Honoring African-American History
at the Elmhurst Public Library
Poetry
Picture Books
Folk Tales
Biographies
History
Holidays
Fiction
Dvd's
Videos
Cd's
Web Sites
Poetry
Words with Wings: A Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art
Pairs twenty works of art by African-American artists with twenty poems by twenty African-American poets. (J 811.008 Wor)
Soul Looks Back in Wonder
Artwork and poems by such writers as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Askia Toure portray the creativity, strength, and beauty of their African-American heritage. (J 811.508 Sou)
The Dream Keeper and Other Poems by Langston Hughes
A collection of sixty-six poems, selected by the author for young readers, including lyrical poems, songs, and blues, many exploring the black experience. (J 811.52 Hug)
Rock of Ages: A Tribute to the Black Church by Tonya Bolden
A poem celebrating the role of church in the lives and history of African Americans, from the time of slavery through the struggle for civil rights to the well-established churches of today. (J 811.54 Bol)
Ashley Bryan’s ABC of African American Poetry
Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a line from a poem by different African American poets, describing an aspect of the black experience. (J 811.54 Bry)
Love to Langston by Tony Medina
A series of poems written from the point of view of the poet Langston Hughes, offering an overview of key events and themes in his life. (J 811.54 Med)
Harlem by Walter Dean Myers
A poem celebrating the people, sights, and sounds of Harlem. (J 811.54 Mye)
Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices by Walter Dean Myers
Acclaimed writer Walter Dean Myers celebrates the people of Harlem with these powerful and soulful first-person poems in the voices of the residents who make up the legendary neighborhood: basketball players, teachers, mail carriers, jazz artists, maids, veterans, nannies, students, and more. Exhilarating and electric, these poems capture the energy and resilience of a neighborhood and a people. (J 811.54 Mye)
Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson
Poems include: Baby Carver -- Bedside reading -- Coincidence -- Curve-breaker -- Dawn walk -- Dimensions of the Milky Way -- drifter -- Friends in the Klan -- From an Alabama Farmer -- "God's little workshop" -- Lovingly sons -- Professor Carver's Bible class. (J 811.54 Nel)
A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson
This award-winning collection of linked sonnets tells of the murder of Emmett Till, the African-American boy from Chicago brutally killed at age 14 while he was visiting Southern relatives in 1955. For young adults. (J 811.54 Nel)
Fortune’s Bones: The Manumission Requiem by Marilyn Nelson
Six poems honor the life of a slave who died in 1798, and whose skeleton was donated to a museum exhibit in 1970. Combined with photos and history. For grades 6 and up. (J 811.54 Nel)
Ellington Was Not a Street by Ntozake Shange
In this poem, the author recalls her childhood, when her family entertained many of the men who defined an era, including Paul Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington. For grades 4 – 8. (J 811.54 Sha)
Little Stevie Wonder by Quincy Troupe
A poem tribute to blind musician and composer Stevie Wonder. (J 811.54 Tro)
Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People by Carole Boston Weatherford
Twenty-nine poems trace 400 years of African-American history, enhanced by period photographs and engravings. For grades 7 and up. (J 811.54 Wea)
Picture Books
Mr. Williams by Karen Barbour
This beautifully illustrated picture book biography relates the childhood memories of J.W. Williams, born in 1929 on a farmstead in Louisiana. He recalls days of hard work, harsh living, a strong family and the beauty of nature. For grades K – 3. (J E Bar)
Papa’s Mark by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert
After his son helps him learn to write his name, Samuel T. Blow goes to the courthouse in his Southern town to cast his ballot on the first election day ever on which African Americans were allowed to vote. (J E Bat)
Li'l Dan, the Drummer Boy: A Civil War Story by Romare Bearden
When a company of black Union soldiers tells L'il Dan that he is no longer a slave, he follows them, and uses his beloved drum to save them from attack. (J E Bea)
Grandmama’s Pride by Becky Birtha
While on a trip in 1956 to visit her grandmother in the South, six-year-old Sarah Marie experiences segregation for the first time, but discovers that things have changed by the time she returns the following year. (J E Bir)
Hold the Flag High by Catherine Clinton
Describes the Civil War battle of Morris Island, South Carolina, during which Sergeant William H. Carney became the first African American to earn a Congressional Medal of Honor by preserving the flag. (J E Cli)
A Bus of Our Own by Freddi Williams Evans
Although she really wants to go to school, walking the five miles is very difficult for Mabel Jean and the other black children, so she tries to find a way to get a bus for them the same as the white children have. Based on real events in Mississippi. (J E Eva)
Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
In the post-Civil War South, a young African American girl is determined to prove that she can go to school just like her older brothers. (J E How)
Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan
Young Michael Jordan, who is smaller than the other players, learns that determination and hard work are more important than size when playing the game of basketball. (J E Jor)
John Henry by Julius Lester
Retells the life of the legendary African American hero who raced against a steam drill to cut through a mountain. (J E Les)
Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack
In segregated 1950s Nashville, a young African American girl braves a series of indignities and obstacles to get to one of the few integrated places in town: the public library. (J E McK)
Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children by Sandra L. Pinkney
Photographs and poetic text celebrate the beauty and diversity of African American children. (J E Pin)
Liberty Street by Candice F. Ransom
Young Kezia is a slave, living in nineteenth-century Fredericksburg, Virginia, until her mother helps her escape. Includes historical notes. (J E Ran)
I Have Heard of a Land by Joyce Carol Thomas
Describes the joys and hardships experienced by an African-American pioneer woman who staked a claim for free land in the Oklahoma territory. (J E Tho)
Wagon Train: A Family Goes West in 1865 by Courtni C. Wright
Ginny, a former slave, and her family join a wagon train that will travel the Oregon Trail to California. They are hoping to find freedom and a home of their own. (J E Wri)
Folk Tales
Lies and Other Tall Tales collected by Zora Neale Hurston
A compilation of tall tales collected by folklorist Zora Neale Hurston during her travels in the Gulf states during the 1930s. (J 398.20976 Mye)
The People Could Fly: The Picture Book by Virginia Hamilton
In this retelling of a folktale, a group of slaves, unable to bear their sadness and starvation any longer, calls upon the African magic that allows them to fly away. (J 398.208996 Ham)
When Birds Could Talk & Bats Could Sing: The Adventures of Bruh Sparrow, Sis Wren, and Their Friends by Virginia Hamilton
A collection of stories, featuring sparrows, jays, buzzards, and bats, based on those African American tales originally written down by Martha Young on her father's plantation in Alabama after the Civil War. (J 398.24528 Ham)
Biographies
The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers
More than a story of Ali’s life, this book examines the impact Ali had on our culture, as a source of black pride and a rallying point for the anti-war movement. (J 921 Ali)
When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, the Voice of a Century by Pam Munoz Ryan
A lovely introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, extraordinary singer and civil rights activist, who was the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, whose life and career encouraged social change. (J 921 Anderson)
Dear Benjamin Banneker by Andrea Davis Pinkney
A picture book biography of Benjamin Banneker, a free black born in 1731, farmer and a self-taught astronomer. He published an almanac, and exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson on the inconsistency of Jefferson’s owning slaves. (J 921 Banneker)
Mary McLeod Bethune by Eloise Greenfield
Biography of Mary Jane McLeod Bethune who made numerous contributions to education for African Americans. (J 921 Bethune)
Through My Eyes by Ruby 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. (J 921 Bridges)
Talkin’ about Bessie: The Story of Aviator Bessie Coleman by Nikki Grimes
A biography of the woman who became the first licensed African-American pilot. (J 921 Coleman)
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport
Using quotes from some of his beloved speeches, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. comes to life in stunning collage art and vibrant watercolor paintings in this biography about beliefs and dreams and following one's heart. (J 921 King)
The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor by Wendy Towle
A biography of the Canadian-born black American who studied engineering in Scotland and patented over fifty inventions despite the obstacles he faced because of his race. (J 921 McCoy)
Frederick Douglass: Leader Against Slavery by Patricia and Frederick McKissack
Simple text and illustrations describe the life and accomplishments of this famous abolitionist. (J 921 Douglass)
If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold
A biography of the African American woman and civil rights worker whose refusal to give up her seat on a bus led to a boycott which lasted more than a year in Montgomery, Alabama. (J 921 Parks)
Bill Pickett: Rodeo Ridin’ Cowboy by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Describes the life and accomplishments of the son of a former slave whose unusual bulldogging style made him a rodeo star. (J 921 Pickett)
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America by Sharon Robinson
A biography of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the major leagues, as told by his daughter. (J 921 Robinson)
Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman by Alan Schroeder
Young Harriet Tubman, whose childhood name was Minty, dreams of escaping slavery on the Brodas plantation in the late 1820s. (J 921 Tubman)
Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson
Combining the story of the building of the railroads, the period of Reconstruction, folk tales, American mythology, and the tradition of work songs with his own personal quest, a renowned historian unravels the mystery surrounding the legendary African-American figure. (J 973.0496073 Nel)
History
Grandma Lois Remembers: An African-American Family Story by Ann Morris
An African American grandmother relates family and cultural history to her grandson in their Queens, New York, apartment as she tells of growing up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama. Includes a recipe and the words to Amazing Grace. (J 306.8508996 Mor)
As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March towards Freedom by Richard Michelson (J 323.1196 Mic)
A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 – 1968 by Diane McWhorter
In this history of the modern Civil Rights movement, the author focuses on the monumental events that occurred between 1954 (the year of Brown v. the Board of Education) and 1968 (the year that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. (J 323.1196073 McW)
Free at Last!: Stories and Songs of Emancipation by Doreen Rappaport
Describes the experiences of African Americans in the South, from the Emancipation in 1863 to the 1954 Supreme Court decision that declared school segregation illegal. (J 323.1196073 Rap)
Freedom Struggle: The Anti-Slavery Movement in America, 1830-1865 by Ann Rossi
Discusses how slavery divided this nation, The Underground Railroad, the book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” and the fight for freedom. (J 326.8 Ros)
Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison
This collection of striking black and white photographs, accompanied by Morrison’s imaginings about the thoughts of the people pictured, tells the story of both famous and ordinary African-American students who made the journey to school integration. For grades 4 – 8. (J 379.2 Mor)
Wake Up Our Souls: A Celebration of Black American Artists by Tonya Bolden
Presents a history of African-American visual arts and artists from the days of slavery to the present. (J 704.0396 Bol)
Powerful Words: More Than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans by Wade Hudson
A collection of speeches and writings by African Americans, with commentary about the time period in which each person lived, information about the speaker/writer, and public response to the words. (J 810.80896 Hud)
The Tuskegee Airmen by Philip Brooks
The Tuskegee Airmen were African American combat pilots during World War II. They had to battle on two fronts: the Axis powers in Europe and North Africa, and the racism at home. (J 940.544973 Bro)
The Geography of Hope: Black exodus from the South after Reconstruction by James Haskins Discusses the conditions of African Americans in the South before, during, and after the Civil War, and the migration of many former slaves, led by such men as Benjamin Singleton and Henry Adams, to the West looking for a better life. (J 973.0496 Has)
African-Americans in the Thirteen Colonies by Deborah Kent
Presents a brief history of Afro-Americans and of slavery in seventeenth and eighteenth century America. (J 973.0496 Ken)
Oh, Freedom!: Kids Talk about the Civil Rights Movement with the People Who Made It Happen by Casey King
Interviews between young people and people who took part in the civil rights movement accompany essays that describe the history of efforts to make equality a reality for African Americans. (J 973.0496 Kin)
Africans in America, 1619-1865 by Kay Melchisedech Olson
Starting in Africa, this story follows African Americans as they are brought to America, how they kept some of their traditions while struggling to survive as a people. Includes several ideas for educational activities. (J 973.0496 Ols)
Journals from the Past: A Historical Look at African-American Figures by Marilyn Foster
Includes dozens of African-American figures, people both famous and less well-known. (J 973.0496073 Fos)
The Cost of Freedom: Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre by Joanne Mattern
Presents a version of the role Crispus Attucks played during the Boston Massacre and the Revolutionary War. (J 973.3113 Mat)
A Free Black Girl before the Civil War: The Diary of Charlotte Forten, 1854 by Charlotte L. Forten
The diary of a sixteen-year-old free African American who lived in Massachusettts in 1854 records her schooling, participation in the antislavery movement, and concern for an arrested fugitive slave. Includes sidebars, activities, and a timeline related to this era. (J 973.66 For)
Bound for the North Star: True Stories of Fugitive Slaves by Dennis B. Fradin
These twelve accounts of slaves who escaped to the north are painful but fascinating reading. For grades 6 and up. (J 973.7115 Fra)
Holidays
African-American Holidays by Faith Winchester
This book explores Black History Month, Juneteenth, Harambee, Junkanoo, and Kwanzaa. (J 394.26 Win)
Black History Month Resource Book by Mary Ellen Snodgrass (J Reference 973.0496 Bla)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day by Robin Nelson (J 394.261 Nel)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day by Dana Meachen Rau (J 394.261 Rau)
Juneteenth Day by Denise Jordan
Describes the holiday known as Juneteenth Day, which has roots in Texas and which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. (J 394.263 Jor)
Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom by Charles A. Taylor J 394.263 Tay
Juneteenth Jamboree by Carole Boston Weatherford
Cassandra and her family have moved to her parents’ hometown in Texas, but it doesn’t feel like home until they experience Juneteenth. (J E Wea)
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters by Patricia McKissack
Describes the customs, recipes, poems, and songs used to celebrate Christmas in the big plantation houses and in the slave quarters just before the Civil War. (J 975.03 McK)
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis
When they are given the seemingly impossible task of turning thread into gold, the seven Ashanti brothers put aside their differences, learn to get along, and embody the principles of Kwanzaa. Includes information West African cloth weaving and instructions for making a belt. (J E Med)
Kwanzaa by Darwin McBeth Walton
Discusses the origins and symbols of Kwanzaa, the holiday that focuses on African-American history, culture, and experiences, and offers suggestions for ways to celebrate this holiday. (J 394.2612 Wal)
Kwanzaa Crafts by Carol Gnojewski
Includes ideas for celebrating Kwanzaa and directions for making such crafts as people dolls, a centerpiece and African clothes. (J 745.5941612 Gno)
Fiction
Storm Warriors by Elisa Lynn Carbone
In 1895, after his mother's death, twelve-year-old Nathan moves with his father and grandfather to Pea Island off the coast of North Carolina, where he hopes to join the all-black crew at the nearby lifesaving station, despite his father's objections. 168 pages. (J Fic Carbone & J PB)
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963. 210 pages. (J Fic Curtis)
Just Like Martin by Ossie Davis
Following the deaths of two classmates in a bomb explosion at his Alabama church, fourteen-year-old Stone organizes a children's march for civil rights in the autumn of 1963. 215 pages. (J Fic Davis)
From Slave to Soldier: Based on a True Civil War Story by Deborah Hopkinson
A boy who hates being a slave joins the Union Army to fight for freedom, and proves himself brave and capable of handling a mule team when the need arises. 44 pages. (J Fic Hopkinson)
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester
Emma has taken care of the Butler children since Sarah and Frances's mother, Fanny, left. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, as a rift over slavery has ripped the Butler household apart. Now, to pay off debts, Pierce Butler wants to cash in his slave "assets", possibly including Emma. For grades 6 – 9. 177 pages. (J Fic Lester)
The Old African by Julius 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. For grades 4 – 7. 79 pages. (J Fic Lester)
Abby Takes a Stand by Pat McKissack
Gee recalls for her grandchildren what happened in 1960 in Nashville, Tennessee, when she, aged ten, passed out flyers while her cousin and other adults held sit-ins at restaurants and lunch counters to protest segregation. 104 pages. (J Fic McKissack)
Look to the Hills: The Diary of Lozette Moreau, a French Slave Girl by Patricia McKissack
Brought up in France as the African slave companion of a nobleman's daughter, thirteen-year-old Zettie records the events of 1763, when she and her mistress escape to the New World where they are inadvertently drawn into the hostilities of the ongoing French and Indian War. A Dear America book, for grades 4 – 5. 188 pages. (J Fic McKissack)
I, Dred Scott: A Fictional Slave Narrative Based on the Life and Legal Precedent of Dred Scott by Shelia P. Moses
Having served his master in northern states, under the provisions of the Missouri compromise the slave Dred Scott may be eligible for emancipation, but legal obstacles stand in the way of his freedom. 96 pages. (J Fic Moses)
The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers
Follows a family's two hundred forty-one year history, from the capture of an African boy in the 1750s through the lives of his descendants, as their dreams and circumstances lead them away from and back to the small plot of land in South Carolina that they call the Glory Field. 375 pages. (J Fic Myers)
The Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues by Walter Dean Myers
Teenager Biddy Owens' 1948 journal about working for the Birmingham Black Barons includes the games and the players, racism the team faces from New Orleans to Chicago, and his family's resistance to his becoming a professional baseball player. A My Name is America book, for grades 4 – 6. 141 pages. (J Fic Myers)
Drummer by George C. Richardson
A young slave, Johnny Jackson, escapes from a Confederate officer claiming to own him. With help, he makes his way to Philadelphia where he is permitted to join the First Pennsylvania Colored Infantry and becomes the drummer for Company A. 82 pages. (J Fic Richardson)
Numbering All the Bones by Ann Rinaldi
It is 1864, the Civil War is moving toward an end. President Lincoln has proclaimed his 'great measure,' and Southern slaves are slowly gaining their freedom. But for thirteen-year-old Eulinda, a house slave on a Georgia plantation, it is the most difficult time of her life. 170 pages. (J Fic Rinaldi)
Twelve Travelers, Twenty Horses by Harriette Robinet
On the way to California with their new master, thirteen-year-old Jacob, his mother, and other slaves are caught up in adventures that include trying to stop a plot to help the South secede from the Union. 192 pages. (J Fic Robinet)
Mama’s Window by Lynn Rubright
His dying mother's insistence leads an eleven-year-old black child to be raised by his disabled uncle, in the swamps of the Mississipi Delta in the early 1900s, and to recall her tireless work to fund a stained glass window for her church. 89 pages. (J Fic Rubright)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Midred D. Taylor
A black family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand. 276 pages. (J Fic Taylor)
Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor
During the Depression, a rural black family deeply attached to the forest on their land tries to save it from being cut down by an unscrupulous white man. 48 pages. (J Fic Taylor)
Black Storm Comin’ by Diane Lee Wilson
Twelve-year-old Colton, son of a black mother and a white father, takes a job with the Pony Express in 1860 after his father abandons the family on their California-bound wagon train, and risks his life to deliver an important letter that may affect the growing conflict between the North and South. For grades 7 – 10. 295 pages. (J Fic Wilson)
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson J Fic 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 family. For grades 3 – 5. (J Fic Woodson)
Freedom’s Wings by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
A nine-year-old slave keeps a diary of his journey to freedom along the Underground Railroad in 1857. A My America book for third graders; first in a trilogy. (J Fic Wyeth)
DVDs
Selma, Lord, Selma
Set in 1965, during the turbulent early days of the right-to-vote movement. The story of a young schoolgirl in Selma, Alabama, who is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to resist the degradation that her fellow African-Americans are suffering. 89 minutes. (J DVD Sel)
John Henry
Tells the legend of John Henry, the mightiest, doggone greatest nation builder the country's ever seen, who single-handedly defeats the steam drill in a steel-driving competition. For ages 5 and up. 30 minutes. (J DVD 398.22 Joh)
Abolishing Slavery in America
The enslavement of millions of African Americans stands as one of the darkest periods in the history of the United States. Explore significant events in the long-fought battle to abolish it. Includes one feature and three shorter segments. For grades 6 – 12. 56 minutes. (J DVD 973.7115 Abo)
Underground Railroad
Traces the journey to freedom taken by countless slaves, showing how they were guided, protected and pursued along the way. The extraordinary story is told through historical documents, visits to important sites, interviews with the descendants of noted abolitionists and commentary from experts. 150 minutes. (J DVD 973.7115 Und)
Whispers of Angels
White Quaker Abolitionist Thomas Garrett and William Still, a free, black anti-slavery activist, 'conducted' thousands of fugitives to freedom through the 'corridor of courage', through Maryland's Eastern Shore to the streets of Philadelphia. 60 minutes. (J DVD 973.7115 Whi)
Videos
And the Children Shall Lead
The civil rights movement is examined through the eyes of a 12-year-old black child living in a southern town. Young Rachel's family must decide whether to be a part of struggle for change.58 minutes.
Ruby Bridges
When bright six year old Ruby is chosen to be the first African American to integrate her local New Orleans elementary school, she is subjected to the true ugliness of racism for the very first time. 90 minutes. ( J DVD Rub and J Video Rub)
Jackie Torrence Presents – African-American Stories
Jackie Torrence, internationally acclaimed storyteller, shares some of her favorite stories from her collection of African-American stories. For grades 1 – 3. 29 minutes. (J Video 398.208996 Jac)
African American Life
Learn about America's history through the use of graphics and animations, live-action portrayals of historic figures and stories told from a child's point of view. Topics featured in this video include Resisting Slavery, Segregation, The Civil Rights Movement, The Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. For grades K – 4. 25 minutes. (J Video 973.0496 Afr)
CDs
I Got Shoes by Sweet Honey in the Rock
African-American spirituals and folk songs. (J CD 784 Swe)
Still the Same Me by Sweet Honey in the Rock (J CD 787 Swe)
Teach the Children by Medicine Man YaYa
Teaches children about Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Grandville T. Woods, Mary McCloud Bethune and Rosa Parks. (J CD 787.96 Med)
Walk Together Children: A Collection of the Most Cherished Spirituals (J CD 787.96 Wal)
Web Sites
African-American Odyssey sponsored by the Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/aohome.html
National Civil Rights Museum
http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/
New York Times Black History Month
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/issues_in_depth/20030116.html |
