's picture books.

Antiracist Reading List and Brochure
A curated book list that explores multifaceted identities of People of Color
(of the Global Majority) and provides context and calls for action.