Our intention is to acquire and make available ALL picture books featuring indigenous people and people of color published in the U.S. since 2002, including reprints. Inclusion of a title in the collection DOES NOT EQUAL recommendation. See our related readings page for suggested links for evaluating books.
Crossing Bok Chitto
In the 1800s, a Choctaw girl becomes friends with a slave boy from a plantation across the great river, and when she learns that his family is in trouble, she helps them cross to freedom
The legendary Miss Lena Horne
Surveys the life of the singer, actress, and civil rights activist, describing her childhood, early years in vaudeville, and achievements as the first African American actress to be offered a studio contract
Midnight teacher
"The life of Lilly Ann Granderson, an enslaved teacher who strongly believed in the power of education and risked her life to teach others during slavery. Includes afterword and sources"--Provided by publisher
Summer of 1969
"It was the summer of 1969, and things were about to change in the life of Cozett Juanita Gambrel. Integration of public schools had begun, and she would be the only black child in her new class. Her wise mother spent the summer laying the foundation of strength and love which would be needed to face the changes. "Bring forth the heart of a child, dear Lord," her mother prayed each night, for she knew the pure heart of a child did not see race but only love and friendship. ... based on the real life account of Juanita Gambrel Floyd"--Cover page 4
Daddy played the blues
When they are forced to leave their Mississippi farm, young Cassie and her family head north to Chicago in search of a better life, but never lose their blues- playing roots. Includes Author's Note and short biographies of 11 blues artists
Mississippi morning
Amidst the economic depression and the racial tension of the 1930s, a boy discovers a horrible secret of his father's involvement in the Ku Klux Klan. It was 1933 and life was good for James William. Piece by piece, however, his comfortable life begins to unravel. First he learns that the burning of a black man's house was not accidental. Then his fishing buddy LeRoy tells him about the hanging tree and the Klan. Though he accepts that blacks and whites can't drink from the same fountains because "that's the way it is," James William can't believe that racial hatred exists in his own community until he comes face to face with a Klan member. A thought- provoking story of one boy's loss of naivete in the face of harsh historical realities, Mississippi Morning will challenge young readers to question their own assumptions and confront personal decisions
The amazing age of John Roy Lynch
"A picture book biography of John Roy Lynch, one of the first African-Americans elected into the United States Congress"--Provided by publisher
Oprah
An illustrated biography that depicts television host Oprah Winfrey's childhood, covering her desire from a young age to talk for a living and other details of her upbringing
When Grandmama sings
An eight-year-old girl accompanies her grandmother on a singing tour of the segregated South, both of them knowing that Grandmama's songs have the power to bring people together