Today, I’m sharing my recommendations on black history books for kids. This post continues my selection of books for little known contributors who have had a big impact on our country and around the world.
We hope that you will add a few of these picks to your homeschool curriculum or reading list for your child. Again, Black History isn’t really taught in our schools, however, that doesn’t mean that our children can’t learn about African American contributions at home.
Black History Books for Kids
Gordon Parks: Capturing Black and White America– First, Gordon Parks’ white teacher told her all-black class that they would be porters and waiters. However, Gordon Parks proved her wrong. He went to become a successful photographer and movie director. He is known for the photo, American Gothic. American Gothic is a portrait of a government cleaning woman named Ella Watson. Parks was also famous for shooting a collection of evening gowns for Vogue. He developed the style of photographing his models in motion rather than poised. He was also a Hollywood film director. Ages 4 – 8.
Preaching to the Chickens – Next, this book is about Civil Rights Leader and Congressman John Lewis. John wants to be a preacher when he grows up. The family puts John in charge of the flock of chicken on the farm. Instead of waiting until he grew up, he preached to the chickens. John Lewis went on the become a civil rights icon, marching with Martin Luther King Jr. Ages 7 – 10.
Hidden Figures – Next, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math. They were geniuses. These ladies provided calculations for NASA and America’s first journey into space. They were known as NASA computers. These ladies broke down barriers and became successful mathematicians at NASA and in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) career field. Ages 4 – 8.
A Dance Like Starlight: This book is about the first African-American prima ballerina, Janet Collins. Janet was born in Harlem in the 1950’s. She dreamed of becoming a ballerina doing pirouettes and grande jetes. She became the first African American prima ballerina and opened the door for African American girls across the country. Ages 6 – 9.
Take a Picture of Me James Van Der Zee – So, James Van Der Zee decided to save his money to buy a camera. He took pictures of his family, classmates and anyone who would allow him to take their pictures. By the fifth grade, James became the school photographer and unofficial town photographer. He eventually moved to New York City where there were more opportunities. However, his boss told him that nobody would want a photo taken by a black photographer. James proved him wrong. He opened his own studio. He became famous by taking photos of politicians such as Marcus Garvey, performers including Florence Mills, Bill -Bojangles- Robinson, and Mamie Smith. Ages 7 – 11.
My Story, My Dance – Last, Robert Battle, artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Robert wore braces on his legs when he was a child. With support from his family and teachers, Robert exceled in martial arts and ballet. He was motivated by Alvin Ally’s dance – Revelations. In 2011, Robert Battle became the Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. They have performed in seventy-one countries on six continents. Ages 7 – 10.
Finally, we hope that you will expose your child to a few of these facts. Furthermore, we hope that you add a few black history books for kids to their reading list or homeschool curriculum. Additionally, you may also like: Black History Books for Kids – Part I.
