Early Education: Black History Month Books for Kids

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”…women – Frederick Douglass

We celebrate black heritage year round #365, but this month we take the time to highlight the successes, challenges and experiences of African Americans. For all you mothers, fathers, sisters,brothers, uncles, aunts, grandmothers, best friends etc. we did some digging and found some true gems for the kids. These books are chock full of love, inspiration, commiseration, and acceptance.

1. Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope

The #1 New York Times bestselling picture-book biography of President Barack Obama is now in paperback.

Amazon Description: Ever since Barack Obama was young, Hope has lived inside him. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, he has held on to Hope. Even as a boy, Barack knew he wasn’t quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to Hope and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together.

This is the moving story of our 44th President, told by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, both winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. Barack Obama has motivated Americans to believe with him, to believe that every one of us has the power to change ourselves and change our world.

2. What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors

Amazon Description: Did you know that James West invented the microphone in your cell phone? That Fred Jones invented the refrigerated truck that make

s supermarkets possible? Or that Dr. Percy Julian synthesized cortisone fromsoy, easing untold people’s pain? These are just some of the black inventors and innovators scoring big points in this dynamic look at several unsung heroes who shared a desire to improve people’s lives. Offering profiles with fast facts on flaps and framed by a funny contemporary story featuring two feisty twins, here is a nod to the minds behind the gamma electric cell and the ice-cream scoop, improvements to traffic lights, open-heart surgery, and more – inventors whose ingenuity and perseverance against great odds made our world safer, better, and brighter.

3. A Kid’s Guide to African American History: More than 70 Activities (A Kid’s Guide series)

Amazon Description: What do all these people have in common: the first man to die in the American Revolution, a onetime chief of the Crow Nation, the inventors of peanut butter and the portable X-ray machine, and the first person to make a wooden clock in this country? They were all great African Americans. For parents and teachers interested in fostering cultural awareness among children of all races, this book includes more than 70 hands-on activities, songs, and games that teach kids about the people, experiences, and events that shaped African American history. This expanded edition contains new material throughout, including additional information and biographies. Children will have fun designing an African mask, making a medallion like those worn by early abolitionists, playing the rhyming game “Juba,” inventing Brer Rabbit riddles, and creating a unity cup for Kwanzaa. Along the way they will learn about inspiring African American artists, inventors, and heroes like Harriet Tubman, Benjamin Banneker, Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, and Louis Armstrong, to name a few.

4. Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream By Deloris Jordan

Amazon Description: Michael Jordan. The mere mention of the name conjures up visions of basketball played at its absolute best. But as a child, Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he’d never grow tall enough to play the game that would one day make him famous. That’s when his mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into the making of a champion — patience, determination, and hard work.
Deloris Jordan, mother of the basketball phenomenon, teams up with his sister Roslyn to tell this heartwarming and inspirational story that only the members of the Jordan family could tell. It’s a tale about faith and hope and how any family working together can help a child make his or her dreams come true.

5. Black Pioneers of Science and Invetion By Louis Haber

Amazon Description: A readable, perceptive account of the lives of fourteen gifted innovators who have played important roles in scientific and industrial progress. The achievements of Benjamin Banneker, Granville T. Woods, George Washington Carver, and others have made jobs easier, saved countless lives, and in many cases, altered the course of history. Includes a bibliography and an index.