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African American Author Booklist

Books for Children Rich in African American History and Culture by African American Authors

Folktales

Beautiful Blackbird
By Ashley Bryan
J 398 Bryan
In a story of the Ila people, the colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the most beautiful of birds, to decorate them with some of his "blackening brew."

Turtle knows your name
By Ashley Bryan
J 398 Bryan
A small boy with a very long name is challenged by his grandmother to find out her real name

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: an African Tale
By John Steptoe
J 398 Steptoe

The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales
By Virginia Hamilton
J 398 Hamilton

Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales
By Virginia Hamilton
J 398 Hamilton

The Origin of Life On Earth: An African Creation Myth
Illustrated by: Kathleen Atkins Wilson; retold by David A. Anderson
J 398 Anderson

Biographies

Rosa
Illustrated by Bryan Collier; text by Nikki Giovanni
JB Parks
This picture-book tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her. courageous action and the events that followed.

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman
Illustrated Jerry Pinkney; text by Alan Schroeder
JB Tubman
How many know about Harriet Tubman's life as a child? This dramatic portrayal is illustrated in full color by four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Jerry Pinkney.

Through My Eyes
By Ruby Bridges
JB Bridges
Ruby Bridges recounts the story of her involvement, as a six-year-old, in the integration of her school in New Orleans in 1960.

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince & His Orchestra
By Andrea Davis Pinkney
JB Ellington
Brief recounting of the career of this jazz musician and composer who, along with his orchestra, created music that was beyond category.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Man of Peace
By Lillie Patterson
JB King
A biography of the minister, orator, and crusader for equal civil rights who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Poetry

In the Land of Words: New and Selected Poems
811.54 Eloise Greenfield

The Creation (1995)
Illustrated by James Ransome; text by James Weldon Johnson
J 811 Johnson

Soul Looks Back in Wonder (1994)
Illustrated by Tom Feelings; text ed. by Phyllis Fogelman
J 811 Soul

Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea: Poems
By Joyce Carol Thomas
J 811 Thomas
A collection of poems exploring the theme of African-American identity.

Picture Books

Uptown
By Bryan Collier
E Collier
A tour of the sights of Harlem, including the Metro-North train, brownstones, shopping on 125th street, a barbershop, summer basketball, the Harlem Boys Choir, and sunset over the Hudson River.

In the Time of the Drums
Brian Pinkney; text by Kim L. Siegelson
E Siegelson
Mentu, an American-born slave boy, watches his beloved grandmother, Twi, lead the insurrection at Teakettle Creek of Ibo people arriving from Africa on a slave ship.

Ellington Was Not a Street
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson; text by Ntozake Shange
E Shange
In a reflective tribute to the African-American community of old, noted poet Ntozake Shange recalls her childhood home and the close-knit group of innovators that often gathered there.

Show Way
By Jacqueline Woodson
E Woodson
The making of "Show ways," or quilts which once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves, is a tradition passed from mother to daughter in the author's.

Sweet Sweet Memory
By Jacqueline Woodson
E Woodson
A child and her grandmother feel sad when Grandpa dies, but as time passes, funny memories of him make them laugh and feel better.

Something Beautiful
By Sharon Dennis Wyeth
When she goes looking for "something beautiful" in her city neighborhood, a young girl finds beauty in many different forms.

On the Day I Was Born
By Deborah Newton Chocolate
E Chocolate
Members of an extended African American family celebrate with joy and pride the birth of a first-born son.

No Mirrors in My Nana's House
By Ysaye M. Barnwell
E Barnwell
A girl discovers the beauty in herself by looking into her Nana's eyes.

Dinner at Aunt Connie's House
By Faith Ringgold
E Ringgold
Dinner at Aunt Connie's is even more special than usual when Melody meets not only her new adopted cousin but twelve inspiring African American women, who step out of their portraits and join the family for dinner.

Non-Fiction

How Sweet the Sound: African American Songs for Children
Selected By Wade Hudson
J 782.42 How
Presents lyrics and background notes for twenty-three contemporary and traditional African-American songs.

Powerful Words: More Than 200 Years of Extraodinary Writing by African Americans
By Wade Hudson
J 081 Hudson
Collection of excerpted writings (letters, speeches, poetry, novels, songs, and more) by famous African-Americans with thoughtful commentary on the authors, as well as the impact the writings have had on society.

Remember the Journey to School Integration
By Toni Morrison
J 379.2 Morrison
Blend of archival photographs, historical background, and fictional narrative brings to life the experiences and emotions of the African-American students who made the tumultuous journey to school integration.

Juvenile Fiction

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
By Christopher Paul Curtis
J Curtis
The Watsons head south to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in America's history.

The Well: David's Story
By Mildred D. Taylor
J Taylor
In Mississippi in the early 1900s ten-year-old David Logan's family generously shares their well water with both white and black neighbors in an atmosphere of potential racial violence.

Porch lies : tales of slicksters, tricksters, and other wily characters
By Pat McKissack
J McKissac

The Old African
By Julius Lester
J Lester
An elderly slave uses the power of his mind to ease the suffering of his fellow slaves and eventually lead them back to Africa. Based on an actual incident from black history.