Children’s Literature by Black Authors
A selection of books by Black authors and Illustrators for children of all ages
eBooks
eBooks
Ghost Boys
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. “After seventh-grader Jerome is shot by a white police officer, he observes the aftermath of his death and meets the ghosts of other fallen black boys including historical figure Emmett Till."-- Provided by publisher. Age: 10+
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eBooks
Black Panther : The Young Prince
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. “He felt the mesh of the Vibranium under his fingertips, smooth yet hard at the same time. It almost seemed like it pulsed. Like it wanted to be worn. ‘This is the suit of the Black Panther,’ T'Challa whispered. ‘The suit of my father and his father before him’. He let the fabric fall from his hands and unfurl toward the floor. ‘I have to do this,’ he said. ‘I have no choice.’” Age: 8-12.
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eBooks
Clean Getaway
Child fiction book, and e-book. An 11-year-old boy confronts the realities of race relations, past and present, and the mysterious agenda of his unconventional grandmother during an unplanned spring break road trip through the once-segregated American South. Age: 8-12.
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eBooks
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Child fiction book, e-book, audiobook on cd, and e-audiobook. Part of the Logan Family Saga. A black family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand. Age: 10-13.
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eBooks
The Gold Cadillac
Fiction e-book. Two black girls living in the North are proud of their family's beautiful new Cadillac until they take it on a visit to the South and encounter racial prejudice for the first time. Age: 7-11.
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eBooks
Freedom in Congo Square
Child picture book, e-book, video on DVD, and e-video. As slaves relentlessly toiled in an unjust system in 19th century Louisiana, they all counted down the days until Sunday, when at least for half a day they were briefly able to congregate in Congo Square in New Orleans. This story chronicles slaves' duties each day, from chopping logs on Mondays to baking bread on Wednesdays to plucking hens on Saturday, and builds to the freedom of Sundays and the special experience of an afternoon spent in Congo Square. Age: 4-8.
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eBooks
Genesis Begins Again
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. Thirteen-year-old Genesis tries again and again to lighten her black skin, thinking it is the root of her family's troubles, before discovering reasons to love herself as is. Age: 9-13.
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eBooks
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground
Child fiction book, and e-book. Feeling most alive when he's playing the blues with his grandfather, Clayton is devastated when his grandfather dies and his mother forbids him from playing music, losses that compel him to run away and join bluesmen on the road. Age: 9-13.
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eBooks
One Crazy Summer
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. Age: 8-12.
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eBooks
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach
Child fiction book, e-book. Saint Louis Armstrong Beach is enjoying life in New Orleans, playing clarinet for the tourists in his spare time, accompanied by Shadow, a local stray dog. When Hurricane Katrina approaches, Saint faces unexpected challenges in trying to rescue Shadow. Age: 9-12.
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eBooks
Brown Girl Dreaming
Child nonfiction book, e-book, audiobook on cd, and e-audiobook. In vivid poems that reflect the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, an award-winning author shares what it was like to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s in both the North and the South. Age: 10+
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eBooks
Harbor Me
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they're together, it's safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world."-- Provided by publisher. Age: 10-13.
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eBooks
Miracle’s Boys
Fiction e-book. Twelve-year-old Lafayette's close relationship with his older brother Charlie changes after Charlie is released from a detention home and blames Lafayette for the death of their mother. Age: 10-13.
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eBooks
The Day You Begin
Child picture book, e-book, and e-audiobook. Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider. Age: 4-7.
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eBooks
My life As an Ice Cream Sandwich
Child fiction book, e-book, and audiobook on CD. In the summer of 1984, twelve-year-old Ebony-Grace of Huntsville, Alabama, visits her father in Harlem, where her fascination with outer space and science fiction interfere with her finding acceptance. Age: 10+
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Movies
Movies
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut
Child picture book, e-audiobook, and e-video. Celebrates the magnificent feeling that comes from walking out of a barber shop with newly-cut hair. Age: 6-10.
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Movies
Freedom over Me : Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life
Child nonfiction book, e-book, and DVD. "Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, contrasts the monetary value of a slave with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away."-- Provided by publisher. Age: 9+
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Movies
Let the Children March
Child picture book, e-book, and e-video. Under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, children and teenagers march against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. Age: 8-10.
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Movies
Before She Was Harriet : The Story of Harriet Tubman
Child nonfiction book, e-book, print with audio book, audiobook on cd, e-audiobook, and e-video. A lush and lyrical biography of Harriet Tubman, written in verse. An evocative poem and opulent watercolors come together to honor a woman of humble origins whose courage and compassion make her larger than life. Age: 4-8.
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Movies
Bigmama's
Child picture book and DVD. Visiting Bigmama's house in the country, young Donald Crews finds his relatives full of news and the old place and its surroundings just the same as the year before. Age: 3-6.
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Movies
Last Stop on Market Street
Child picture book, e-book, DVD, e-video, and audiobook on CD. Also available in Spanish. Illustrated by Christian Robinson. A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things. Age: 3-6.
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Movies
A Nation's Hope : The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis
Child nonfiction book, and read-along DVD. Illustrated by Christian Robinson. On the eve of World War II, African-American boxer Joe Louis fought German Max Schmeling in a bout that had more at stake than just the world heavyweight title. For much of America, their fight came to represent America's war with Germany. This elegant and powerful picture book biography centers on this historic fight in which the American people came together to celebrate our nation's founding ideals. Age: 6-8.
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Movies
Going Down Home with Daddy
Child picture book, e-audiobook, and e-video. Alan looks forward to the annual family reunion at the farm where Daddy grew up, but everyone is supposed to share something special and Alan worries about arriving with empty hands. Age: 5-8.
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Movies
Thank You, Omu!
Child picture book, print with audio book, e-book, e-audio book, e-video. Book in English or Spanish. Alternate title: Gracias, Omu! When the aroma of Omu's homemade stew fills the air, her neighbors arrive, one by one, for a taste until all is gone except for her generous spirit. Age: 3-7.
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Movies
Freedom in Congo Square
Child picture book, e-book, video on DVD, and e-video. As slaves relentlessly toiled in an unjust system in 19th century Louisiana, they all counted down the days until Sunday, when at least for half a day they were briefly able to congregate in Congo Square in New Orleans. This story chronicles slaves' duties each day, from chopping logs on Mondays to baking bread on Wednesdays to plucking hens on Saturday, and builds to the freedom of Sundays and the special experience of an afternoon spent in Congo Square. Age: 4-8.
Where to Find:
Movies
Each Kindness
Child picture book, and e-video. When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya's shabby clothes and refusing to play with her. Age: 5-8.
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