Search Results
Subject=African Americans--Fiction.

The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation

Anderson, M. T.

The adventure continues! Dr. Trefusis accompanies Octavian as he flees to Boston, which is occupied by British forces. When Lord Dunmore offers freedom to slaves in return for their service against the revolution, will Octavian be tempted to join?.

Monster

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken.

El odio que das

Thomas, Angie.

"Starr es una chica de dieciséis años que vive entre dos mundos: el barrio pobre de gente negra donde nació, y su escuela situada en un elegante barrio residencial blanco. El difícil equilibrio entre ambos se hace añicos cuando ella es testigo de la muerte a tiros de su mejor amigo, Khalil, a manos de un policía. A partir de ese momento, todo lo que Starr diga acerca de la aterradora noche que cambió su vida podrá ser usado de excusa por unos y como arma por otros. Y lo peor de todo es que, tanto los de un lado como los de otro, la tienen en el punto de mira y amenazan con poner en riesgo su vida."--Oceanotravesia.mx.

Rebound

Alexander, Kwame, author.

In the summer of 1988, twelve-year-old Chuck Bell is sent to stay with his grandparents, where he discovers jazz and basketball and learns more about his family's past.

The crossover

Alexander, Kwame.

Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

Chains : seeds of America

Anderson, Laurie Halse.

After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.

The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation

Anderson, M. T.

After escaping a death sentence in the summer of 1775, Octavian and his tutor find shelter but no safe harbor in British-occupied Boston and, persuaded by Lord Dunmore's proclamation offering freedom to slaves who join his counterrevolutionary Royal Ethiopian Regiment, Octavian and his friends soon find themselves engaged in naval raids on the Virginia coastline as the Revolutionary War breaks out in full force.

Store bought baby

Belton, Sandra.

The death of Leah's beloved older brother, and her parents' reactions to the tragedy, raise questions for Leah about the meaning of family and about her place in her own.

Crossing Ebenezer Creek

Bolden, Tonya, author.

Freed from slavery, Mariah and her young brother Zeke join Sherman's march through Georgia, where Mariah meets a free black named Caleb and dares to imagine the possibility of true love, but hope can come at a cost.

Black angels

Brown, Linda Beatrice, 1939-

Three Southern children, two black and one white, escape from their homes during the horrors of the Civil War and, after meeting in the woods, gradually come to rely on each other as they make their way slowly north, enduring hunger, fear, sickness, and constant danger, before arriving in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.

Mississippi trial, 1955

Crowe, Chris.

In Mississippi in 1955, a sixteen-year-old finds himself at odds with his grandfather over issues surrounding the kidnapping and murder of a fourteen-year-old African American from Chicago.

Mare's war

Davis, Tanita S.

Teens Octavia and Tali learn about strength, independence, and courage when they're forced to take a car trip with their grandmother, who tells about growing up Black in 1940s Alabama and serving in Europe during World War II as a member of the Women's Army Corps.

Bang!

Flake, Sharon.

A teenage boy must face the harsh realities of inner city life, a disintegrating family, and destructive temptations as he struggles to find his identity as a young man.

The skin I'm in

Flake, Sharon.

Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark, meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries about how to love who she is and what she looks like.

New boy

Houston, Julian.

As a new sophomore at an exclusive New England boarding school, Rob is the first student of color in the school's history, while the Civil Rights movement is gaining steam back home in the South.

The first part last

Johnson, Angela.

Bobby's carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter.

The autobiography of an ex-coloured man

Johnson, James Weldon, 1871-1938

The porcupine of truth

Konigsberg, Bill, author.

Seventeen-year-old Carson Smith is bored with Billings, Montana, and resentful that he has to help his mother take care of his father, a dying alcoholic whom he has not seen in fourteen years--but then he meets Aisha, a beautiful African American girl who's run away from her own difficult family, and together they embark on a journey of discovery that may help them both come to terms with their lives.

Don't fail me now

LaMarche, Una.

Interracial half-siblings come together for the first time and embark on a cross-country road trip to confront their absentee father before he dies.

How it went down

Magoon, Kekla, author.

When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson is shot to death, his community is thrown into an uproar because Tariq was black and the shooter, Jack Franklin, is white, and in the aftermath everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events agree.

A blade so black

McKinney, L. L., author.

"An ... urban fantasy retelling of Alice in Wonderland ... The first time the nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew. Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she's ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head--literally"-- Provided by publisher.

Home

Morrison, Toni.

"The story of a Korean war veteran on a quest to save his younger sister"-- Provided by publisher.

Paradise

Morrison, Toni.

The legend of Buddy Bush

Moses, Shelia P.

In 1947, twelve-year-old Pattie Mae is sustained by her dreams of escaping Rich Square, North Carolina, and moving to Harlem when her Uncle Buddy is arrest for attempted rape of a white woman and her grandfather is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor.

Autobiography of my dead brother

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

Jesse uses his sketchbook and comic strips to make sense of his home in Harlem and the loss of a close friendship.

Darius & Twig

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

"Two best friends, a writer and a runner, deal with bullies, family issues, social pressures, and their quest for success coming out of Harlem"-- Provided by publisher.

Riot

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

In 1863, fifteen-year-old Claire, the daughter of an Irish mother and a black father, faces ugly truths and great danger when Irish immigrants, enraged by the Civil War and a federal draft, lash out against blacks and wealthy "swells" of New York City.

Sunrise over Fallujah

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

Robin Perry, from Harlem, is sent to Iraq in 2003 as a member of the Civilian Affairs Battalion, and his time there profoundly changes him.

Out of darkness

Pérez, Ashley Hope, author.

Loosely based on a school explosion that took place in New London, Texas, in 1937, this is the story of two teenagers: Naomi, who's Mexican, and Wash, who's black, and their dealings with race, segregation, love, and the forces that destroy people.

Into white

Pink, Randi, author.

"LaToya Williams lives in Montgomery, Alabama, and attends a mostly white high school. It seems as if her only friend is her older brother, Alex. Toya doesn't know where she fits in, but after a run-in with another student, she wonders if life would be different if she were ... different. And then a higher power answers her prayer: to be anything but black. Toya is suddenly white, blond, and popular. Now what?"--Provided by publisher.

Boy21

Quick, Matthew, 1973-

Finley, an unnaturally quiet boy who is the only white player on his high school's varsity basketball team, lives in a dismal Pennsylvania town that is ruled by the Irish mob, and when his coach asks him to mentor a troubled African American student who has transferred there from an elite private school in California, he finds that they have a lot in common in spite of their apparent differences.

The boy in the black suit

Reynolds, Jason, author.

Soon after his mother's death, Matt takes a job at a funeral home in his tough Brooklyn neighborhood and, while attending and assisting with funerals, begins to accept her death and his responsibilities as a man.

Hip-hop high school

Sitomer, Alan Lawrence.

Theresa Anderson is every kind of smart, but with the example of her super-achieving older brother towering above her, Theresa hasn't even been trying. How can a girl compete against the family favorite, especially when he's a certified local hero? Then she finds hip hop music, and Devon.

Spooks, spies, and private eyes : Black mystery, crime, and suspense fiction

Collection of mystery short stories and excerpts from longer works by African-American authors and black authors from other countries.

Uncle Tom's cabin

Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896.

A devoutly Christian slave becomes separated from his wife and family when he is sold to the brutal planter, Simon Legree.

The land

Taylor, Mildred D.

Paul-Edward, the son of a part-Indian, part-African slave mother and a White plantation owner father, finds himself caught between the two worlds of his parents as he pursues his dream of owning land in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Cane : an authoritative text, backgrounds, criticism

Toomer, Jean, 1894-1967.

Black and white

Volponi, Paul.

Two star high school basketball players, one black and one white, experience the justice system differently after committing a crime together and getting caught.

Rikers High

Volponi, Paul.

Arrested on a minor offense, a New York City teenager attends high school in the jail facility on Rikers Island, as he waits for his case to go to court.

The color purple : a novel

Walker, Alice, 1944-

Becoming Billie Holiday

Weatherford, Carole Boston, 1956-

Jazz vocalist Billie Holiday looks back on her early years in this fictional memoir written in verse.

Behind you

Woodson, Jacqueline.

After fifteen-year-old Jeremiah is mistakenly shot by police, the people who love him struggle to cope with their loss as they recall his life and death, unaware that 'Miah is watching over them.

When the black girl sings

Wright, Bil.

Adopted by white parents and sent to an exclusive Connecticut girls' school where she is the only black student, fourteen-year-old Lahni Schuler feels like an outcast, particularly when her parents separate, but after attending a local church where she hears gospel music for the first time, she finds her voice.

Bessie Smith and the night riders

Stauffacher, Sue, 1961-

African-American blues singer Bessie Smith single-handedly scares off Ku Klux Klan members who are trying to disrupt her show one hot July night in Concord, North Carolina.

Keeping the night watch

Smith, Hope Anita.

A thirteen-year-old African American boy chronicles what happens to his family when his father, who temporarily left, returns home and they all must deal with their feelings of anger, hope, abandonment, and fear.

What color is my world? : the lost history of African-American inventors

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, 1947-

While twins Ella and Herbie help the handyman Mr. Midal work on their new home, he tells them about such inventors as Granville Woods, Dr. Henry T. Sampson, and James West, giving them a new view of their heritage as African-Americans.

Addy learns a lesson : a school story

Porter, Connie Rose, 1959-

After escaping from a plantation in North Carolina, Addy and her mother arrive in Philadelphia, where Addy goes to school and learns a lesson in true friendship.

Addy's surprise : a Christmas story

Porter, Connie Rose, 1959-

Addy and her mother forgo their Christmas plans to help the newly freed slaves arriving in Philadelphia during the Civil War.

Ashes

Anderson, Laurie Halse, author.

"As the Revolutionary War rages on, Isabel and Curzon are reported as runaways, and the awful Bellingham is determined to track them down. With purpose and faith, Isabel and Curzon march on, fiercely determined to find Isabel's little sister Ruth, who is enslaved in a Southern state"-- Provided by publisher.

Forge

Anderson, Laurie Halse.

Separated from his friend Isabel after their daring escape from slavery, fifteen-year-old Curzon serves as a free man in the Continental Army at Valley Forge until he and Isabel are thrown together again, as slaves once more.

Bud, not Buddy

Curtis, Christopher Paul.

Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader H. E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

Jip : his story

Paterson, Katherine.

While living on a Vermont poor farm during 1855 and 1856, Jip learns his identity and that of his mother and comes to understand how he arrived at this place.

End zone

Barber, Tiki, 1975-

Co-captains Tiki and Ronde Barber lead their junior high teammates to the Virginia state football championship.

Kickoff!

Barber, Tiki, 1975-

Twelve-year-olds Tiki and Ronde tryout for the junior high footabll team and hope to not only get a spot but also to be a part of the starting lineup.

Trivia queen, 3rd grade supreme

Barnes, Derrick D.

When the Hope Road Academy holds its annual animal trivia contest, Ruby represents the third grade and competes against two of her older brothers.

Kinda like brothers

Booth, Coe.

"When his mother takes in a twelve-year-old foster boy, Jarrett is forced to share his room and his friends with the new boy"--OCLC.

Gloria rising

Cameron, Ann, 1943-

A chance meeting with a woman astronaut encourages Gloria to try to be her best self, even with her difficult fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Yardley.

Julian, dream doctor

Cameron, Ann, 1943-

Julian and Huey try to find the perfect birthday gift for Dad with amusing results.

Stealing freedom

Carbone, Elisa Lynn.

A novel based on the events in the life of a young slave girl from Maryland who endures all kinds of mistreatment and cruelty, including being separated from her family, but who eventually escapes to freedom in Canada.

Grandma's general store : the Ark

Carter, Dorothy (Dorothy A.)

In the 1930s when their parents go north to Philadelphia to find work, five-year-old Pearl and seven-year-old Prince must stay behind with their grandmother in Florida and help her run her small store.

Finding Langston

Cline-Ransome, Lesa.

Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied.

Jump ship to freedom

Collier, James Lincoln, 1928-

By rights young Daniel Arabus and his mother, slaves in Captain Iver's house in Stratford, Conn., should be free. But the Captain refuses to honor their agreement and instead sells Daniel on board a ship to the West Indies.

The mighty Miss Malone

Curtis, Christopher Paul.

Deza Malone, the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, accompanies her mother and older brother on a trip to find her father, an African American man who left to find work after the Great Depression hit. They end up in a Hooverville outside of Flint, Michigan, and her brother attempts to be a performer while Deza and her mother search for a home.

Mr. Chickee's messy mission

Curtis, Christopher Paul.

Flint Future Detective Club members Steven Carter and his friends Russell and Richelle follow Russell's dog, Rodney Rodent, into a mural to chase a demonic-looking gnome, only to find the mysterious Mr. Chickee on the other side.

The story of Jonas

Dahlberg, Maurine F., 1951-

In the mid-1800s, a slave boy dreams of escaping to freedom while on a journey from Missouri to the gold fields of Kansas Territory with his master's n'er-do-well son.

The journal of Biddy Owens : the Negro leagues

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

Teenager Biddy Owens' 1948 journal about working for the Birmingham Black Barons includes the games and the players, racism the team faces from New Orleans to Chicago, and his family's resistance to his becoming a professional baseball player. Includes a historical note about the evolution of the Negro Leagues.

The birthday storm

Draper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills)

Sassy and her family go to Florida during summer vacation to visit Grammy for her birthday, and when the weather takes a turn for the worse, Sassy learns that love is more important than decorations and caterers.

Little Sister is not my name!

Draper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills)

Nine-year-old Sassy Simone Sanford, known to her family members as "Little Sister," relies on her fashion sense and friends to help her solve any problems that come her way.

Stella by starlight

Draper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills)

When a burning cross set by the Klan causes panic and fear in 1932 Bumblebee, North Carolina, fifth-grader Stella must face prejudice and find the strength to demand change in her segregated town.

It all comes down to this

English, Karen.

"In the summer of 1965, Sophie's family becomes the first African Americans to move into their upper middle-class neighborhood in Los Angeles. When riots erupt in nearby Watts, she learns that life and her own place in it are a lot more complicated than they had seemed"-- Provided by publisher.

Substitute trouble

English, Karen.

While Ms. Shelby-Ortiz is recovering from an injury, substitute Mr. Willow takes over Nikki and Deja's third-grade class with disastrous results.

Nobody's boy

Fleischner, Jennifer.

A fictional story featuring historical figures, in which George, a slave boy in 1850s St. Louis, gains his freedom with his mother, future White House dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly, and decides to use his liberty to help others escape.

Armstrong & Charlie

Frank, Steven, 1963-

"During the pilot year of a Los Angeles school system integration program, two sixth grade boys, one black, one white, become best friends as they learn to cope with everything from first crushes and playground politics to the loss of loved ones and racial prejudice in the 1970s"--Provided by publisher.

Darby

Fuqua, Jonathon Scott.

In 1926, nine-year-old Darby Carmichael stirs up trouble in Marlboro County, South Carolina, when she writes a story for the local newspaper promoting racial equality.

Make way for Dyamonde Daniel

Grimes, Nikki.

Spunky third-grader Dyamonde Daniel misses her old neighborhood, but when she befriends a boy named Free, another new student at school, she finally starts to feel at home.

Jackie and me : a baseball card adventure

Gutman, Dan.

With his ability to travel through time by using baseball cards, Joe goes back to 1947 to meet Jackie Robinson, turning into a black boy in the process.

Time pieces : the book of times

Hamilton, Virginia.

Valena, her family, and dog live in rural Ohio, where she and her cousin Melinda share experiences that include seeing the aurora borealis, surviving a tornado, and going to an amazing circus.

Missy Violet & me

Hathaway, Barbara, 1944-

During the early 1900s, eleven-year-old Viney spends her summer working for the local midwife and learns firsthand about birth, death, and "catchin' babies."

Bird

Johnson, Angela, 1961-

Devastated by the loss of a second father, thirteen-year-old Bird follows her stepfather from Cleveland to Alabama in hopes of convincing him to come home, and along the way helps two boys cope with their difficulties.

Lost Goat Lane

Jordan, Rosa.

Two families--one white, one black--living near one another in rural Florida overcome their suspicions of each other and find ways to work together, with the help of their children and a few goats.

Leaving Gee's Bend

Latham, Irene.

Ludelphia Bennett, a determined, ten-year-old African American girl in 1932 Gee's Bend, Alabama, leaves home in an effort to find medical help for her sick mother, and she recounts her ensuing adventures in a quilt she is making.

The lions of Little Rock

Levine, Kristin (Kristin Sims), 1974-

Twelve-year-old Marlee develops a strong friendship with Liz, the new girl in school, but when Liz suddenly stops attending school and Marlee hears a rumor that her friend is actually an African American girl passing herself off as white, the two young girls must decide whether their friendship is worth taking on integration and the dangers it could bring to their families.

The season of Styx Malone

Magoon, Kekla.

"Caleb Franklin and his younger brother, Bobby Gene, spend an extraordinary summer their new, older neighbor, Styx Malone, a foster boy from the city"--Provided by publisher.

Away west

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

In 1879, thirteen-year-old Everett Turner leaves a life of struggle on his family's farm and runs away to St. Louis, where he works in a livery stable before heading to the all-Black town of Nicodemus, Kansas.

The home-run king

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

Eleven-year-old Tank and his older brother Jimbo, who both love baseball, can't believe their good fortune when Josh Gibson, home-run king of the Homestead Grays, stays at their house during a series in Nashville.

Never forgotten

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

A lyrical story-in-verse that details the experiences of an African boy who was kidnapped and sold into slavery.

A song for Harlem

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

In the summer of 1928, Lilly Belle Turner of Smyrna, Tennessee, participates in a young author's writing program, taught by Zora Neale Hurston and hosted by A'Lelia Walker in her Harlem teahouse at the height of the Harlem Renaissance.

Black angels

Murphy, Rita.

The summer of 1961 brings change to eleven-year-old Celli and her town of Mystic, Georgia, when her beloved Sophie becomes involved in the Civil Rights Movement and Celli learns a secret about the father who left her and her family long ago.

Beyond Mayfield

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux.

In 1961 the children of Mayfield are concerned with air-raid drills and fallout shelters, but the civil rights movement becomes real when a neighbor joins the Freedom Riders.

A good night for ghosts / #42

Osborne, Mary Pope.

Jack and Annie must travel back in time to New Orleans in 1915 to help a teenaged Louis Armstrong fulfill his destiny and become the "King of Jazz.".

The seventh most important thing

Pearsall, Shelley.

"In 1963, thirteen-year-old Arthur is sentenced to community service helping the neighborhood Junk Man after he throws a brick at the old man's head in a moment of rage, but the junk he collects might be more important than he suspects. Inspired by the work of American folk artist James Hampton"--Provided by publisher.

Bird in a box

Pinkney, Andrea Davis.

In 1936, three children meet at the Mercy Home for Negro Orphans in New York State, and while not all three are orphans, they are all dealing with grief and loss which together, along with the help of a sympathetic staff member and the boxing matches of Joe Louis, they manage to overcome. Includes author's notes.

Silent thunder : a Civil War story

Pinkney, Andrea Davis.

In 1862 eleven-year-old Summer and her thirteen-year-old brother Rosco take turns describing how life on the quiet Virginia plantation where they are slaves is affected by the Civil War.

As brave as you

Reynolds, Jason.

"When two brothers decide to prove how brave they are, everything backfires -- literally."--Provided by publisher.

Bayou magic

Rhodes, Jewell Parker.

Visiting her grandmother in the Louisiana bayou, ten-year-old Maddy begins to realize that she may be the only sibling to carry on the gift of her family's magical legacy.

Hang a thousand trees with ribbons : the story of Phillis Wheatley

Rinaldi, Ann.

A fictionalized biography of the eighteenth-century African woman who, as a child, was brought to New England to be a slave, and after publishing her first poem when a teenager, gained renown throughout the colonies as an important African-American poet.

Children of the fire

Robinet, Harriette.

A young African-American girl named Hallelujah lives through the great Chicago fire with courage and resourcefulness.

Yankee girl

Rodman, Mary Ann.

When her FBI-agent father is transferred to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1964, eleven-year-old Alice wants to be popular but also wants to reach out to the one black girl in her class in a newly-integrated school.

Small steps

Sachar, Louis, 1954-

Three years after being released from Camp Green Lake, Armpit is trying hard to keep his life on track, but when his old pal X-Ray shows up with a tempting plan to make some easy money scalping concert tickets, Armpit reluctantly goes along.

Zora and Me

Bond, Victoria, 1979-

A fictionalized account of Zora Neale Hurston's childhood with her best friend Carrie, in Eatonville, Florida, as they learn about life, death, and the differences between truth, lies, and pretending. Includes an annotated bibliography of the works of Zora Neale Hurston, a short biography of the author, and information about Eatonville, Florida.

The secret of Gumbo Grove

Tate, Eleanora E.

While helping restore the cemetery of the old Baptist church, eleven-year-old Raisin solves the mystery surrounding the founding of her home town and gains pride in her family's past.

The road to Memphis

Taylor, Mildred D.

Sadistically teased by two white boys in 1940's rural Mississippi, a black youth severely injures one of the boys with a tire iron and enlists Cassie's help in trying to flee the state.

Keena Ford and the second-grade mix-up

Thomson, Melissa, 1979-

Second grader Kenna Ford tries to do the right thing, but always seems to make things worse, especially when it comes to a mixed up birthday.

Piecing me together

Watson, Renée, author.

Tired of being singled out at her mostly-white private school as someone who needs support, high school junior Jade would rather participate in the school's amazing Study Abroad program than join Women to Women, a mentorship program for at-risk girls.

How to lose your cookie money

Wesley, Valerie Wilson.

When good-hearted third-grader Willimena spends her Girl Scout cookie money on lunch for some friends in need, she tries to creatively earn back the money she spent; ultimately she must face the consequences of not being responsible with the money.

Clayton Byrd goes underground

Williams-Garcia, Rita.

Clayton is forbidden by his mother from playing the blues after his grandfather dies and runs away to the subways to join a band.

P.S. be eleven

Williams-Garcia, Rita.

After spending the Summer of 1968 with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern return home to Brooklyn with a new feeling of independence, but they discover their father has a new girlfriend, Uncle Darnell has come home from Vietnam a changed man, and Big Ma still expects Delphine to take care of everything. Feeling overwhelmed, Delphine writes to her mother, who reminds her to enjoy being eleven and not grow up too fast.

The red rose box

Woods, Brenda (Brenda A.)

In 1953, Leah Hopper dreams of leaving the poverty and segregation of her home in Sulphur, Louisiana, and when Aunt Olivia sends train tickets to Los Angeles as part of her tenth birthday present, Leah gets a first taste of freedom.

Hush

Woodson, Jacqueline.

Twelve-year-old Toswiah finds her life changed when her family enters the witness protection program.

Crow

Wright, Barbara, 1951-

Moses Thomas's summer vacation in 1898 does not go as planned, and while he deals with family problems and fickle friends, Moses comes to be more aware of the escalating tension between the African American and white communities of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Get a hit, Mo!

Adler, David A.

"Mo Jackson is excited for his baseball game, but Coach Marie tells him he is batting last and playing right field, again. Will Mo ever get a hit?"--Provided by publisher.

Pass the ball, Mo!

Adler, David A.

"With the big game coming up, Mo Jackson, the shortest member of the basketball team, is determined to learn how to pass the ball in time to help his team win."--OCLC.

Crown : an ode to the fresh cut

Barnes, Derrick D.

Celebrates the magnificent feeling that comes from walking out of a barber shop with newly-cut hair.

The music in Derrick's heart

Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn.

Uncle Booker T., who makes magic by playing his harmonica music from his heart, spends the summer teaching Derrick how to play.

The Hallelujah Flight

Bildner, Phil.

In 1932, James Banning, along with his co-pilot Thomas Allen, make history by becoming the first African Americans to fly across the United States, relying on the generosity of people they meet in the towns along the way who help keep their "flying jalopy" going.

Lucky beans

Birtha, Becky, 1948-

During the Great Depression, Marshall, an African American boy, uses lessons learned in arithmetic class and guidance from his mother to figure out how many beans are in a jar in order to win her a new sewing machine in a contest.

More than anything else

Bradby, Marie.

Nine-year-old Booker works with his father and brother at the saltworks but dreams of the day when he'll be able to read.

Night running : how James escaped with the help of his faithful dog

Carbone, Elisa Lynn.

A runaway slave makes a daring escape to freedom with the help of his faithful hunting dog, Zeus. Based on the true story of James Smith's journey from Virginia to Ohio in the mid-1800s.

Let the children march

Clark-Robinson, Monica.

Under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, children and teenagers march against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.

To be a drum

Coleman, Evelyn, 1948-

Daddy Wes tells how Africans were brought to America as slaves, but promises his children that as long as they can hear the rhythm of the earth, they will be free.

Uptown

Collier, Bryan.

A tour of the sights of Harlem, including the Metro-North Train, brownstones, shopping on 125th Street, a barber shop, summer basketball, the Boy's Choir, and sunset over the Harlem River.

Firebird : ballerina Misty Copeland shows a young girl how to dance like the firebird

Copeland, Misty.

American Ballet Theater soloist Misty Copeland encourages a young ballet student, with brown skin like her own, by telling her that she, too, had to learn basic steps and how to be graceful when she was starting out, and that some day, with practice and dedication, the little girl will become a firebird, too. Includes author's note about dancers who led her to find her voice.

Just as good : how Larry Doby changed America's game

Crowe, Chris.

An African American family in Cleveland, Ohio, listens on their new radio to the first game of the 1948 World Series, in which Larry Doby, the first black player in the American League, won the game for the Cleveland Indians.

The bat boy & his violin

Curtis, Gavin.

Reginald is more interested in practicing his violin than in his father's job managing the worst team in the Negro Leagues, but when Papa makes him the bat boy and his music begins to lead the team to victory, Papa realizes the value of his son's passion.

A dance like starlight : one ballerina's dream

Dempsey, Kristy.

A young girl growing up in Harlem in the 1950s, whose mother cleans and stitches costumes for a ballet company, dreams of becoming a prima ballerina one day, and is thrilled to see a performance of Janet Collins, the first "colored" prima ballerina.

The baby on the way

English, Karen.

When a young boy asks his grandmother if she was ever a baby, she tells him the story of how she was born.

Shop talk

Ford, Juwanda G.

An African-American boy named Solomon explains why the local barbershop is his favorite place.

Bring me some apples and I'll make you a pie : a story about Edna Lewis

Gourley, Robbin.

Edna and members of her family gather fruits, berries, and vegetables on their Virginia farm and turn them into wonderful meals. Includes five recipes and facts about the life of Edna Lewis, a descendant of slaves who grew up to be a famous chef.

When Gorilla goes walking

Grimes, Nikki.

In this story told in a series of rhyming poems, Gorilla the cat enjoys answering the telephone, eating soul food, and sharing mischievous adventures with her young owner.

Going north

Harrington, Janice N.

A young African American girl and her family leave their home in Alabama and head for Lincoln, Nebraska, where they hope to escape segregation and find a better life.

Jamaica's find

Havill, Juanita.

A little girl finds a stuffed dog in the park and decides to take it home.

Nappy hair

Herron, Carolivia.

Various people at a backyard picnic offer their comments on a young girl's tightly curled, "nappy" hair.

Boundless Grace

Hoffman, Mary, 1945-

Grace is invited for a visit with her father and his new family in Africa.

Princess Grace

Hoffman, Mary, 1945-

Grace wants to participate in her community festival's princess float, but first she must decide what sort of a princess she wants to be--from an African princess in kente cloth robes to a floaty pink fairy tale princess.

From slave to soldier : based on a true Civil War story

Hopkinson, Deborah.

A boy who hates being a slave joins the Union Army to fight for freedom, and proves himself brave and capable of handling a mule team when the need arises.

Under the quilt of night

Hopkinson, Deborah.

A young girl flees from the farm where she has been worked as a slave and uses the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom in the north.

Black all around!

Hubbell, Patricia.

An African American girl contemplates the many wonderful black things around her, from the inside of a pocket, where surprises hide, to the cozy night where there is no light.

In plain sight

Jackson, Richard, 1935-

"An ailing grandfather and his helpful granddaughter play a unique game of seek and find"-- Provided by publisher.

Just like Josh Gibson

Johnson, Angela, 1961-

A young girl's grandmother tells her of her love for baseball and the day they let her play in the game even though she was a girl.

A sweet smell of roses

Johnson, Angela, 1961-

Two young girls participate in a freedom march and listen to Dr. Martin Luther King speak during the Civil Rights movement.

Of corn silk and black braids

Johnson, Vincent L.

After one bad hair day, Sarah doesn't feel good about herself, but Aunt Lubelle brings soothing comfort, a gentle touch, and ideas for a new hairstyle as Sarah discovers her deep down beauty.

Goggles!

Keats, Ezra Jack.

Two boys must outsmart the neighborhood bullies before they can enjoy their new treasure, a pair of lensless motorcycle goggles.

Please, baby, please

Lee, Spike.

A toddler's antics keep his mother busy as she tries to feed him, watch him on the playground, give him a bath, and put him to bed.

Henry's freedom box

Levine, Ellen.

A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.

Tree of hope

Littlesugar, Amy.

Florrie's daddy used to be a stage actor in Harlem before the Depression forced the Lafayette Theater to close, but he gets a chance to act again when Orson Welles reopens the theater to stage an all-black version of Macbeth.

The escape of Oney Judge : Martha Washington's slave finds freedom

McCully, Emily Arnold.

Young Oney Judge risks everything to escape a life of slavery in the household of George and Martha Washington and to make her own way as a free black woman.

Flossie & the fox

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

A wily fox, notorious for stealing eggs, meets his match when he encounters a bold little girl in the woods who insists upon proof that he is a fox before she will be frightened.

Precious and the Boo Hag

McKissack, Pat, 1944-

Home alone with a stomachache while the family works in the fields, a young girl faces up to the horrifying Boo Hag that her brother warned her about.

Lola at the library

McQuinn, Anna.

Every Tuesday Lola and her mother visit their local library to return and check out books, attend story readings, and share a special treat.

Singing for Dr. King

Medearis, Angela Shelf, 1956-

In 1965, third-grader Sheyann Webb and her friend Rachel West help change America by singing and marching for civil rights with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Includes activity ideas for parents and children.

New shoes

Meyer, Susan, 1960-

"In this historical fiction picture book, Ella Mae and her cousin Charlotte, both African American, start their own shoe store when they learn that they cannot try on shoes at the shoe store"--Provided by publisher.

The quickest kid in Clarksville

Miller, Pat Zietlow.

Growing up in the segregated town of Clarksville, Tennessee, in the 1960s, Alta's family cannot afford to buy her new sneakers--but she still plans to attend the parade celebrating her hero Wilma Rudolph's three Olympic gold medals.

Looking like me

Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-

Jeremy sets out to discover all of the different "people" that make him who he is, including brother, son, writer, and runner.

Who will I be, Lord?

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux.

A young girl recalls the stories she has been told about the members of her family and wonders what kind of person she will become.

In my momma's kitchen

Nolen, Jerdine.

A child describes the family events, like making apple jelly and having relatives visit, that center around Momma's kitchen.

Boycott blues : how Rosa Parks inspired a nation

Pinkney, Andrea Davis.

Uses the form of a blues song to share the story of the year-long bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, sparked by seamstress Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger in 1955, which resulted in a repeal of the Jim Crow segregation laws.

Peggony-Po : a whale of a tale

Pinkney, Andrea Davis.

Peggony-Po, carved out of wood by his father, a one-legged whaler, determines to catch the huge whale that ate his father's leg.

Max found two sticks

Pinkney, J. Brian.

Although he doesn't feel like talking, a young boy responds to questions by drumming on various objects, including a bucket, hat boxes, and garbage cans, echoing the city sounds around him.

Chicken Sunday

Polacco, Patricia.

To thank Miss Eula for her wonderful Sunday chicken dinners, three children sell decorated eggs to buy her a beautiful Easter hat.

These hands

Price, Hope Lynne.

Illustrations and simple text describe some of the many things the hands of a young African American girl and her family can do.

Ruth and The Green Book

Ramsey, Calvin A.

When Ruth and her parents take a motor trip from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandma, they rely on a pamphlet called "The Negro Motorist Green Book" to find places that will serve them. Includes facts about "The Green Book.".

Night boat to freedom

Raven, Margot Theis.

At the request of his fellow slave Granny Judith, Christmas John risks his life to take runaways across a river from Kentucky to Ohio. Based on slave narratives recorded in the 1930s.

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the sky

Ringgold, Faith.

With Harriet Tubman as her guide, Cassie retraces the steps escaping slaves took on the Underground Railroad in order to reunite with her younger brother.