Black History Month: 10 Books Celebrating Black Culture

Read stories that pay tribute to African-American culture and highlight the achievements of some well-known stalwarts of history who overcame adversities to make an impact on society.

1. Big Papa and the Time MachineWhen a little boy is feeling afraid to go to school one day, his grandfather, Big Papa, takes him away in his time machine—a 1952 Ford—back to all of the times when he was scared of something life was handing him. “That’s called being brave,” Big Papa says over and over.
2. Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space RaceBased on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award–nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!
3. Last Stop on Market StreetThis award-winning modern classic—a must-have for every child’s home library—is an inclusive ode to kindness, empathy, gratitude, and finding joy in unexpected places, and celebrates the special bond between a curious young boy and his loving grandmother.
4. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground RailroadHenry Brown doesn’t know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves’ birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday — his first day of freedom.
5. The Other SideClover’s mom says it isn’t safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls strike up a friendship, and get around the grown-ups’ rules by sitting on top of the fence together.
6. Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.This picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young children through his own words. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most influential and gifted speakers of all time. Doreen Rappaport uses quotes from some of his most beloved speeches to tell the story of his life and his work in a simple, direct way.
7. RosaFifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed.
8. Granddaddy’s GiftWhen her grandfather registers to vote while living in segregated Mississippi, an African American girl begins to understand why he insists that she attend school.
9. I Am EnoughThis gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another comes from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.
10. Great Black Heroes: Five Brilliant ScientistsThis easy-to-read biography describes the early lives and notable achievements of Susan McKinney Steward, the first Black female doctor in New York State; George Washington Carver, the world-famous agricultural scientist most noted for his work with peanuts; Ernest Everett Just, a remarkable marine biologist known as “the expert” on the early life of sea animals; Percy Lavon Julian, an outstanding chemist who discovered drugs to treat glaucoma and arthritis; and Shirley Ann Jackson, a nuclear physicist who helped AT&T design and build circuits for long-distance communication.