20+ Awesome Books to Read for Black History Month

Harriet Tubman: Freedombound by Janet and Geoff Benge. Harriet Tubman was an extraordinary woman of faith who was instrumental in the success of the Underground Railroad. This biography by the Benge’s tells her story well.

Ben Carson: A Chance at Life by Janet and Geoff Benge. This biography tells the story of how Dr. Carson overcame poverty to become a very gifted neurosurgeon.

George Washington Carver: From Slave to Scientist by Janet & Geoff Benge. This is another biography in the Heroes of History series. Again the Benge’s have a gift for writing interesting biographies that are easy to read.

So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom by Gary D. Schmidt. This is a beautiful picture book about Sojourner Truth, known for her work with the Abolitionist movement. The illustrations are beautiful as well.

You can also lookup her famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman.”

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race and Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race both by Margot Lee Shetterly. There is also a movie to accompany the book that I thought was well done. Both books tells the same story, they just cater to different ages.

Black Women in Science: A Black History Book for Kids by Kimberly Brown Pellum, PhD. This book gives a short biography of fifteen different black women in the STEM fields and encourages its readers to get engaged in learning. After all Pellum states, “Your future is as bright as your brain.”

Molly, by Golly! The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Fire Fighter by Dianne Ochiltree. Did you know the first female firefighter was African American? Along with information on who Molly Williams was, readers will also learn a little about the history of fire-fighting.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This book is my all-time favorite book. I was first introduced to it as a senior in high school and have re-read it many times since. I have long admired Maya Angelou and love her writings.

*This book does mention her rape as a child, so I would not recommend it for younger students or for those to whom it may be a trigger.

Who Was Rosa Parks? and Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Who Was. . . series. There are many more of these biographies, both for people who have passed away and for those currently living, so if there is a specific person you are looking for, these are typically well done.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson is a memoir in prose. Through poems, she describes what it was like growing up as a black girl in the 1960’s and 1970’s. It’s a unique take on an autobiography.

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis. This historical fiction book takes place during the Great Depression and describes how the family was affected by the poverty of the time. It is an enjoyable and thought-provoking book.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. This is children’s historical fiction set in the summer of 1968. There is a great dynamic between the three sisters. The girls are shipped across the country to stay with their mother who had abandoned them. When their mom can’t be bothered with them she sends the girls to a summer camp run by the Black Panthers. This book is the first of three.

The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon. This is a work of fiction about Caleb Franklin and his older brother Bobby Gene and their new neighbor Styx Malone. This book captures the fun of being boys while also broaching topics like prejudice and the foster care system. When the boys engage in “The Great Escalator Trade” exchanging their baby sister for fireworks with their eye on an even bigger prize, what can go wrong?

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson. This picture book is a story of friendship. Of how two girls, one black and one white, get around their parent’s rules so they can be friends. The story is sweet and the illustrations lovely.

Ghost by Jason Reynolds. Ghost is about a black boy who ends up joining the track team after besting the team’s top sprinter in an impromptu race. Life hasn’t always been kind to Ghost and he has to learn how to deal with the trauma of his past. Ghost, aka Castle Cranshaw, is a character kids will love. A great read for boys and reluctant readers.

This book is the first in a series.

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor is an amazing book set in Mississippi during the height of the depression. Cassie Logan, the main character in the story is a rather spunky little girl who is just becoming aware of the seriousness of the racial and social injustices her family faces. The sequel to this book, Let the Circle be Unbroken, is a must-read follow-up.

The Case for Loving by Selina Alko is about the Loving family and their three children. Prior to 1967, it was illegal in most states for individuals of different races to be married. This is the story of how they fell in love, married, and then were arrested because of their marriage. Their decision to take their fight to ban interracial marriage laws went all the way to the Supreme Court where they won.

Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou. While Angelou only had one son, she wrote this book about advice she would give to a daughter if she had one. It is full of wisdom, encouragement, and life lessons learned.

The Complete Poetry by Maya Angelou. I love her poetry. “Phenomenal Woman” and “Still I Rise” are two of my favorite poems.

Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes by David Roessel. This is an anthology of Hughes’s poems, fully illustrated.

Amanda Gorman made headlines with her reading of The Hill We Climb at Biden’s Inauguration. Call Us What We Carry is a book of her poems she has published since then.

Change Sings is a book of poetry by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loren Long that follows a little girl as she gathers a cast of musical characters and together they learn they have the power to make changes.