| African American Heroes Jan 7th 2012, 11:04 The following books not only provide an introduction to the lives of African American freedom fighters your children should know about, but among them they also provide a historical overview of the fight for civil rights waged by African Americans in the last several centuries up to the present, including the eras of slavery and the civil rights movement. All would be enhanced by family or classroom discussion about them. 
Penguin This fascinating book combines striking sepia-toned portraits by Ansel Pitcairn with three-page text profiles of 20 African-American men and women, written by Tonya Bolden. While there are similar books that focus on the nineteenth century, this book is unique in that it includes the nineteenth through the twenty-first centuries in its profiles of remarkable men and women. Recommended for mature seven years old through high school age. (ISBN: 0525470433. Dutton Children’s Books, 2003) Read my review of Portraits of African-American Heroes. Andrea Davis Pinkney's award-winning book is written for 9-12 year olds. It presents the dramatic stories of 10 women, including Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ella Josephine Baker, Rosa Parks, and Shirley Chisholm. The first page of each biography faces a stunning portrait, with striking allegorical images, by artist Stephen Alcorn. (Harcourt, 2000. ISBN: 015201005X) Read my review of Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters. 
Penguin Group The historic story of the Greensboro sit-ins is told from the perspective of a young African American girl, Connie. At the beginning of 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina, as in other parts of the country, there are still many places that serve "whites only." When four African American college students stage a sit-in at the Woolworth's lunch counter seeking to be served like other customers, Connie's older brother and sister join the sit-ins and she helps make posters for the protesters. The book by Carole Boston Weatherford tells the story of life in Greensboro prior to the February 1, 1960 sit-in and the protests and changes that come as a result of the months-long sit-ins.   (Puffin Books, Penguin Group, 2005. ISBN: 9780142408940) Read my review of Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins. 
Hyperion Books for Children This large picture book biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. was written by Doreen Rappaport, with dramatic and moving cut paper collage and watercolor artwork by Bryan Collier. Quotations by the civil rights leader are highlighted throughout the book, which also includes helpful author's and illustrator's notes, a timeline, and other resources. (Jump at the Sun, Hyperion Books, 2001. ISBN: 9780786807147) Escorted by federal marshals, a six year old girl became the first African American student to integrate an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960. Ruby Bridges' "Through My Eyes" was edited by Margo Lundell and provides a very personal view of a moment in history. The well-designed, 60-page book includes compelling photographs and related documents. (Scholastic, 1999. ISBN: 0590189239) ) Artwork by fifteen Coretta Scott King Award- and Honor Book- winning illustrators accompanies the text of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s eloquent 1963 "I have a dream" speech. The illustrators include Leo and Diane Dillon, Ashley Bryan, and Brian Pinkney. The artwork varies considerably in style and mood, yet effectively complements King's moving words. (Scholastic, 1997. ISBN: 0590205161) Written by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis B. Fradin, this book is for children 11 and up. Ida B. Wells, who was born in 1862, fought a national campaign against lynching. Her story is a fascinating one. Her work as a journalist and civil rights activist is examined in the 200 page book. The text is enhanced with historical photographs. (Houghton Mifflin, 2000. ISBN: 0395898986) This informational picture book by Pamela Duncan Edwards provides an introduction to Rosa Parks' life in Alabama when it was a "Jim Crow" state with strict rules segregating people by race. The artwork by Danny Shanahan - large pen and watercolor illustrations and small sketches of several children who help to narrate and clarify the text - add to the readers' understanding. The repetition of "...because one woman was brave" underscores Parks' impact. (Houghton Mifflin, 2005. ISBN: 0618449116) Heeding his grandmother’s advice to “be someone,†W.W. Law not only delivered the mail as a U.S. postman, he also delivered justice, leading the successful effort to end segregation in Savannah, Georgia. Full page illustrations by artist Benny Andrews face each page of text by Jim Haskins and add to the dramatic impact. At book’s end, there’s a photograph of W.W. Law and more information about his fight for civil rights. (Candlewick Press, 2005. ISBN: 0763625922) Are there other books about African American freedom fighters that you would recommend? Join the discussion on the About Children's Books Forum.  | |
![[i]Let It Shine[i] cover art](http://0.tqn.com/d/childrensbooks/1/0/W/1/letitshine.jpg)
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