LibraryAware #BlackLivesMatter J

Fiction

Betty Before X
by Ilyasah Shabazz

A powerful middle-grade novel about the childhood activism of Malcolm X's wife, written by their daughter, describes how young Betty finds confidence and purpose by volunteering for the Housewives League in 1945 Detroit, learning skills and developing awareness that inspires her future as a Civil Rights icon.

Black Brother, Black Brother
by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Routinely compared to his submissive lighter-skinned brother, a black boy at an elitist prep school is unfairly suspended in the wake of an incident involving the school bully, whom he tries to defeat in a fencing competition. By the award-winning author of Ghost Boys.

Blended
by Sharon M. Draper

Piano-prodigy Isabella, eleven, whose black father and white mother struggle to share custody, never feels whole, especially as racial tensions affect her school, her parents both become engaged, and she and her stepbrother are stopped by police

Clean Getaway
by Nic Stone

An 11-year-old boy confronts the realities of race relations, past and present, and his unconventional grandmother’s mysterious agenda during an unplanned Spring Break road trip through the once-segregated American South. By the award-winning author of Dear Martin.

Genesis Begins Again
by Alicia Williams

A 13-year-old girl who is so oppressed by low self-esteem that she keeps a list of the things she hates about herself must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to learn to love herself.

Ghost Boys
by Jewell Parker Rhodes

After seventh-grader Jerome is shot by a white police officer, he observes the aftermath of his death and meets the ghosts of other fallen black boys including historical figure Emmett Till.

A Good Kind of Trouble
by Lisa Moore Ramée

Strictly following the rules to pursue her junior-high ambitions, 12-year-old Shayla is forced to choose between her education and her identity when her sister joins the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of a powerful protest.

Harbor Me
by Jacqueline Woodson

When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they're together, it's safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world.

The Lions of Little Rock
by Kristin Levine

In 1958 Little Rock, Arkansas, painfully shy twelve-year-old Marlee sees her city and family divided over school integration, but her friendship with Liz, a new student, helps her find her voice and fight against racism

Midnight Without a Moon
by Linda Williams Jackson

Living with her sharecropper grandparents on a white man's mid-20th-century cotton plantation, Rose Lee Carter joins local resistance activities in the wake of a black youth's murder by a white mob that has been unjustly acquitted.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred D. Taylor

This winner of the 1977 Newbery Medal tells of one family's struggle to overcome the prejudices and hate they face in the deep south of Mississippi during the Great Depression.

Ruby Lee & Me
by Shannon Hitchcock

When a formerly segregated North Carolina town hires its first African-American teacher, two girls—one black, one white—confront the prejudice that challenges their friendship. By the award-winning author of The Ballad of Jessie Pearl.

Stella by Starlight
by Sharon M. Draper

Growing up in the segregated South where they accept the disparities in how they are treated, Stella and her little brother witness a terrible event that compels them to fight back and trigger fundamental changes. By the Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of Out of My Mind.

Things Too Huge to Fix By Saying Sorry
by Susan Vaught

Struggling to stay optimistic when her wise grandma begins succumbing to Alzheimer's and her friend suddenly turns cold, Dani teams up with two other kids to find her grandma's hidden key and envelope before uncovering surprising secrets about the desegregation history of her Mississippi town. By the Edgar Award-winning author of Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy.

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

You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!
by Alex Gino

When her baby sister is born deaf, Jilly makes an online connection with a fellow fantasy fan, who happens to be black and deaf, and begins to learn about the many obstacles that exist in the world for people who are different from her

Nonfiction

Buried Lives: The Enslaved People of George Washington's Mount Vernon
by Carla Killough McClafferty

Draws on primary source documents and photographs of historical artifacts to examine the lives of men and women enslaved by the Washington family, and includes information on the present-day archeological survey of Mount Vernon's Slave Cemetery

Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship
by Irene Latham

Poems from the alternating perspectives of two students explore such topics as hair, hobbies, and family dinners

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
by Phillip M. Hoose

Presents the life of the Alabama teenager who played an integral but little-known role in the Montgomery bus strike of 1955-1956, once by refusing to give up a bus seat, and again, by becoming a plaintiff in the landmark civil rights case against the buscompany

Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
by Russell Freedman

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, a movement was set in motion that led to other nonviolent boycotts, marches, and walks--resulting in the civil rights movement and major social changes throughout the nation.

Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Moving text and glorious portraits celebrate the lives of 10 bold women freedom fighters of the Civil Rights Movement, including Sojournor Truth, Biddy Mason, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ella Josephine Baker, Dorothy Irene Height, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer and Shirley Chisholm. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.

Let's Talk About Race
by Julius Lester

Offers readers a poetic introduction to the topic of race as the differences and unique features of races are celebrated while discussing the important bond everyone shares with one another as human beings through many common similarities.

Rise Up! The Art of Protest
by Jo Rippon

Human rights belong to every single one of us, but they are often under threat. Developed in collaboration with Amnesty International, Rise Up! encourages young people to engage in peaceful protest and stand up for freedom. Photographs of protest posters celebrate the ongoing fight for gender equality, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, refugee and immigrant rights, peace, and the environment.

This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work
by Tiffany Jewell

Discusses social identities, describes the history of racism and the resistance against it, and offers guidance on becoming an anti-racist voice to move the world toward equality

This Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality
by Jo Ann Allen Boyce

A versed account shares the firsthand experiences of one of the young people who made history by joining 11 other African American students to integrate Central High School in 1956 Little Rock, describing how it felt to be rendered a civil rights spokesperson in the face of daunting national protests.

The Undefeated
by Kwame Alexander

The Newbery Award-winning author of The Crossover celebrates black American heroism and culture in a picture-book rendering of his performance on ESPN's "The Undefeated." Illustrated by the Caldecott Honor-winning artist of Henry's Freedom Box.

What Was the March on Washington?
by Kathleen Krull

Describes the 1963 March on Washington, helmed by Martin Luther King, Jr., where over two hundred thousand people gathered to demand equal rights for all races, and explains why this event is still important in American history today.

Who Was Nelson Mandela?
by Pam Pollack

Illustrated biographies featuring a range of fascinating figures from history (and current figures, too!) provide great information and entertainment through short chapters and illustrations that will appeal to reluctant readers as well as middle readers in general.

Young Civil Rights Heroes
by Allan Zullo

Documents the stories of ten real-life young people who were heroes of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, including those who integrated schools, took part in Freedom Rides, and were jailed for participating in demonstrations

Podcasts

Activisit You! Podcast

Activist, You! is a brand new youth podcast focusing on social justice. Every episode features an interview with different kid and teen activists, learning about their dedicated social justice topic, and how and why they became activists. They recently had an episode with a teen racial justice activist with the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Ear Snacks Episode: "The Love" with Alphabet Rockers

This musical podcast episode features the group Alphabet Rockers and their Grammy-nominated album THE LOVE. This album is an intergenerational hip hop album giving voice to what matters: love, belonging, and justice for all of us.

Flyest Fables Podcast

Flyest Fables brings you anthology style and critically acclaimed hopepunk fables for the 21st century from a trans-Black storyteller.

Girl Tales Episode: "Rapunzel" by Jahna Ferron-Smith

Rapunzel is a reimagining of the classic fairytale, with a curly, coarse, courageous twist! This time, Rapunzel goes on an adventure, makes a long-lasting friendship, and uses her smarts and Black Girl Magic to become her own hero.

Kojo For Kids: Jason Reynolds Talks About Racism And The Protests

Best-selling YA author Jason Reynolds has grappled with racism personally and in his writing. The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature also recently co-authored a book for young people on fighting racism: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. Reynolds joins Kojo For Kids to help us understand what has led to the tensions we’ve seen over the last week, and to talk about why racism persists and what we can do to build a less racist society.

Stoopkid Stories Episode: "Seeing McKinley, Pt. 1"

This podcast is a compilation of fun and exciting stories written by Melissa Victor. Each episode, a new character will face a new adventure and will have to overcome different obstacles dealing with their friends, family, school, and community. In “Seeing McKinley, Pt 1,” listeners meet Mickey, a girl on the receiving end of microaggressions, which are hurtful comments or actions based on race, gender, or religion, at school. Learn how McKinley deals with the situation and how you can amplify Black voices.

This Day in History Class Episode: “Gwendolyn Brooks born June 7, 1917”

This short episode is about the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize, Gwendolyn Brooks. Listeners learn about Brooks’ pathway from having her first poem published to honing her craft and speaking out more boldly around issues of race.