Children's Books for African American History Month at the Valley Cottage Library: Non-fiction Books

"A history of the African American civil rights movement, based on primary source documents and other historical artifacts. Features include period art works and photographs; excerpts from literary works, letters, speeches, broadcasts, and diaries; summary boxes; a timeline; maps; and a list of additional resources"--Provided by publisher.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel. Their names stand for the quest for justice and equality.Martin grew up in a loving family in the American South, at a time when this country was plagued by racial discrimination. He aimed to put a stop to it. He became a minister like his daddy, and he preached and marched for his cause.Abraham grew up in a loving family many years earlier, in a Europe that did not welcome Jews. He found a new home in America, where he became a respected rabbi like his father, carrying a message of peace and acceptance.Here is the story of two icons for social justice, how they formed a remarkable friendship and turned their personal experiences of discrimination into a message of love and equality for all.

For the 50th anniversary of the 1965 march for voting right from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, Newberry Medalist Russell Freedman has written a riveting account of this pivotal event in the history of civil rights. Illustrated with more than forty photographs, this is an essential chronicle of events every American should know.

Racial bombings were so frequent in Birmingham that it became known as "Bombingham." Until September 15, 1963, these attacks had been threatening but not deadly. On that Sunday morning, however, a blast in the 16th Street Baptist Church ripped through the exterior wall and claimed the lives of four girls. The church was the ideal target for segregationists, as it was the rallying place for Birmingham's African American community, Martin Luther King, Jr., using it as his "headquarters" when he was in town to further the cause of desegregation and equal rights. Rather than triggering paralyzing fear, the bombing was the definitive act that guaranteed passage of the landmark 1964 civil rights legislation. Birmingham Sunday, a Jane Addams Children's Honor Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book, and Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the Year, centers on this fateful day and places it in historical context.

This titles gives a compelling historical account of the turbulent and troubled period of Reconstruction that followed the Civil War. Told from the perspective of freed African Americans, Hansen uses first-person narratives, contemporary documents, and other historical sources to provide a concise account of this era. Also included are brief biographies of important black leaders, such as Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin R. Delany, Thaddeus Stevens, and Phillis Wheatley.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a groundbreaking law. Under this law African-Americans could no longer be segregated from white Americans. The law changed the country forever. Explore the points of view of the lawmakers who passed the law and the people who opposed it through powerful primary sources and historical photos.

Relates the history of race relations in the United States, focusing on the civil rights movement that began in 1954 with the Supreme Court ruling against segregation in public schools.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a powerful dream for changing America. Here's your chance to find out what Kings dream was really about.

In this history of the modern Civil Rights movement, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Diane McWhorter focuses on the monumental events that occurred between 1954 (the year of Brown versus the Board of Education) and 1968 (the year that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assasinated). Beginning with an overview of the movement since the end of the Civil War, McWhorter also discusses such events as the 1956 MTGS bus boycott, the 1961 Freedom Rides, and the 1963 demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama, among others.

Dramatic first-person vignettes, along with poems and spirituals, trace American black history from emancipation through the Reconstruction and segregation, to the beginnings of the black Civil Rights movement.

Freedom Riders compares and contrasts the childhoods of John Lewis and James Zwerg in a way that helps young readers understand the segregated experience of our nation's past. It shows how a common interest in justice created the convergent path that enabled these young men to meet as Freedom Riders on a bus journey south. No other book on the Freedom Riders has used such a personal perspective. These two young men, empowered by their successes in the Nashville student movement, were among those who volunteered to continue the Freedom Rides after violence in Anniston, Alabama, left the original bus in flames with the riders injured and in retreat. Lewis and Zwerg joined the cause knowing their own fate could be equally harsh, if not worse. The journey they shared as freedom riders through the Deep South changed not only their own lives but our nation's history. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources. Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus and give up her seat to a white man. This refusal to give up her dignity sparked the Montgomery bus boycott, a yearlong struggle, and a major victory in the civil rights movement. Source notes, map, bibliography, index.

Examines what life was like for children who grew up as slaves in the United States, describing the conditions in which they lived, the work they did, how they were educated, and their efforts to obtain freedom.

Discover the facts about the brave men and women who formed the Underground Railroad. Learn how their secret work changed the lives of thousands of slaves.

A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King: "My father's dream continues to live on from generation to generation, and this beautiful and powerful illustrated edition of his world-changing "I Have a Dream" speech brings his inspiring message of freedom, equality, and peace to the youngest among us--those who will one day carry his dream forward for everyone." On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, Martin Luther King gave one of the most powerful and memorable speeches in our nation's history. His words, paired with Caldecott Honor winner Kadir Nelson's magnificent paintings, make for a picture book certain to be treasured by children and adults alike. The themes of equality and freedom for all are not only relevant today, 50 years later, but also provide young readers with an important introduction to our nation's past. Included with the book is an audio CD of the speech.

Learn about how freedom came to the slaves in June 1865.

The Little Rock Nine were a courageous group of students who became the center of the fight to end school segregation. They endured violence and vicious words. But they stood up for their beliefs. Explore the points of view of the Little Rock Nine and the people who opposed them through powerful primary sources and historical photos.

The niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. reveals six timeless and universal principles that encompass the civil rights leader's greatest legacy: Love will see you through. Growing up as the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Farris Watkins witnessed firsthand the principles and values that "Uncle M.L." practiced and lived by throughout his fight for equality. Drawing from experiences and episodes both personal and well-known, Dr. Watkins artfully details the guiding beliefs of one of the greatest men in history. Including "have courage" and "love your enemies," these six hallmarks of virtue and nonviolence reinforce the truth that "the universe honors love" and will inspire readers of all ages.

The March on Washington brought 200,000 people together. They spoke of equality for people of all races. They spoke of a dream for a better future. Explore the points of view of the people who led the March on Washington and the people who opposed them through powerful primary sources and historical photos.

Students visit some of the most critical moments of United States history in this exciting new series. Each title brings the reader back in time to those defining moments and events, and provides a clear and concise description of what happened, the historical background of the situation, and why America changed because of that event. Full-color photographs and illustrations enhance the text, along with relevant sidebars that highlight and expand the topics and ideas in the text. a timeline at the end of each title places the turning point in context for the reader and provides a quick review of the important events that helped to shape the America we know today.

A powerful trilogy concludes with a look at both famous and lesser-known forces in the ongoing struggle for civil rights. In the summer of 1955, Moses Wright braved mortal danger to testify against three white men accused of murdering Emmett Till -- a brutal event that helped to spur the American civil rights movement. Nine black teenagers in Little Rock, Arkansas, headed out to a formerly white high school, despite warnings that "blood will run in the streets." James Lawson trained activists not to fight back with fists or words, no matter how many billy clubs rained down on them. Through ten turbulent years, black southerners filled jails and public places with the songs and strength passed down from their ancestors. This final book in a trilogy about the African-American experience is a tribute to the crusaders for equality and peace in America, a crusade that continues to this day. Back matter includes important dates, an artist's note, source notes, a bibliography, sources for further information, and an index.

When John Price took a chance at freedom by crossing the frozen Ohio river from Kentucky into Ohio one January night in 1856, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was fully enforced in every state of the union. But the townspeople of Oberlin, Ohio, believed there that all people deserved to be free, so Price started a new life in town-until a crew of slave-catchers arrived and apprehended him. When the residents of Oberlin heard of his capture, many of them banded together to demand his release in a dramatic showdown that risked their own freedom. Paired for the first time, highly acclaimed authors Dennis & Judith Fradin and Pura Belpr#65533; award-winning illustrator Eric Velasquez, provide readers with an inspiring tale of how one man's journey to freedom helped spark an abolitionist movement.

Janie is not exactly sure why her daddy is riding a bus from Indianapolis to Washington, D.C. She knows why she has to go-to stay out of her mother's way, especially with the twins now teething. But Daddy wants to hear a man named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak and, to keep out of trouble, Janie is sent along. Riding the bus with them is a mishmash of people, black and white, young and old. They seem very different from Janie.As the bus travels across cities and farm fields to its historic destination, Janie sees firsthand the injustices that many others are made to endure.

Who was Rosa Parks? Why did black Americans stop riding buses? When did the law change to give black Americans equal rights? This book will help you discover what life was like during the civil rights movement.

Explore a little-known story of the civil rights movement, in which black and white citizens in one Alabama city worked together nonviolently to end segregation. Mention the civil rights era in Alabama, and most people recall images of terrible violence. But something different was happening in Huntsville. For the citizens of that city, creativity, courage, and cooperation were the keys to working together to integrate their city and schools in peace. In an engaging celebration of this lesser-known chapter in American and African-American history, author Hester Bass and illustrator E. B. Lewis show children how racial discrimination, bullying, and unfairness can be faced successfully with perseverance and ingenuity.

A 2015 Pura Belpr#65533; Illustrator Honor Book and a 2015 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a "Whites only" school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court.

Tonya Bolden explores what it has meant to be young and black in America from the 17th century to the present. From the settlement of Jamestown (where the birth of the first black child is recorded) to the Revolution to the Civil War and the Restoration to the fight for civil rights to today, Bolden brings to light how black children worked and played, suffered and rejoiced.

Our nation was founded on the belief that all men are created equal. Nearly two hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, slavery had been abolished but America was still segregated. Then: Enter the students who marched into the first desegregated school, the passengers who boycotted the buses, and the leaders who stood up and spoke out. When they started, it was all just a dream. . . . Through striking, powerful verse and gorgeous, detailed illustrations, this is the dream catalogs the American experience before, during, and after the civil rights movement. Come along on this incredible journey, and see how far we've come in attaining freedom and justice for all.

1969 Newbery Honor Book 1968 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year In an intensely personal new introduction written for this thirtieth anniversary edition, Julius Lester states that at age ten, when his father told him his family's history went back to a bill of sale and no further, the ?words were one of the defining moments of my life.' Approximately fifteen years later he began compiling the words of ex-slaves'a good portion of which had never been previously published'and establishing the structure for To Be a Slave.

You are a slave in the 1850s, thinking of escaping this harsh life, OR . . . You are slave catcher looking to get rich by chasing escaped slaves, OR . . . You are part of the Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape to freedom.

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people gathered in Washington, DC, to demand equal rights for all races. It was there that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, and it was this peaceful protest that spurred the momentous civil rights laws of the mid-1960s. With black-and-white artwork throughout and sixteen pages of photographs, the March is brought to life!

In moving verse, Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis gives new voice to seventeen heroes of civil rights. Exquisitely illustrated by five extraordinary artists, this commanding collection of poems invites the reader to hear in each verse the thunder that lies in every voice, no matter how small. Featuring civil rights luminaries Coretta Scott King, Harvey Milk, Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Sylvia Mendez, Aung San Suu Kyi, Mamie Carthan Till, Helen Zia, Josh Gibson, Dennis James Banks, Mitsuye Endo, Ellison Onizuka, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Yunus, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.

African American History traces the timeline of this proud culture from its origins and the American Civil War, to the Civil Rights movement, to the struggle for equality that continues today. The Roots of Humanity discusses important events during the fight for human and civil rights. Short biographies of civil rights leaders, authors, artists, and other powerful African Americans are also included. Graphically gripping, this series draws in young readers with dramatic images, while providing a clear understanding of African Americans' past. ABDO & Daughters is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.