Kids and Families

African American History

Fiction for Younger Readers

Going North by Janice N. Harrington
A young African-American girl and her family leave their home in Alabama and head for Lincoln, Nebraska, where they hope to escape segregation and find a better life.

Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
In the post-Civil War South, a young African- American girl is determined to prove that she can go to school just like her older brothers.

Rescue on the Outer Banks by Candice F. Ransom
Sam Deal and his horse, Ginger, help an African-American lifesaving crew rescue shipwreck victims off the coast of North Carolina in 1896.

Freedom Summer by Debbie Wiles
In 1964, Joe is pleased that a new law will allow his best friend John Henry, who is black, to share the town pool and other public places with him, but he is dismayed to find that prejudice still exists.

Non-Fiction for Younger Readers

Delivering Justice : W. W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights by James Haskins
T his picture-book biography tells the stirring story of a quiet hero, Westley (W. W.) Law, a mail carrier who played a leading role in the civil rights movement.

I See the Rhythm : a Story of African American Music by Toyomi Igus
Chronicles and captures poetically the history, mood, and movement of African-American music.

Juneteenth : a Day to Celebrate Freedom from Slavery by Angela Leeper
Explores the origins of Juneteenth, early celebrations, and how the holiday is celebrated today.

Cracking the Wall: the Struggles of the Little Rock Nine by Eileen Lucas
A brief introduction to the nine African-American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957.

A Kid’s Guide to African American History : More Than 70 Activities by Nancy I. Sanders
A chronological look at the history of African Americans from the pre-slavery days in Africa through today's celebration of Kwanzaa.

Fiction for Older Readers

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester
Emma, a house slave, has taken care of the Butler children since their mother, Fanny, left after a rift over slavery. She wants to raise the girls to have good hearts. Everything is threatened when Pierce Butler decides to cash in his slave “assets,” possibly including Emma.

The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural by Pat McKissack
A collection of ghost stories with African American themes, designed to be told during the Dark Thirty—the half hour before sunset—when ghosts seem all too believable.

Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues by Walter Dean Myers
Teenager Biddy Owens’ 1948 journal about working for the Birmingham Black Barons includes the games and the players, racism the team faces from New Orleans to Chicago, and his family’s resistance to his becoming a professional baseball player. Includes a historical note about the evolution of the Negro Leagues.

Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues by Harriette Robinet
Twelve-year-old Alfa Merryfield, his older sister, and their grandmother struggle for rent money, food and their dignity as they participate in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott in the summer of 1956.

Freedom’s Wings: Corey’s Diary by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
A nine-year-old slave keeps a diary of his journey to freedom along the Underground Railroad in 1857.

Non-Fiction for Older Readers

The Black Soldier: 1492 to the Present by Catherine Clinton
Chronicles the military accomplishments of African Americans who fought for the independence and preservation of the United States while struggling to be treated as equals and recognized for their valor and achievement.

Black Hoops: African-Americans in Basketball by Frederick McKissack
Surveys the history of African Americans in basketball, from the beginning of the sport to the present, discussing individual teams and players and the integration of the National Basketball Association.

This Our Dark Country: The American Settlers of Liberia by Catherine Reef
Explores the history of the colony, later the independent nation of Liberia, which was established on the west coast of Africa in 1822 as a haven for free African Americans.

African American Women Writers by Brenda Scott Wilkinson
Discusses the lives and work of such notable African American women authors as: Phyllis Wheatley, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Zora Neale Hurston, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, and Terry McMillan.

Compiled by Madison Public Library Youth Services Staff

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