The winter holidays always sneak up on me! Starting in the summer, I think about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I browse ideas on Pinterest and Instagram for beautiful bulletin board displays, picture book ideas, and student gifts. Once the school year is in full swing, I swear I blink and it’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day! The list of Black History Month books for kids below are perfect for MLK day, but can be used any time of the school year. In fact, I encourage you to use the read alouds throughout the year! These picture books about black history are a great way to teach this topic. Check out the list of Black History Month books for kids below!
This post highlights the following books:
6 Black History Month Books for Kids
Below are 6 black history month books for kids. Your students will really enjoy listening to these kids books about black history! Not only are they great winter read alouds, but can be used any time of the year!
1. Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
The first story on this list of black history books for kids is Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. It is a nonfiction picture book that teaches children about the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students will learn what life was like for Martin growing up and how he became a leader in the fight for equal rights.
Throughout the book, the author includes actual quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. This book explains how Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged people to use their words to make change and the impact he had on the country. This story follows Martin all the way from childhood through the end of his life. This is one of my favorite Black History Month children’s books! I liked it so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection!
Check out these Martin’s Big Words activities!
2. My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris
The book, My Brother Martin, is written by Christine King Farris, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s sister. Throughout the book, Christine shares stories of her childhood growing up with Martin. The children were raised in Atlanta, Georgia. As children, they liked playing outside and even pulled pranks on their neighbors and piano teacher.
The siblings grew up playing outside with all of the neighborhood children, even the white children whose family owned the store down the street. Martin and his brother E.D., looked forward to playing outside with the other children. One day, the boys came home alone. The two white boys would not play with them because they were black. That was the first time Martin and his siblings experienced the injustice of segregation. It was that day that Martin made a promise to his mother, he was going to change the world.
Children will enjoy listening to Christine’s stories of her childhood with Martin.
Check out these My Brother Martin activities!
3. The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson
A young student receives an assignment in school to create a flag about her ancestry. Although her peers know exactly what to create, she struggles and feels embarrassed not to know more about her previous generations. Talking with her grandmother, she learns all about her ancestor’s past.
Her grandmother shares that in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America on the White Lion, only to be enslaved for white people.
Her grandma goes back even further too, sharing that before this, her ancestors had a land, a language, and a home. She continues by sharing about how those born on the water survived.
With this, The 1619 Project: Born on the Water is a beautiful story, sharing the the chronicles of those enslaved, written in verse.
Check out these The 1619 Project activities!
4. The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander
Originally from ESPN’s Undefeated, this story is written as a poem throughout the pages. This book covers ground from the deep trauma of slavery, to the bravery of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to the more recent Serena sisters.
This beautiful text includes detailed illustrations, rich vocabulary, and a timeline of all that African-Americans have endured.
Check out these The Undefeated activities!
5. Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
The fifth story on this list of the best children’s books for black history month is Henry’s Freedom Box. Henry grew up as a slave. When he gets older, he is able to marry another slave who is owned by someone else. They have several children, and they get to live together. One day, the owner of Henry’s wife sells her and her kids, and Henry is heartbroken. With the help of both his friend James and Dr. Smith, a white man against slavery, Henry mails himself to Philadelphia in a box in order to escape. After enduring the uncomfortable journey, Henry is able to make his way to Philadelphia and secure his freedom.
Check out these Henry’s Freedom Box activities!
6. Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Harriet may have been seen at the end of her life as a wrinkly, achy old woman. But, this story shows how she earned those wrinkles. Sequencing the various aspects and roles in her life, students will learn about her beginning years as a slave, eventually becoming a conductor in the Underground Railroad and fighting in the Civil War.
This beautifully written story shows the incredible journey Harriet made to empower others and how her legacy still impacts us today.
Check out these Before She Was Harriet activities!
7. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
The seventh read aloud on this list of black history children’s books is The Story of Ruby Bridges. This book details the struggles that six-year old Ruby Bridges endured when she was chosen to attend an all-white, segregated school as a black girl.
All of the other students’ parents pulled their children out of school because of her, and so she was forced to attend class all alone. She was escorted by U.S. Marshalls every morning, as she had to listen to jeers and insults being thrown at her while she was entering the school.
Despite these hardships, Ruby’s courage through non-violent actions did so much for the civil rights movement, and later that year, two white boys started to attend school with her. This inspirational true story teaches children that, no matter what age you are, anyone can be a trailblazer for change. This story will quickly become one of your favorite Black History Month picture books.
Check out these The Story of Ruby Bridges activities!
8. Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
Let the Children March tells the true story about children in Birmingham, Alabama that participated in a march for freedom. Dr. King met with black members of the community and told them he thought it was time for them to march. Many of the adults felt they could not march for they might lose their job and they had families to feed. The main characters in this book, a sister and brother, decided that it should be the children that march this time. Reading aloud this book is a great way to teach children about the impact the children’s march had on history.
Check out these Let the Children March activities!
Grab the Free Reading Resources!
We hope you found this list of Black History Month books for kids helpful! These are some of the best best picture books for Black History Month. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
