Black History: Books

Bader, Bonnie (2008). Who was Martin Luther King, Jr?. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

"Young people are sure to find intriguing role models among the many STEM all-stars in this comprehensive look at the achievements of gifted Black scientists and doctors."         Booklist

Bolden, Tonya (2020). Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

* "Vivid details and the immediacy of Lowery's voice make this a valuable primary document as well as a pleasure to read."—Kirkus, starred review

Bridges, R., & In Lundell, M. (1999). Through my eyes. New York: Scholastic Press.

"Crowe's powerful, terrifying account does justice to its subject in bold, direct telling, supported by numerous archival photos and quotes from those who remember, including Emmett's mother." —Booklist

Crowe, Chris (2003). Getting away with murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. Dial Books.

 "Freedman does a masterful job."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Freedman, Russell (2006). Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. New York: Holiday House.

This readable, compelling history explores the longstanding and deeply rooted causes of the 1919 Chicago Race Riot, which left thirty-eight people dead and 537 wounded (two-thirds of the casualties were black; one-third, white)."--Horn Book

Hartfield, Claire (2017). A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919. Boston: New York: Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Dazzling... a grand work. (starred review)-Booklist

Lewis, J. (2013). March. Book one. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions.

McDonough, Y. Z., & Harrison, N. (2002). Who was Harriet Tubman?. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

McDonough, Yona Zeldis (2010). Who was Rosa Parks?. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.

"The photos are electrifying. Beautifully reproduced in sepia prints, the archival images humanize the politics of the civil rights movement." Booklist, ALA

Morrison, Toni (2004). Remember: The Journey to school Integrations. HMH.

“What a beautiful biography of Harriet Tubman! Christine is a wonderful storyteller, finding just the right words for this important history. I loved the reflection questions, as well as how visually engaging this book is for young readers.” —Jason Biehl, founder of Change The Narrative

Platt, Christine (2020). The story of Harriet Tubman: A biography book for new readers. Callisto Media.

The perfect impetus for discussion on a host of important historical themes germane to the 1950s, such as gender roles, racial prejudice and segregation, and scientific exploration… Middle-schoolers will find their story, here in a young readers’ edition of Shetterly’s 2016 adult book, engaging and inspirational.-Booklist

Shetterly, Margot Lee (2016). Hidden figures (young reader's edition): The untold true story of four African American women who helped launch our nation into space. New York, NY: William Morrow.

From Publishers Weekly

Unlike the more comprehensive Rosa Parks: My Story (Children's Forecasts, Nov. 29), Siegel's considerably shorter book focuses on the immediate repercussions of Parks's refusal in 1955 to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Ala. The author tells how Parks's arrest galvanized the black community and sparked a citywide bus boycott that lasted for more than a year until the U.S. Supreme Court finally ruled the Alabama laws requiring segregation on buses unconstitutional. Siegel's narrative includes numerous quotes by Parks, as well as excerpts from speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr. Though lacking the passion of Parks's own story and marred by occasionally awkward writing ("Along the hard road some events gave her courage and pushed her along"), this account effectively documents the overwhelming humiliation experienced by Montgomery's black residents during a year filled with shocking incidents of racism. Ages 9-12.

Siegel, Beatrice (1992). The year they walked: Rosa Parks & the Montgomery bus Boycott. New York: Four Winds Press.

“Writing with a novelist’s artistry, a biologist’s expertise, and the zeal of an investigative reporter, Skloot tells a truly astonishing story of racism and poverty, science and conscience, spirituality and family driven by a galvanizing inquiry into the sanctity of the body and the very nature of the life force.”—Booklist (starred review)

Skloot, Rebecca (2010). The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown Publishers.

“Historian Theoharis offers a complex portrait of a forceful, determined woman who had long been active before the boycott she inspired and who had an even longer career in civil rights afterward.”—Booklist

Theoharis, Jeanne (2013). The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. Boston: Beacon Press.