Tis the season to be jolly—and thankful and caring and together. Those qualities, and of course the glorious Christmas music, cause us to look forward to the holiday season with blissful anticipation. For many African Americans, this time of the year include celebrations not only for Christmas but Kwanzaa as well, observing religious beliefs and honoring culture. But even if you commemorate one and not the other, family, friendship, sharing, and community are characteristics of both holidays and the themes of the books selected. Parents and educators often look for holiday books with Black characters that contain universal themes but are also culturally relevant and authentic. The titles included are picture and middle grade reads. Check our “Genres, Themes, and…” page for more holiday titles. Happy Holidays!
Everett Anderson’s Christmas Coming - Lucille Clifton
Christmas Soup - Alice Faye Duncan
Under the Christmas Tree - Nikki Grimes
An Island Christmas - Lynn Joseph
Poppa's Itchy Christmas - Angela Shelf Medearis
Christmas Makes Me Think - Tony Medina
Baby Jesus Like My Brother - Margery W. Brown
Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas - Gail Piernas-Davenport
A Joyful Christmas: A Treasury of New and Classic Songs, Poems, and Stories for the Holiday - James E. Ransome
Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa - Donna L. Washington
My First Kwanzaa Book - Deborah M. Newton Chocolate
Together for Kwanzaa - Juwanda Ford
Hold Christmas in Your Heart - Cheryl Willis Hudson
The Gifts of Kwanzaa - Synthia Saint James
An African Christmas - Ifeoma Onyefulu
Snowflake Kisses and Gingerbread Smiles - Toni Trent Parker
Grandma’s Gift - Eric Velasquez
Too Many Holidays? - Angela Shelf Medearis
Addy’s Surprise: A Christmas Story (An American Girl) - Connie Rose Porter
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters
