68 Books in this collection
African American English Collection Grades 3-6
This collection includes African and African American-themed books for on-grade level readers. These are sure to engage with a range of high-interest topics and complexity to meet all students' needs, including both fiction and nonfiction. With these books, students can explore both African American history and contemporary stories.
Books in This Collection
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A House by the River
By William Miller, Ying-Hwa Hu, Cornelius Van WrightA House by the River
By William Miller, Ying-Hwa Hu, Cornelius Van WrightView DetailsA young girl learns her rickety, old house by the river is stronger than the fiercest storm because it is fortified by love and family.
As Fast As Words Could Fly
By Pamela M. Tuck, Eric VelasquezPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageAs Fast As Words Could Fly
By Pamela M. Tuck, Eric VelasquezView DetailsThe story of Mason Steele, an African American boy in 1960s Greenville, North Carolina, who relies on his inner strength and his typing skills to break racial barriers after he begins attending a "whites-only" high school.
Baby Flo
Florence Mills Lights Up the StageBy Alan Schroeder, Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa HuView DetailsThis spirited biography introduces young readers to the early life of Florence "Baby Flo" Mills, an internationally renowned entertainer of the Harlem Renaissance era who began her career as a child.
Bird
By Zetta Elliott, Shadra StricklandBird
By Zetta Elliott, Shadra StricklandView DetailsIn this gentle, award-winning picture book, an African American boy nicknamed Bird uses drawing as a creative outlet as he struggles to make sense of his grandfather's death and his brother's drug addiction.
Bottle Tops
The Art of El AnatsuiBy Alison Goldberg, Elizabeth ZunonView DetailsThe inspiring biography of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui whose handmade sculptures, created from discarded bottle tops, have received international acclaim and been showcased around the world.
Calling the Water Drum
By LaTisha Redding, Aaron BoydCalling the Water Drum
By LaTisha Redding, Aaron BoydView DetailsA moving story about a family's attempt to flee Haiti in a boat, and a young boy who bravely learns to navigate a new world through playing his drum.
Catching the Moon
The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball DreamBy Crystal Hubbard, Randy DuburkePaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageCatching the Moon
The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball DreamBy Crystal Hubbard, Randy DuburkeView DetailsThe spirited story of Marcenia Lyle, the African American girl who grew up to become "Toni Stone," the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team.
Chess Rumble
By G. Neri, Jesse Joshua WatsonChess Rumble
By G. Neri, Jesse Joshua WatsonView DetailsA story in free verse about a troubled boy who learns to use his mind instead of his fists through the guidance of an unconventional mentor and the game of chess.
Dear Mrs. Parks
A Dialogue with Today's YouthBy Rosa ParksPaperback: $16.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageDear Mrs. Parks
A Dialogue with Today's YouthBy Rosa ParksView DetailsOn a December day in 1955, Rosa Parks changed the course of history when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus.
DeShawn Days
By Tony Medina, R. Gregory ChristiePaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageDeShawn Days
By Tony Medina, R. Gregory ChristieView DetailsIn this uplifting story told in verse, a young boy living in the inner city projects tells about his hopes, fears, and dreams.
Destiny's Gift
By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, Adjoa J. BurrowesPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageDestiny's Gift
By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, Adjoa J. BurrowesView DetailsDestiny loves words, and her favorite place in the world is Mrs. Wade's bookstore, where words abound.
Dream Builder
The Story of Architect Philip FreelonBy Kelly Lyons, Laura Freeman HinesEtched in Clay
The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and PoetBy Andrea ChengPaperback: $13.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageEtched in Clay
The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and PoetBy Andrea ChengView DetailsThe acclaimed biography-in-verse about the life and times of Dave, an enslaved potter who inscribed his works with short poems during the years leading up to the Civil War.
Frederick Douglass
The Last Day of SlaveryBy William Miller, Cedric LucasPaperback: $10.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageFrederick Douglass
The Last Day of SlaveryBy William Miller, Cedric LucasView DetailsThe story of the African American abolitionist who, in one dramatic incident, discovered the meaning of freedom.
Game, Set, Match Champion Arthur Ashe
By Crystal Hubbard, Kevin BelfordGame, Set, Match Champion Arthur Ashe
By Crystal Hubbard, Kevin BelfordView DetailsA picture book biography of tennis player Arthur Ashe, who began his career playing tennis as a child on the segregated courts as a child in Virginia and went on to become the top tennis player in the world.
George Crum and the Saratoga Chip
By Gaylia Taylor, Frank MorrisonPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageGeorge Crum and the Saratoga Chip
By Gaylia Taylor, Frank MorrisonView DetailsAn account of the life and career of George Crum, a biracial chef who is credited with the invention of the potato chip at a Saratoga Springs, New York, restaurant in 1853. Based on historical records.
Gettin' Through Thursday
By Melrose Cooper, Nneka BennettPaperback: $10.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageGettin' Through Thursday
By Melrose Cooper, Nneka BennettView DetailsA young African American boy experiences the love and support of his family as they try to make ends meet each week.
Going Back Home
An Artist Returns to the SouthBy Toyomi Igus, Michele WoodView DetailsMore than half a century after her family moved North to find a better life, artist Michele Wood returned to the South to see and experience the land where her ancestors lived, struggled, and thrived.
Hammering for Freedom
The William Lewis StoryBy Rita Lorraine Hubbard, John HolyfieldView DetailsThe inspirational story of William "Bill" Lewis, a hardworking blacksmith who slowly saved his money and bought the freedom of each and every member of his enslaved family.
How We Are Smart
By William Nikola, Sean QuallsPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageHow We Are Smart
By William Nikola, Sean QuallsView DetailsMusician Tito Puente. Ballerina Maria Tallchief. Explorer Matthew Henson. Congresswoman Patsy Mink. These are some of the people profiled in this book. They are well known for different reasons, but they also have something in common. They were all smart!
Howard Thurman's Great Hope
By Kai Issa, Arthur L. DawsonPaperback: $10.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageHoward Thurman's Great Hope
By Kai Issa, Arthur L. DawsonView DetailsBorn in segregated Daytona, Florida, in 1899, Howard Thurman grew up dreaming of a better life--a life where his mother and grandmother would not have to cook and clean for other people; a life where he could become a college man, honoring his late father's wishes and his own dreams.
I and I Bob Marley
By Tony Medina, Jesse Joshua WatsonI and I Bob Marley
By Tony Medina, Jesse Joshua WatsonView DetailsA biography in verse of reggae legend Bob Marley, exploring the influences that shaped his life and music on his journey from rural Jamaican childhood to international superstardom.
I Remember
Poems and Pictures of HeritageBy Lee Bennett HopkinsView DetailsAn outstanding celebration of diversity and family: fourteen poets and sixteen illustrators of diverse backgrounds share memorable childhood experiences and reflect upon their different heritages, traditions, and beliefs.
I See the Rhythm
By Toyomi Igus, Michele WoodPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageI See the Rhythm
By Toyomi Igus, Michele WoodView Detailsi see the rhythmis an inspiring celebration of African American music and the far-reaching impact it has had on the world.
In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall
African Americans Celebrating FathersBy Various Poets, Javaka SteptoePaperback: $10.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageIn Daddy's Arms I Am Tall
African Americans Celebrating FathersBy Various Poets, Javaka SteptoeView DetailsIn this intergenerational collection of poetry by new and established African American writers, fatherhood is celebrated with honor, humor, and grace.
In Her Hands
The Story of Sculptor Augusta SavageBy Alan Schroeder, JaeMe BerealView DetailsA recreation of events from the childhood and early career of Augusta Savage, a pioneering female sculptor and major figure of the Harlem Renaissance.
In the Time of the Drums
By Kim L. Siegelson, Brian PinkneyIn the Time of the Drums
By Kim L. Siegelson, Brian PinkneyView DetailsMentu, an enslaved child, learns about the culture of his people from his grandmother, Twi in this Gullah folk tale of an insurrection at Teakettle Creek.
Ira's Shakespeare Dream
By Glenda Armand, Floyd CooperIra's Shakespeare Dream
By Glenda Armand, Floyd CooperView DetailsThe inspiring biography of Ira Aldridge, a Black actor who overcame racism to become one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the nineteenth century.
It Jes' Happened
When Bill Traylor Started to DrawBy Don Tate, R. Gregory ChristieView DetailsThe inspiring biography of self-taught (outsider) artist Bill Traylor, a former slave who at the age of eighty-five began to draw pictures based on his memories and observations of rural and urban life in Alabama.
Janna and the Kings
By Patricia Smith, Aaron BoydPaperback: $10.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageJanna and the Kings
By Patricia Smith, Aaron BoydView DetailsSaturdays are special for Janna. That's when she and Granddaddy spend the whole day together.
Joe Louis, My Champion
By William Miller, Rodney PatePaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageJoe Louis, My Champion
By William Miller, Rodney PateView DetailsDuring the mid-1930s, an African American boy who yearns to be a boxer learns the value of determination, perseverance, and his own natural abilities from the example of his hero, world champion prizefighter Joe Louis.
John Lewis in the Lead
A Story of the Civil Rights MovementBy Jim Haskins, Kathleen Benson, Benny AndrewsJohn Lewis in the Lead
A Story of the Civil Rights MovementBy Jim Haskins, Kathleen Benson, Benny AndrewsView DetailsA biography of John Lewis, one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders of the 1960s, focusing on his involvement in Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, and the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
Joshua's Masai Mask
By Dakari Hru, Anna RichPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageJoshua's Masai Mask
By Dakari Hru, Anna RichView DetailsA magical Masai mask takes an African American boy on a series of adventures, and he discovers the joy of being himself.
Juneteenth Jamboree
By Carole Boston Weatherford, Yvonne BuchananJuneteenth Jamboree
By Carole Boston Weatherford, Yvonne BuchananView DetailsA young girl, who has just moved to her parents' hometown, realizes that she has come home after the African American emancipation celebration of Juneteenth.
Keepers
By Jeri Hanel Watts, Felicia MarshallPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageKeepers
By Jeri Hanel Watts, Felicia MarshallView DetailsKenyon loves his grandmother's stories almost as much as he loves baseball.
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
By Katheryn Russell-Brown, Frank MorrisonLittle Melba and Her Big Trombone
By Katheryn Russell-Brown, Frank MorrisonView DetailsA biography of African American jazz virtuoso Melba Doretta Liston, a pioneering twentieth-century trombone player, composer, and music arranger at a time when few women, of any race, played brass instruments and were part of the jazz scene.
Love to Langston
By Tony Medina, R. Gregory ChristiePaperback: $12.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageLove to Langston
By Tony Medina, R. Gregory ChristieLove Twelve Miles Long
By Glenda Armand, Colin BootmanLove Twelve Miles Long
By Glenda Armand, Colin BootmanView DetailsA moving story about young Frederick Douglass and his mother, who walks twelve miles at night from a nearby plantation to visit him.
Midnight Teacher
Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret SchoolBy Janet Halfmann, London LaddView DetailsThis historical fiction picture book reveals the unknown story of Lilly Ann Granderson, an African-American teacher who risked her life to teach others during slavery.
Night Golf
By William Miller, Cedric LucasNight Golf
By William Miller, Cedric LucasView DetailsSet in the South of the late 1950s, an African American boy who longs to play golf is banned from the game because of the color of his skin.
Only the Mountains Do Not Move
A Maasai Story of Culture and ConservationBy Jan ReynoldsPaperback: $12.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageOnly the Mountains Do Not Move
A Maasai Story of Culture and ConservationBy Jan ReynoldsView DetailsA photographic essay about contemporary Maasai--the changes in lifestyle, land, and farming practices they face and how they are adapting to those changes.
Paul Robeson
By Eloise Greenfield, George FordPaul Robeson
By Eloise Greenfield, George FordView DetailsAn updated and redesigned edition of an award-winning biography of Paul Robeson, who overcame racial discrimination to become an international entertainer and civil rights activist. Includes a new introduction and afterword by the author, focusing on Robeson's legacy.
Poems in the Attic
By Nikki Grimes, Elizabeth ZunonPoems in the Attic
By Nikki Grimes, Elizabeth ZunonView DetailsAward-winning poet Nikki Grimes presents a tender poetry collection where a young girl learns about her mother, the child of an Air Force serviceman.
Ray Charles
By Sharon Bell Mathis, George FordPaperback: $12.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageRay Charles
By Sharon Bell Mathis, George FordView DetailsA beautiful new edition of the award-winning biography of world-famous musician Ray Charles.
Rent Party Jazz
By William Miller, Charlotte Riley-WebbPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageRent Party Jazz
By William Miller, Charlotte Riley-WebbView DetailsAn African American boy living in New Orleans in the 1930s raises money to pay the rent with the help of a popular jazz musician.
Richard Wright and the Library Card
By William Miller, R. Gregory ChristieRichard Wright and the Library Card
By William Miller, R. Gregory ChristieView DetailsThis is the true story of the renowned African American author Richard Wright and his determination to borrow books from the public library that turned him away because of his color.
Rise!
From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya AngelouBy Bethany Hegedus, Tonya EngelView DetailsIn celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, this beautiful biography of Maya Angelou describes how she rose above a childhood of trauma and emotional pain to become one of the most inspiring voices of our lifetime.
Saturday At the New You
By Barbara Barber, Anna RichSaturday At the New You
By Barbara Barber, Anna RichView DetailsA girl spends the day at her mother's hair salon, a neighborhood gathering place.
Seaside Dream
By Janet Costa Bates, Lambert DavisSeaside Dream
By Janet Costa Bates, Lambert DavisView DetailsIn this tender story of immigration, a young girl finds a way to give her grandmother the perfect present and the courage to plan a trip to her home country, Cape Verde.
Seeds of Change
Planting a Path to PeaceBy Jen Cullerton Johnson, Sonia Lynn SadlerView DetailsA picture book biography of scientist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman--and first environmentalist--to win a Nobel Peace Prize (in 2004) for her work planting trees in her native Kenya.
Seven Miles to Freedom
The Robert Smalls StoryBy Janet Halfmann, Duane SmithView DetailsThe true story of Robert Smalls, a slave steamboat wheelman who commandeered a Confederate ship during the Civil War and escaped with his family and crew to freedom.
She Was the First!
The Trailblazing Life of Shirley ChisholmBy Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric VelasquezShe Was the First!
The Trailblazing Life of Shirley ChisholmBy Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric VelasquezView DetailsA timely, inspiring picture book biography of the dynamic twentieth-century educator, activist, and politician Shirley Chisholm.
Stacey Abrams
Lift Every VoiceBy Sarah Warren, Monica MikaiView DetailsHow do we move our country forward? Stacey Abrams has an answer in this bright and stirring biography, perfect for discussions of voting rights and how people working together can make a difference.
Steel Drumming at the Apollo
The Road to Super Top DogBy Trish Marx, Ellen B. SenisiPaperback: $13.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageSteel Drumming at the Apollo
The Road to Super Top DogBy Trish Marx, Ellen B. SenisiView DetailsA photo-essay following the members of a high school band through several rounds of Amateur Night competitions at the Apollo Theater in New York City. Includes a CD of the band playing their competition song, plus original compositions.
Step Right Up
How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About KindnessBy Donna Janell Bowman, Daniel MinterStep Right Up
How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About KindnessBy Donna Janell Bowman, Daniel MinterView DetailsA biography of William "Doc" Key, a formerly enslaved man and self-trained veterinarian who taught his horse, Jim, to read, write, and do math, and who together with Jim became a famous traveling performance act and proponent for the humane treatment of animals around the turn of the twentieth century.
Sweet Music in Harlem
By Debbie Taylor, Frank MorrisonSweet Music in Harlem
By Debbie Taylor, Frank MorrisonView DetailsSearching his Harlem neighborhood for his uncle's missing hat, an energetic African American boy unintentionally creates an exuberant gathering of the neighborhood's jazz musicians for a magazine photograph; a fictional story inspired by Art Kane's historic photograph of jazz greats, Harlem 1958.
Sweet Potato Pie
By Kathleen D. Lindsey, Charlotte Riley-WebbPaperback: $10.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageSweet Potato Pie
By Kathleen D. Lindsey, Charlotte Riley-WebbView DetailsIn this fictional story set in the South in the 1920s, an African American girl and her family sell Mama's sweet potato pies at the Harvest Celebration to raise money and save their farm.
Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee!
By Andrea J. Loney, Keith MallettTake a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee!
By Andrea J. Loney, Keith MallettView DetailsA biography of James Van Der Zee, innovative and celebrated African American photographer of the Harlem Renaissance.
Tan to Tamarind
Poems About the Color BrownBy Malathi Michelle Iyengar, Jamel AkibPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageTan to Tamarind
Poems About the Color BrownBy Malathi Michelle Iyengar, Jamel AkibThe Electric Slide and Kai
By Kelly J. Baptist, Darnell JohnsonThe Electric Slide and Kai
By Kelly J. Baptist, Darnell JohnsonView DetailsKai is the only member of his family who can't get the dance steps to the Electric Slide right. But Kai is determined to bust a move in this fun and sweet celebration of African American families.
The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby
By Crystal Hubbard, Robert McGuirePaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby
By Crystal Hubbard, Robert McGuireView DetailsThe story of Jimmy Winkfield, one of horse racing's all-time great jockeys and the last African American to win the Kentucky Derby, in 1902.
The Legend of Freedom Hill
By Linda J. Altman, Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa HuPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe Legend of Freedom Hill
By Linda J. Altman, Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa HuView DetailsA fictional story set during the California Gold Rush, in which a girl teams up with her best friend in search of gold to buy her mother's freedom from a slave catcher.
The Secret to Freedom
By Marcia Vaughan Crews, Larry JohnsonPaperback: $10.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe Secret to Freedom
By Marcia Vaughan Crews, Larry JohnsonView DetailsIn the days before the Civil War, a young enslaved girl and her older brother help slaves escape to freedom using the Underground Railroad quilt code.
The Story of Tennis Champion Arthur Ashe
By Crystal Hubbard, Kevin BelfordThe Story of Tennis Champion Arthur Ashe
By Crystal Hubbard, Kevin BelfordView DetailsThe "Story" chapter-book line debuts with this action-packed tribute to Arthur Ashe, one of the most compelling athletes and humanitarians of the twentieth century.
The Unstoppable Garrett Morgan
Inventor, Entrepreneur, HeroBy Joan DiCicco, Ebony GlennView DetailsGarrett Morgan, a prolific African American inventor and entrepreneur, must test his latest invention in a daring rescue after an explosion at the Cleveland Waterworks.
Tiny Stitches
The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien ThomasBy Gwendolyn Hooks, Colin BootmanView DetailsThe life story of Vivien Thomas, an African American surgical technician who developed the first procedure used to perform open-heart surgery on children.
When the Horses Ride By
Children in the Times of WarBy Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey GilchristPaperback: $14.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageWhen the Horses Ride By
Children in the Times of WarBy Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey GilchristView DetailsThrough these graceful and eloquent poems, written from the child's perspective, readers will experience this resilience, this optimism, and understand that it is possible to get through difficult and unsettling times while holding onto one's hopes and dreams for a better, more peaceful future.
Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree
By William Miller, Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa HuZora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree
By William Miller, Cornelius Van Wright, Ying-Hwa HuView DetailsThe true story of the famous writer, who as a young girl, learned about hope and strength from her mother.
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