February is Black History Month. But I believe that Black history is American history and thus should be taught all year long, just as we teach other topics of history. But, until that happens, I do think it’s good to have a specific time set aside to focus on Black history and the contributions of Black people. You can find more of my suggested resources for teaching Black history HERE.
In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite picture books to share with kids in honor of Black History Month but they’re also great books to share with students any time of the year!
*28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith, Jr. This book shares people and events that you may not know about but which were pivotal in history. These are just quick snippets, so the book is perfect for sharing one or two per day.
*A Child’s Introduction to African American History: The People, Experiences, and Events that Shaped Our Country by Jabari Asim. This book is so comprehensive – starting with the slave trade and going all the way up to our present time and the Black Lives Matter movement. This is another book that is great for sharing a few facts per day.
*Freedom Ship by Doreen Rappaport. I love this historical fiction story which is based on the true story of Robert Smalls and his commandeering a ship during the Civil War and helping enslaved people escape to freedom. Another great book about this story is Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls by Louise Meriwether.
*Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine may be one of my favorite stories ever. This book tells the story of Henry “Box” Brown and his ingenious escape from slavery. This is a great book for showing the sadness and desperation of families being separated during slavery and how enslaved people did not just accept their situation. This is a great book to lead to more learning and discussion about the Underground Railroad. If you want some suggestions for doing an interactive read aloud with this book, check out my TPT store!
*A book that is new to me but which I already love – Lizzie Demands a Seat! by Beth Anderson. Many of us know the story of Rosa Parks, but not many have heard of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Jennings, a Black schoolteacher who fought for equal rights on public transportation. This is an inspiring story!
*Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. This is another little-known story about Ona Judge, who was enslaved by George and Martha Washington. This book is also good for having a discussion about how many of our nation’s Founding Fathers were also enslavers (proving that history is never “black and white” in terms of anyone or any nation being perfect).
*Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey is a great book for learning more about the period of segregation. You may have seen the movie The Green Book and this is about the same book and time period. A new book that tells even more about this history is Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and his Green Book by Keila V. Dawson.
*Speaking of great movies, you may have seen Hidden Figures a few years ago. Hidden Figures: the True Story of Four Black Women & the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly tells the story of the three women portrayed in the movie along with another woman (Christine Darden). You can learn even more about Katherine Johnson with the book Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker.
*I love the book Freedom on the Menu: the Greensboro Sit-ins by Carole Boston Weatherford. This book tells the story of four courageous college students at North Carolina A & T University in Greensboro, North Carolina, and how they staged a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in 1960.
*Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robins is a great book for showing students that children can make a difference in a protest movement as well. A similar title is The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson.
*If you want to teach your students about other icons of the Civil Rights Movement, the story of John Lewis is a good place to start. Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis by Jabari Asim tells the story of John Lewis as a child and is a relatable, delightful story of his childhood.
*The Teachers March! How Selma’s Teachers Changed History by Sandra Neil Wallace is another new title to me. It tells the story of a Black principal who mobilizes Black teachers to march on behalf of voting rights in 1965. I love books like this (and those about children in the Civil Rights movement) because it shows students how ordinary people stood up for what was right and made a difference.
*Learning about Ruby Bridges, the first-grader who integrated an all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana is a must for students. I have used the book The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles for many years and students always love this story. This book is best for younger students, but I also love Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges which contains primary source photos and interviews of the time period.
*Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford tells the story of another lesser-known Civil Rights pioneer.
*Two of my favorite fiction picture books that represent the era of segregation are White Socks Only by Evelyn Coleman and The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson.
I hope that you and your students enjoy some of these titles any time of the year, not just during Black History Month!