It’s no question that students should be exposed to inclusive reading no matter which month it is. But Black History Month in particular represents a unique time during which we can and should dedicate additional space to honoring and elevating Black voices and stories.

Whether your students are new to reading or preparing to enter a world that is larger and more diverse than ever before, books are one of the best ways to introduce them to new perspectives and provide them a reflective lens through which they can view their own life experiences and truly see themselves in their reading.

With that in mind, our OverDrive librarians have curated a list of recommended reading for students of all ages to help educators celebrate and amplify Black voices – not just during Black History Month, but all year round –  whether your readers are in the classroom or at home.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

  1. All Because You Matter by Tami Charles and Bryan Collier)
  2. Amari and the Night Brothers: Amari and the Night Brothers Series, Book 1 by B. B. Alston
  3. Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia D. Williams and Jacqueline Alcántara
  4. My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World by Malcolm Mitchell and Michael Robertson
  5. The Old Truck by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey
  6. Root Magic by Eden Royce
  7. She Persisted: Claudette Colvin by Lesa Cline-Ransome, Chelsea Clinton, Alexandra Boiger and Gillian Flint
  8. Sprouting Wings: The True Story of James Herman Banning, the First African American Pilot to Fly Across the United States by Louisa Jaggar, Shari Becker and Floyd Cooper
  9. Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles
  10. Twins: Twins Series, Book 1 by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
  11. Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson and Nina Mata
  12. We Wait for the Sun by Katie McCabe and Raissa Figueroa
  13. Who Is Kamala Harris? by Kirsten Anderson, Who HQ and Manuel Gutierrez
  14. William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad by Don Tate and Don Tate

MIDDLE SCHOOL

  1. Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink
  2. The Beautiful Struggle (Adapted for Young Adults) by Ta-Nehisi Coates
  3. Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson, Kwame Alexander and Dawud Anyabwile
  4. Class Act by Jerry Craft
  5. Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi
  6. Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes
  7. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
  8. Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds, Danica Novgorodoff
  9. Love Is a Revolution by Renée Watson
  10. Notes from a Young Black Chef (Adapted for Young Adults) by Kwame Onwuachi
  11. Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam
  12. This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges
  13. Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies by DK and Mireille Harper
  14. Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo, Olivia Gatwood, Theodore Taylor, III and Jason Reynolds

HIGH SCHOOL

  1. The Awakening of Malcolm X: A Novel Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson
  2. The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson
  3. Chlorine Sky (Mahogany L. Browne)
  4. Concrete Rose (Angie Thomas)
  5. Dear Justyce (Nic Stone)
  6. Happily Ever Afters (Elise Bryant)
  7. Like Home (Louisa Onome)
  8. The Meet-Cute Project (Rhiannon Richardson)
  9. Muted (Tami Charles)
  10. One Carefree Day (Whitney Amazeen)
  11. Roman and Jewel (Dana L. Davis)
  12. When You Look Like Us (Pamela N. Harris)
  13. Wings of Ebony (J. Elle)
  14. Yesterday Is History (Kosoko Jackson)

text on background celebrate & educate black history month in soraFor additional Black History Month resources, including extra title recommendations and marketing materials, check out the OverDrive Resource Center, where you can download our Black History Month marketing kit (which includes nine shareable social media graphics, a poster and a half-sheet), browse diverse reading lists and more.

Additional reading lists: