Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Age Appropriate Black History Month Books For Everyone

By Tamera Keith


February is a month dedicated to celebrating black history. Carter Woodson first began this celebration as a week dedicated to his culture in hopes that African American history would be viewed as American History someday. Woodson won his battle, and now the celebration of this culture is the entire month. This annual celebration can benefit the minds of all ages with its amazing stories and inspiring battles. Here are some great black history month books to start with.

For elementary school children, the book I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By Walter Dean Myers is a good book to introduce racial equality at a child's level. This book tells the story of Dr. King and gives insight to the battle for civil rights. Illustrations provided in the book are very beautiful and powerful.

The book Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman by Alan Schroeder can create an opportunity for young children to be introduced to slavery. This story is about Harriet Tubman, also called Minty, as a young girl. It tells of her life as a child in the slave culture and her family's dream of freedom. Children will love the artistic illustrations that help paint the story of this historical woman.

Middle school girls can benefit from reading Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Writers by Andrea Davis Pinkney. It details the stories of fifteen women who made tremendous contributions and broke barriers for black women. The women span over a great amount time in history and include civil rights activist Rosa Parks and Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. This book is sure to empower all girls that read it.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson is a great selection geared towards middle school boys. This book shares the story of African American baseball history and the fight for equality it had to take on. The book is told from the perspective of a narrator, recalling the stories of his youth about African American baseball and its heroes. This book contains wonderful illustrations that gives life to the story.

For adults and high school students, A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson is a powerful story. This collection of poems tell the story of this young man and his contribution to civil rights. The story is tragic, powerful, and very moving. The author doesn't spare the graphic details of what it was like for black Americans during this time. The story of young Till will remind you of the importance of equality.

The book Giants: The Parallel of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln by John Stauffer tells a unique story of two heroes to black rights. These men fought for the same goal, racial freedoms, despite being of different races. It tells of each man's life story, their fight to abolish slavery, and of their eventual friendship. This book details the similarities of these men and bring new revelations to the story of how slavery ended.

These are just a few black history month books, but certainly not all of them. African American culture is full of courageous heroes and life changing stories of bravery. All readers should continue to learn about this strong culture well beyond the month of February.




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