100+ Kids Books Featuring Black Characters for Black History Month

  • by Nadine Fonseca
As we continue to to find ways to use our time and resources to observe Black History Month, children's literature is always a great way to bring more representation into our homes and classrooms as well as open up conversations about different lived experiences. Below, we have compiled and linked a list of 100+ books for kids ages 4-12, as recommended by Black educators. 
100+ Kids Books Featuring Black Characters for Black History Month
This list of Black History Month book recommendations contains affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission to help support our work in anti-bias education if you purchase through these links, but it does not change your price. 
  1. Black Heroes Arlisha Norwood
  2. This Book Is Anti-Racist Tiffany Jewell 
  3. Dream Big, Little One Vashti Harrison
  4. Ghost Boys Jewell Parker Rhodes
  5. Some Places More Than Others Renee Watson
  6. Ways to Make Sunshine Renee Watson
  7. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History Vashti Harrison
  8. Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World Vashti Harrison
  9. My Name Is Celia Monica Brown
  10. Radiant Child Javaka Steptoe
  11. Freedom Soup Tami Charles
  12. Ruby Head High Irène Cohen-Janca
  13. Sisters and Champions: The True Story of Venus and Serena Williams Howard Bryant
  14. Bedtime Bonnet Nancy Amanda Redd
  15. The King of Kindergarten Derrick Barnes
  16. Carter Reads the Newspaper Deborah Hopkinson
  17. Brave Ballerina Michelle Meadows
  18. Let the Children March Monica Clark-Robinson
  19. Rocket Says Clean Up! Nathan Bryon
  20. Time for Kenny Brian Pinkney
  21. A Ride to Remember Sharon Langley
  22. Shirley Chisholm is a Verb! Veronica Chambers
  23. Midnight Teacher Janet Halfmann
  24. Stompin’ at the Savoy Alan Govenar
  25. Someday is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-ins Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
  26. Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil Degrass Tyson Kathleen Krull
  27. The Women Who Caught The Babies: A Story of African American Midwives Eloise Greenfield
  28. Mae Among the Stars Roda Ahmed
  29. Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks Suzanne Slade
  30. Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race Margot Lee Shetterly
  31. Patricia's Vision: The Doctor Who Saved Sight Michelle Lord
  32. The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read Rita Lorraine Hubbard
  33. Touch the Sky Rashmi Bansal
  34. Lizzie Demands a Seat! Beth Anderson
  35. Lift Every Voice and Sing James Weldon Johnson
  36. Trailblazer: The Story of Ballerina Raven Wilkinson Leda Schubert
  37. A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon Suzanne Slade
  38. Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration Samara Cole Doyon
  39. Hair Love Matthew A. Cherry 
  40. Black Is a Rainbow Color Angela Joy
  41. Sulwe Lupita Nyong'o
  42. The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath Julia Finley Mosca
  43. Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment Parker Curry
  44. I Am Enough Grace Byers
  45. Firebird Misty Copeland
  46. Sing a Song: How "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Inspired Generations Kelly Starling Lyons
  47. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters Barack Obama
  48. Me & Mama Cozbi A. Cabrera
  49. Beyoncé: Shine Your Light Sarah Warren
  50. Above the Rim Hank Herman
  51. I Am Every Good Thing Derrick Barnes
  52. Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions Chris Barton
  53. I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer Carole Boston Weatherford
  54. Hey Black Child Useni Eugene Perkins
  55. Before She Was Harriet Lesa Cline-Ransome
  56. Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea Meena Harris
  57. Muhammad Ali: A Champion Is Born Gene Barretta
  58. Look Up with Me: Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars Jennifer Berne
  59. RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul Carole Boston Weatherford
  60. I Look Up To... Michelle Obama Anna Membrino
  61. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground Rita Williams-Garcia
  62. The Revolution of Birdie Randolph Brandy Colbert
  63. Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson Katherine G. Johnson
  64. Little Leaders: Exceptional Men in Black History Vashti Harrison
  65. Barack Obama Is Elected President (Perspectives on American Progress) Duchess Harris
  66. The Fierce 44: Black Americans Who Shook Up the World The Staff of The Undefeated
  67. I Am a Promise Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce
  68. An ABC of Equality Chana Ginelle Ewing
  69. Work it, Girl: Run the Show Like CEO Oprah Winfrey Caroline Moss
  70. Work It, Girl: Become a Leader Like Michelle Obama Caroline Moss
  71. Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World Cheryl Hudson
  72. I Am Smart, I Am Blessed, I Can Do Anything! Alissa Holder
  73. Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman's Dreams Took Flight Karyn Parsons
  74. Mommy's Khimar Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
  75. My Hair is a Garden Cozbi A. Cabrera
  76. Happy Hair Mechal Renee Roe
  77. Grandma's Purse Vanessa Brantley-Newton
  78. Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane Carole Boston Weatherford
  79. We Are The Supremes Zoë Tucker
  80. Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song Andrea Davis Pinkney
  81. Stella's Stellar Hair Yesenia Moises
  82. Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice Nikki Grimes
  83. With Books and Bricks: How Booker T. Washington Built a School Suzanne Slade
  84. Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America Carole Boston Weatherford
  85. The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne Lesa Cline-Ransome
  86. All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom Angela Johnson
  87. Freedom Bird: A Tale of Hope and Courage Jerdine Nolen
  88. Clap Your Hands: A Celebration of Gospel Toyomi Igus
  89. Hammering for Freedom Rita Lorraine Hubbard
  90. Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood Tony Hillery
  91. The ABCs of Black History Rio Cortez
  92. Blacksmith's Song Elizabeth Van Steenwyk
  93. Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker Patricia Hruby Powell
  94. A Voice Named Aretha Katheryn Russell-Brown
  95. A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice Nadia L. Hohn
  96. Mamie on the Mound: A Woman in Baseball's Negro Leagues Leah Henderson
  97. The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy Kekla Magoon
  98. Martin & Anne, The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank Nancy Churnin
  99. The Undefeated Kwame Alexander
  100. Fresh Princess Denene Millner
  101. The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague Julia Finley Mosca
  102. How We Are Smart W. Nikola-Lisa
  103. Thank You, Omu! Oge Mora
  104. Bread for Words: A Frederick Douglass Story Shana Keller
  105. The Legendary Miss Lena Horne Carole Boston Weatherford
  106. Sweet Dreams, Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor Vivian Kirkfield
  107. The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop Carole Boston Weatherford
  108. Black Music Greats: 40 Inspiring Icons Olivier Cachin
  109. Fearless Mary: The True Adventures of Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver Tami Charles
  110. Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town: Based on the History of the African American Pioneer Settlement A. LaFaye
  111. Beautiful Shades of Brown Laura Wheeler Waring, Artist Nancy Churnin
  112. She Was the First! The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm Katheryn Russell-Brown
  113. The Unstoppable Garrett Morgan: Inventor, Entrepreneur, Hero Joan DiCicco
  114. Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott Dee Romito
  115. Ambitious Girl Meena Harris
Tagged with: Black History Month book recommendations cultural curiosity

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