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.
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Knockin’ on wood
Presents a picture book biography of Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates, an African American who lost his leg in a factory accident at the age of twelve and went on to become a world-famous tap dancer.
Ava’s big move
"Ava's big move gives a voice to a bright eyed little girl as she is set to leave her home, and all of her favorite things, in preparation for her mom's new job. The book demonstrates the power of positive thinking, supports the notion that all things end well, and celebrates the peace that is found in forming new relationships. Join Ava as she navigates the complete series explaining life, and all the exciting adventures it offers, as only a child can"-- Amazon.com
The secret to freedom
Great Aunt Lucy tells a story of her days as a slave, when she and her brother, Albert, learned the quilt code to help direct other slaves and, eventually, Albert himself, to freedom in the North
Philip Reid saves the statue of freedom
Philip Reid was an enslaved African American who volunteered to work with the delicate plaster mold needed to create Freedom, the statue that stands atop the capital building in Washington, D.C
A fine dessert
Depicts families, from England to California and from 1710 to 2010, preparing and enjoying the dessert called blackberry fool. Includes a recipe and historical notes
Dave the potter
Chronicles the life of Dave, a nineteenth-century slave, and a potter, who went on to become an influential poet and artist
Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation
Young Benjamin Holmes, a slave in Charleston who has taught himself to read, reads Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation to his fellow slaves in prison
Seven miles to freedom
"A biography of Robert Smalls who, during the Civil War, commandeered the Confederate ship Planter to carry his family and twelve other slaves to freedom, and went on to become a United States Congressman working toward African American advancement"--Provided by publisher
Ron’s big mission
One summer day in 1959, nine-year-old Ron McNair, who dreams of becoming a pilot, walks into the Lake City, South Carolina, public library and insists on checking out some books, despite the rule that only white people can have library cards. Includes facts about McNair, who grew up to be an astronaut
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