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Book Selections for Black History Month Part 1: Picture Books

Black History Month (BHM) is almost here! Teachers, parents, students, BCBA has an abundance of book suggestions for lesson plans, book reports, and other school and community activities.  Of course, honoring Black history and culture should not be designated to only one month out of the year, the shortest one at that. But a man named Carter G. Woodson (known as “The Father of Black History”) realized that the achievements of Blacks were barely recognized at all. He helped form the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915. The group’s mission was to commemorate events and achievements of Black Americans as well as Blacks throughout the African diaspora. Carter believed, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” Carter’s efforts, and there were many, led to the start of Negro History Week in February of 1926. February was chosen because it is the birth month of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. In the 1960s, the week of celebrations extended throughout February, this was due to the Civil Rights Movement’s emphasis on Black pride and power. The first part of this BHM series features 25 picture books. For more picture book selections, click here.




Carter G. Woodson: Black History Pioneer – Patricia & Fredrick McKissack

Carter G. Woodson: Black History Pioneer – Patricia & Fredrick McKissack

Ira's Shakespeare Dream – Glenda Armand

Ira's Shakespeare Dream – Glenda Armand

Fifty Cents and a Dream – Jabari Asim

Fifty Cents and a Dream – Jabari Asim

Major Taylor: Champion Cyclist – Lesa Cline-Ransome

Major Taylor: Champion Cyclist – Lesa Cline-Ransome

Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George – Lesa Cline Ransome

Before There Was Mozart:  The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George – Lesa Cline Ransome

Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change – Michelle Cook

Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change – Michelle Cook

Paul Robeson – Eloise Greenfield

Paul Robeson – Eloise Greenfield

Talkin' About Bessie – Nikki Grimes

Talkin' About Bessie – Nikki Grimes

African Princess: The Amazing Lives of Africa's Royal Women – Joyce Hansen

African Princess: The Amazing Lives of Africa's Royal Women – Joyce Hansen

African Beginnings - James Haskins & Kathleen Benson

African Beginnings - James Haskins & Kathleen Benson

The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can – Tererai Trent

The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can – Tererai Trent

Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights – James Haskins

Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights – James Haskins

Howard Thurman's Great Hope – Kai Issa

Howard Thurman's Great Hope – Kai Issa

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – Kamkwamba

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – Kamkwamba

The Great Migration: An American Story – Jacob Lawrence

The Great Migration: An American Story – Jacob Lawrence

Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth Be Told – Walter Dean Myers

Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth Be Told – Walter Dean Myers

Toussaint L'ouverture: The Fight for Haiti's Freedom – Walter Dean Myers

Toussaint L'ouverture: The Fight for Haiti's Freedom – Walter Dean Myers

For the Love of Soccer! – Pele

For the Love of Soccer! – Pele

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone – Katheryn Russell-Brown

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone – Katheryn Russell-Brown

Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X - Ilyasah Shabazz

Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X - Ilyasah Shabazz

28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World – Charles R. Smith Jr.

28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World – Charles R. Smith Jr.

Langston Hughes, American Poet – Alice Walker

Langston Hughes, American Poet – Alice Walker

Harlem's Little Blackbird – Renee Watson

Harlem's Little Blackbird – Renee Watson

Oprah: The Little Speaker – Carole Boston Weatherford

Oprah: The Little Speaker – Carole Boston Weatherford

I, Matthew Henson – Carole Boston Weatherford

I, Matthew Henson – Carole Boston Weatherford

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