Celebrate Black History Month With These Kids Books

In the first book written AND illustrated by award-winning dynamo Vashti Harrison, Big beautifully details a child’s journey to self-acceptance and highlights the impact of words – how they can both hurt and heal. Like the message in this book, Big is oversized and overflowing with thought, care and love.

Jason Reynolds is a voice we listen to regardless of genre and age. In his picture book debut There Was a Party for Langston, with the help of the iconic art stylings of the Pumphrey Brothers (Jerome and Jarrett), we’re called to celebrate the “King of Letters”, Langston Hughes. This joyous acknowledgment of the literary genius and glass-ceiling smasher Langston Hughes features Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka and more legends as they gather for the party of a lifetime. Jason Reynolds + The Pumphrey Brothers + Langston Hughes = A party not to be missed!

Amanda Gorman and Christian Robinson are gifts not just to the literary community but to the wider community as a whole. With Gorman’s signature prose and Robinson iconic art, Something, Someday is the message of hope and ambition that our society so desperately needs. Change will happen, but will you be a part of it?

From prima ballerina Misty Copeland, Bunheads is the courageous story of her own early experiences in ballet. As a young girl, Misty discovered her love of dance through the ballet Coppélia inspiring her to one day audition to be its heroine on her first day of dance. With stunning artwork coupled with a beautiful story, Bunheads is the perfect book to inspire young ones to find the bravery to try something new. 

The riveting companion to Tami Charles and Bryan Collier’s All Because You Matter(2020 Barnes & Noble Picture Book of the Year finalist), We Are Here is lyrical, affirmational and full of love. Simultaneously celebrating excellence within the Black community while honoring legacy, Charles and Collier’s love letter to Black and Brown children is truly a work of art.

A complement to The New York Times’ “1619 Project”, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson share a powerful exploration of the origins of American identity and the lingering impact it’s had on society. Nikkolas Smith’s illustrations on their own are noteworthy — when paired with Hannah-Jones and Watson’s poetry, they become groundbreaking. We haven’t seen a project like this before and it’s unlikely to see one in the future.

To describe An American Story by Kwame Alexander and Dare Coulter as simply an “important” book would be an egregious understatement. In the way only two distinctive creators such as Alexander and Coulter can, An American Story is the haunted but masterfully constructed bridge connecting the traditional African Village of the past and the modern day African American community. If there is one “must read” book for all ages, An American Story is it.

Kwame Alexander’s latest epic told in verse is a powerful, immersive tale that offers readers insight into 19th-century Africa. Though fictionalized, this important story of a young boy is rooted very much in history. The Door of No Return is a must-read for all ages.

Nic Stone’s middle grade debut Clean Getaway is a heart-felt and at times laugh-out-loud adventure. A young boy goes on an unplanned road trip with his grandma using his G’ma’s most treasured possession, her Green Book. Traveling through the American South, eleven-year-old Scoob spends this journey uncovering race relations past and present while learning that things aren’t always what they seem – including his G’ma.  

Weaving together folklore, myth, and history, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is an action-packed read with fierce (and at times giggle-inducing) characters. Surviving a bus accident that kills his best friend, seventh grader Tristan Strong is sent to spend a month on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama to heal from the loss. When a sticky creature steals his best friend’s notebook, he goes on a journey to get it back. His search is filled with African American folk heroes and West African gods trying to save the world of MidPass after Tristan accidentally punched a hole in its sky.  

For anyone who’s ever been told they’d never make it, Life in Motion is about believing in yourself and following your dreams, despite the stereotypes and hate that may stand in your way. As the first African American principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has spent her life breaking down barriers. In her memoir (specially adapted for young readers), she recounts her troubled home life and the racism she endured while attempting to achieve her dream of a life dancing on stage. Beyond just being a true inspiration to young dreamers, Copeland’s continued hard work and dedication have changed the state of American ballet forever.

Serwa Boateng isn’t your normal seventh grader—she’s spent her life protecting the world from vampires alongside her parents. But when her parents leave her at her cousin’s house while they go on an epic vampire-hunting quest, Serwa must do her best to adapt to a normal life—that is, until she discovers her new school isn’t as safe as it seems. This rollicking adventure rooted in Ghanaian lore is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan.

What happens when 17 brilliant Black authors come together to write uplifting stories, comics, and poems about Black boyhood? Black Boy Joy, of course! This unique collaboration between bestselling authors like Jason Reynolds, B.B. Alston and Varian Johnson is an ode to young Black boys everywhere who deserve to see their childhoods celebrated on the pages of books.