February is Black History Month, and we encourage you to visit your local bookstore or library to learn more. In the meantime, we have compiled our reading recommendations for you. For more recommendations, check out our past lists.
A Flag for Juneteenth
By Kim Taylor
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780823452248 | Neal Porter Books
On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army delivered the message that African Americans in Texas were free. Since then, Juneteenth, as the day has come to be known, has steadily gained recognition throughout the United States. ln 2020, a powerful wave of protests and demonstrations calling for racial justice and equality brought new awareness to the significance of the holiday. A Flag for Juneteenth depicts a close-knit community of enslaved African Americans on a plantation in Texas, the day before the announcement is to be made that all enslaved people are free. Young Huldah, who is preparing to celebrate her tenth birthday, can’t possibly anticipate how much her life will change that Juneteenth morning. The story follows Huldah and her community as they process the news of their freedom and celebrate together by creating a community freedom flag.
Hair Love
By Matthew A. Cherry
Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
32 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780525553366 | Kokila
Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he’ll do anything to make her – and her hair – happy. Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair – and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.
Harlem at Four
By Dr. Michael Datcher
Illustrated by Frank Morrison
48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593429334 | Random House Studio
In this beautiful picture book in two parts, meet Harlem: the girl and the neighborhood. Part one follows the adventures of a little girl named Harlem and her single father as they go on a museum “playdate” with painters Romare Bearden and Jean-Michel Basquiat, listen to John Coltrane records, and conduct science experiments in their apartment (“The volcano erupts /Red lava on Valentine’s Day!”). Part two takes us back to the fourth year of the twentieth century in Harlem the neighborhood. Here, we are introduced to Philip A. Payton Jr., aka Papa Payton, whose Afro-American Realty Company gave birth to the Black housing explosion, helping to start America’s Great Black Migration. Because of Papa Peyton, Black families – like Harlem and her father a century later – could move to Harlem and thrive and flourish.
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee
By Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by Frank Morrison
40 Pages | Ages 7-10 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781536215540 | Candlewick
In 1936, eighth grader MacNolia Cox became the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee. And with that win, she was asked to compete at the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, where she and a girl from New Jersey were the first African Americans invited since its founding. She left her home state a celebrity – right up there with Ohio’s own Joe Louis and Jesse Owens – with a military band and a crowd of thousands to see her off at the station. But celebration turned to chill when the train crossed the state line into Maryland, where segregation was the law of the land. Prejudice and discrimination ruled – on the train, in the hotel, and, sadly, at the spelling bee itself.
I Am an Antiracist Superhero
By Jennifer Nicole Bacon
Illustrated by LetÃcia Moreno
32 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781645470984 | Bala Kids
This book tells the story of 6-year-old Malik, who after learning about racism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, decides to change the world by becoming an antiracist superhero. With the help of his parents, and inspiration from historical figures like Rosa Parks and James Baldwin, Malik learns that even when he feels scared, he can still be a superhero by Looking, Listening, Feeling, and Acting! Join Malik and his friends as they help other children feel safe, included, and empowered. Inviting children from all backgrounds to become superheroes, this touching story provides inspiration for children when faced with adversity. The book also includes a practical section including a glossary of relevant terms, as well as hands-on guided activities and practices (like creating a vision board and drawing their superpowers) that kids can do so that they can change the world around them by Looking, Listening, Feeling, and Acting like an antiracist superhero too!
Ice Cream Man
By Glenda Armand and Kim Freeman
Illustrated by Keith Mallett
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593563229 | Crown BFYR
Before there were ice cream flavors for every taste bud, before there were cones to hold ice cream or scoops to plop ice cream into cones, there was a boy named Gus who had a dream. Ice Cream Man takes readers back to a time when ice cream was a luxury enjoyed only by the wealthy. The story follows Augustus Jackson, an African American born free during slavery, as he pursues his dream of making ice cream a sweet treat available to everyone. He knows that ice cream can put a smile on anyone’s face. But can he find a way to make it faster? Or keep it from melting so quickly? In this picture-book biography, children will learn how Augustus Jackson, despite his humble beginnings, rose to become a cook at the White House, a creative problem solver, and a successful entrepreneur – all because he had a sweet dream.
I’m From
By Gary R. Gray, Jr.
Illustrated by Oge Mora
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774886168 | Puffin Canada
Available March 5, 2024
Early morning wake-ups and homemade pancakes,
Raucous bus rides and schoolyard games,
Family games and bedtime rituals . . .
These are the small moments that shape a child’s day. I’m From is an invitation into the vivid world of one small boy, a poetic account of all the people and places and things that shape who he is and define where he is from.
Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar
By Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593571064 | Doubleday BFYR
“Music is the heart of our story,” says Momma to young Rosetta, surprising her with her first guitar. Rosetta’s strums sound like ker-plunks. But with practice and determination, she makes music, fingers hopping “like corn in a kettle,” notes pouring over the church crowd “like summer rain washing the dust off a new day.” In this stunning picture book, author and illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow imagines the childhood of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose rural roots inspired the music we still hear today. Young readers will see a child’s dream become reality through hard work and perseverance. And they’ll learn the overlooked story of a pioneering Black artist, whose contribution to music history is only now being discovered.
Major Taylor: World Cycling Champion
By Charles R. Smith
Illustrated by Leo Espinosa
48 Pages | Ages 7-10 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781536214987 | Candlewick
One hundred years ago, one of the most popular spectator sports was bicycle racing, and the man to beat was Marshall “Major” Taylor, who set records in his teens and won his first world championship by age twenty. The first African American world champion in cycling and the second Black athlete to win a world championship in any sport, Major Taylor faced down challenge after challenge, not least the grueling Six-Day Race, a test of speed, strength, and endurance. With energy, heart, and pounding verse, Charles R. Smith Jr. evokes the excitement of the crowd at Madison Square Garden as Major powered through exhaustion, hallucinations, and racist abuse from fellow riders, who tried to crash his bike throughout the competition. Leo Espinosa’s dynamic illustrations capture the action, and as day six draws to a close, and Major’s odds narrow, there is little doubt that his triumphant rise and legacy as an international cycling champion are assured – whatever the outcome of one race – in this high-octane tribute to a trailblazing athlete.
Mama’s Sleeping Scarf
By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie writing as Nwa Grace-James
Illustrated by Joelle Avelino
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774882696 | Puffin Canada
Chino loves the scarf that her mama ties around her hair at night. But when Mama leaves for the day, what happens to her scarf? Chino takes it on endless adventures! Peeking through the colorful haze of the silky scarf, Chino and her toy bunny can look at her whole family as they go through their routines. With stunning illustrations from Joelle Avelino, Mama’s Sleeping Scarf is a celebration of family, and a touching story about the everyday objects that remind us of the ones we love.
Remember Us
By Jacqueline Woodson
192 Pages | Ages 10+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780399545467 | Nancy Paulsen Books
It seems like Sage’s whole world is on fire the summer before she starts seventh grade. As house after house burns down, her Bushwick neighborhood gets referred to as “The Matchbox” in the local newspaper. And while Sage prefers to spend her time shooting hoops with the guys, she’s also still trying to figure out her place inside the circle of girls she’s known since childhood. A group that each day, feels further and further away from her. But it’s also the summer of Freddy, a new kid who truly gets Sage. Together, they reckon with the pain of missing the things that get left behind as time moves on, savor what’s good in the present, and buoy each other up in the face of destruction. And when the future comes, it is Sage’s memories of the past that show her the way forward. Remember Us speaks to the power of both letting go . . . and holding on.
Seoul Food
By Erin Danielle Russell
Illustrated by Tamisha Anthony
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593464380 | Viking BFYR
Available February 20, 2024
Hana is faced with a conundrum: what scrumptious dinner should she make for her four grandparents who are all coming for a visit? This dish isn’t yummy enough, that one isn’t special enough . . . What’s an aspiring chef to do? Her mother tells her to cook what makes her heart happy, so Hana thinks hard. She remembers the savory gumbo that she made with Grandma and Grandpa Williams when she visited them in the South. Then she reminisces about the sweet and spicy stew she made with Halmoni and Harabeoji during her trip to Seoul. Feeling inspired, Hana creates a dish that brings together the best flavors of her two cultures in a mouthwatering new way, and her grandparents couldn’t be prouder!
Slavery and the African American Story
By Patricia Williams Dockery
272 Pages | Ages 10+ | Paperback
ISBN 9780593480465 | Crown BFYR
From the moment Africans were first brought to the shores of the United States, they had a hand in shaping the country. Their labor created a strong economy, built our halls of government, and defined American society in profound ways. And though the Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t signed until 300 years after the first Africans arrived, the fight for freedom started the moment they set foot on American soil. This book contains the true narrative of the first 300 years of Africans in America: the struggles, the heroes, and the untold stories that are left out of textbooks. If you want to learn the truth about African American history in this country, start here.
Something, Someday
By Amanda Gorman
Illustrated by Christian Robinson
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593203255 | Viking BFYR
The stunning new picture book by presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Christian Robinson.
You’re told that
This won’t work,
But how will you know
If you never try?
Presidential inaugural poet and #1 New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Christian Robinson have created a timeless message of hope. Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change. With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact.
What Does Brown Mean to You?
By Ron Grady
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593462881 | Nancy Paulsen Books
To Benny, brown is more than just a color. Brown is his Gram’s coffee and his Gramp’s morning kiss. Brown is the wooden spoon he uses for mixing and baking. It’s the ground that grows the tomatoes he loves and it’s the log he plays on. Brown is the fuzzy blanket he takes to his room at the end of the day. Brown is him and brown is love. In tender, lyrical text and warmly exuberant illustrations, What Does Brown Mean to You? celebrates all the brilliant and beautiful shades of brown, encouraging children to explore and see the beauty of their skin reflected in their families, communities, and the world around them.
