Let it Shine! Children's Books About the African American Experience

Picture Stories

• Full, Full, Full of Love by Trish Cooke. Illustrated by Paul Howard. Candlewick, 2003.
  (jPS COOK) Ages 2-6
  Jay Jay’s Grannie’s house is the place to be as his extended family gathers for a delicious, plentiful Sunday dinner! Also: So Much
• Black, White, Just Right! by Marguerite W. Davol. Illustrated by Irene Trivas. A. Whitman, 1993.
  (jPS DAVO) Ages 3-7
  A mixed-race girl describes characteristics she has inherited from both her parents as well as their varied tastes, and how her family feels “just right.”
• I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Penda Diakité. Illustrated by Bab Wagué Diakité. Scholastic, 2006.
  (jPS DIAK) Ages 4-8
  When your tooth falls out in Mali, the tooth fairy doesn’t give you money, she gives you chickens!
• Hot Day on Abbott Avenue by Karen English. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. Clarion, 2004.
  (jPS ENGL) Ages 5-8
  Best friends have a “never-going to-be-friends-again day.” Also: The Baby on the Way
• Welcome Precious by Nikki Grimes. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. Orchard, 2006.
  (jPS GRIM) Ages 1-3
  Loving parents share the gifts of our natural world with their baby.
• Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. Atheneum, 2001.
  (jPS HOPK) Ages 6-10
  A slave girl poetically describes the urgency of her escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Also: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt and A Band of Angels
• I Dream of Trains by Angela Johnson. Illustrated by Loren Long. Simon & Schuster, 2003.
  (jPS JOHN) Ages 5-8
  A young sharecropper longs to ride with legendary train engineer, Casey Jones, and leave his hard life behind. Also: A Sweet Smell of Roses and Daddy Calls Me Man
• Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children
  by Sandra L. Pinkney. Photos by Myles C. Pinkney. Scholastic, 2000.
  (jPS PINK) Ages 3-7
  A sensitive photo study that celebrates the variety of skin tones, hair textures, and eye colors among African American children.
• Superhero by Marc Tauss. Scholastic, 2005.
  (jPS TAUS) Ages 4-8
  Maleek saves his city parks with a little bit of science and a lot of imagination in this charming tale with black and white photos.
• Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by Hudson Talbott. Putnam, 2005.
  (jPS WOOD) Ages 5-10
  This lyrically-written autobiographical story relates the importance of quilting in Woodson’s family history. Also: The Other Side and Coming On Home Soon

Fiction

• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Delacorte, 1999.
  (jF CURT) Ages 9-13
  Guided by his own “Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life,” 10-year-old Bud treks through Michigan in 1936, searching for the father he’s never known. Also: The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 and Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money
• I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly; The Diary of Patsy, A Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina, 1865 by Joyce Hanson. Scholastic, 1997.
  (jF HANS) Ages 9-12
  After gaining her freedom, a 12-year-old stays on the plantation to work for wages, but dreams of becoming a teacher. In the Dear America series. Also: One True Friend and Which Way Freedom?
• Virgie Goes to School With Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
  (jF HOWA) Ages 6-9
  In the Reconstruction South, a spirited girl finally convinces her parents to let her walk the seven miles to school with her brothers.
• Heaven by Angela Johnson. Simon & Schuster, 1998.
  (jF JOHN) Ages 11+
  The truth about 14-year-old Marley’s family comes out in a mysterious letter. Also: Toning the Sweep
• Standing Against the Wind by Traci L. Jones. Farrar, 2006.
  (jF JONE) Ages 11+
  With her mother in prison, her aunt put out by her presence, and taunted by the local gang, Patrice longs to win a scholarship to a prestigious African-American boarding school.
• Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester. Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2005.
  (jF LEST) Ages 11+
  A slave auction is seen through the eyes of its many participants.
• Freedom School, Yes! by Amy Littlesugar. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Philomel, 2001.
  (jF LITT) Ages 6-9
  Young Jolie overcomes her fears and attends a summer Freedom School in Mississippi in 1964.
• Journey to the Bottomless Pit by Elizabeth Mitchell. Viking, 2004.
  (jF MITC) Ages 9-12
  Exciting story about Stephen Bishop who as a 17-year-old slave in the late 1830s led tours by candlelight and mapped out every detail of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
• Sienna's Scrapbook: Our African American Heritage Trip
  by Toni Trent Parker. Illustrated by Janell Genovese. Chronicle Books, 2005.
  (jF PARK) Ages 8-11
  Engaging journal of a girl’s family vacation visiting black historical sites along the east coast.
• All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. Little, Brown, 2006.
  (jF PEAR) Ages 9-13
  Four inner-city kids join their “dead-end” middle school math club in an attempt to win a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Based on an actual event.
• Jackson Jones and the Curse of the Outlaw Rose
  by Mary Quattlebaum. Delacorte, 2006.
  (jF QUAT) Ages 8-10
  The adventures of a boy whose mother has given him a plot in the community garden become thornier after he clips a rose from the local cemetery.
• The Land by Mildred D. Taylor. Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2001.
  (jF TAYL) Ages 12+
  In this prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Paul Logan works many jobs in pursuit of his dream to own land in late 1860s Georgia.

From the Oral Tradition: Folktales and More

• The People Could Fly: The Picture Book by Virginia Hamilton. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Knopf, 2004.
  (j398.2089 HAMI) Ages 6+
  Fully illustrated tale from the award-winning collection of American Black folktales of the same name. Also: Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales and True Tales (j398.2082 HAMI) and A Ring of Tricksters: Animal Tales from America, the West Indies, and Africa (j398.2 HAMI)
• Six Fools by Zora Neale Hurston. Adapted by Joyce Carol Thomas. Illustrated by Ann Tanksley. HarperCollins, 2006.
  (j398.2089 THOM) Ages 6-9
  Humorous variant on “The Three Sillies,” in which a man travels the world to find three people as foolish as his fiancée and her parents. Also: Lies and Other Tall Tales (adapted/illustrated by Christopher Myers. j398.2097 MYER)
• John Henry by Julius Lester. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial, 1994.
  (j398.21 LEST) Ages 5-9
  A modern retelling with realistic watercolor paintings brings new life to this tall tale hero. Also: The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (j398 LEST)
• Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters by Patricia McKissack. Illustrated by André Carrilho. Schwartz & Wade, 2006.
  (jF MCKI) Ages 9-12
  Nine humorous and scary tall tales inspired by the author’s childhood memories of family storytelling times. Also: The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural (jF MCKI) and Let My People Go: Bible Stories Told by a Freeman of Color (jF MCKI)
• Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life by Jerdine Nolen. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
  (jPS NOLE) Ages 5-8
  A human-sized boy, born into a family of giants, must prove to his parents that he’s fine the way he is. Also: Big Jabe and Thunder Rose

Poetry and Song

• Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks. Illustrated by Faith Ringgold. HarperCollins, 2007.
  (j811.54 BROO) Ages 7-10
  Children in a Chicago neighborhood are reintroduced in this newly illustrated collection of poems by a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.
• Let It Shine, Three Favorite Spirituals by Ashley Bryan. Atheneum, 2007.
  (j784.7 LET) Ages 3-8
  In his most recent collection of African American spirituals, Bryan uses brilliant cut-paper collages to interpret three well-known songs.
• I, Too, Sing America by Catherine Clinton. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
  (j811.008 I) Ages 9+
  Three centuries of African American history are laid out in 36 poems by 25 poets.
• The Entrance Place of Wonders: Poems of the Harlem Renaissance selected by Daphne Muse. Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb. Abrams, 2006.
  (j811.5408 ENTR) Ages 8-11
  Poems and brief biographies of the poets introduce this significant period of artistic achievement by African Americans.
• Jazz by Walter Dean Myers. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. Holiday House, 2006.
  (j811.54 MYER) Ages 8+
  Here is a poetic father/son tribute to jazz, a companion to their Blues Journey.
• He's Got the Whole World in His Hands by Kadir Nelson. Dial, 2005.
  (jPS NELS) Ages 3-8
  This well-known spiritual is beautifully illustrated with a San Francisco backdrop.
• Nobody Gonna Turn Me ’Round: Stories and Songs of the Civil Rights Movement by Doreen Rappaport. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Candlewick, 2006.
  (j323.1196 RAPP) Ages 3-8
  First person accounts, songs, and poems complement this chronicle of black history in America from 1955-1965. Also: Free At Last!: Stories and Songs of Emancipation (j973.0496 RAPP) and No More!: Stories and Songs of Slave Resistance (j306.362 RAPP)
• Langston Hughes by David Roessel and Arnold Rampersad, editors. Illustrated by Benny Andrews. Sterling, 2006.
  (j811.54 HUGH) Ages 9+
  Two Hughes scholars present 26 poems with brief notes as well as a biography of the noted poet.
• Ellington Was Not a Street by Ntozake Shange. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Simon & Schuster, 2004.
  (j811.54 STAN) Ages 7-10
  As a young girl, the author met influential African Americans who came to her home, including Paul Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois and Dizzy Gillespie.

Non-Fiction

• Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
  by Russell Freedman. Holiday House, 2006.
  (j323.1196 FREE) Ages 9+
  Freedman clearly sets Rosa Park’s refusal to give up her seat to a white man in the context of the South and the times.
• Romare Bearden: Collage of Memories by Jan Greenberg. Abrams, 2003.
  (j709.2 BEAR) Ages 7-10
  The life of this 20th century artist as reflected in his art. For younger readers: Me and Uncle Romie (jPS HART)
• Powerful Words: More Than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans by Wade Hudson. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. Scholastic, 2004.
  (j081.0899 HUDS) Ages 10+
  Thurgood Marshall’s Supreme Court summary for Brown v Board of Education, Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, and Lauryn Hill’s hip-hop lyrics are included in the 34 selections.
• Drumbeat in Our Feet by Patricia A. Keeler and Júlio T. Leitão. Illustrated by Patricia Keeler. Lee & Low, 2006.
  (j793.3196 KEEL) Ages 5-10
  Colorful introduction to African dance traditions through the work of the Harlem, New York-based dance troupe Batoto Yetu.
• The Great Migration: An American Story by Jacob Lawrence. HarperCollins, 1993.
  (j759.13 LAWR) Ages 9+
  A premier African American painter dramatically records the history of his people in art.
• Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester. Illustrated by Karen Barbour. Amistad/HarperCollins, 2005.
  (j305.8009 LEST) Ages 5-10
  In simple terms that children can understand, Lester explains how we are all the same under our skin. Also: From Slave Ship to Freedom Road (j759.13 LEST)
• Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
  by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Harcourt, 2000.
  (j323.0923 PINK) Ages 9-13
  Mary McLeod Bethune and Shirley Chisholm are among those highlighted in 10 lively portraits that span African American history.
• This Is the Dream by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander. Illustrated by James Ransome. Amistad/HarperCollins, 2006.
  (j323.1196 SHOR) Ages 6-10
  Both artwork and rhyming text make these examples of segregation understandable for younger children.

Biography

• Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges. Scholastic, 1999.
  (jB BRID) Ages 9+
  This autobiography recalls the story of one 6-year-old girl who integrated her neighborhood’s all-white school in 1960. For younger readers: The Story of Ruby Bridges (Coles. jB BRID)
• 5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft’s Flight From Slavery by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin. National Geographic, 2006.
  (jB CRAF) Ages 10+
  An exciting chronicle of the escape of a married slave couple from the deep South to Boston, then to England. Also: Ida B. Wells: Mother of the Civil Rights Movement (jB WELL)
• The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle For Equal Rights by Russell Freedman. Clarion, 2004.
  (jB ANDE) Ages 9+
  Handsome photo biography of the renowned singer and her historic 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial. For younger readers: When Marian Sang (Ryan. j780.2 ANDE)
• Rosa by Nikki Giovanni. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. Holt, 2005.
  (jB PARK) Ages 5-8
  Poetic picture book account that presents both a personal and political view of this remarkable woman. For older readers: Rosa Parks: My Story (jB PARK)
• Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights
  by Jim Haskins. Illustrated by Benny Andrews. Candlewick, 2005.
  (jB LAW) Ages 6-9+
  A mail carrier from Savannah, Georgia, Law organized non-violent protests against segregation and worked for better communication between blacks and whites.
• Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly by Walter Dean Myers. Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins. HarperCollins, 2000.
  (jB X) Ages 8-11
  Malcolm X’s own words are used to present the often controversial ideas put forth by this crusader for black self-determination. For older readers: Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (Myers. jB X)
• Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  by Doreen Rappaport. Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2001.
  (jB KING) Ages 5-9
  Introduction to King’s life and words, with a chronology and breathtaking collage illustrations. For older readers: M.L.K.: Journey of a King (Bolden. jB KING)
• Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America
  by Sharon Robinson. Scholastic, 2004.
  (jB ROBI) Ages 9-12
  The daughter of the first African American to play major league baseball tells his life story. For younger readers: Teammates (j796.35 GOLE) and Jackie’s Bat (jF LORB)
• Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth
  by Anne F. Rockwell. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Knopf, 2000.
  (jB TRUT) Ages 7-10
  Picture book glimpse at the life of the freed slave who became a passionate abolitionist.
• Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom
  by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2006.
  (jB TUBM) Ages 5-9
  Luminous illustrations highlight this account of Tubman’s initial escape from slavery and the faith that sustained her. For older readers: Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (Petry. jB TUBM)