February is Black History Month and we’ve got some great new children’s books that are perfect for reading this month or any time.
Baseball’s Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues by Andrea Williams.
Here is the riveting true story of the woman at the center of the Black baseball world: Effa Manley, co-owner and business manager of the Newark Eagles. Elegant yet gutsy, she cultivated a powerhouse team. Yet just as her Eagles reached their pinnacle, so did calls to integrate baseball, a move that would all but extinguish the Negro Leagues. For fans of Hidden Figures and Kadir Nelson’s We Are the Ship, Andrea Williams’s Baseball’s Leading Lady is the powerful true story of the first and only woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Harriet Tubman (She Persisted) by Andrea David Pinkney.
Born enslaved, Harriet Tubman rose up to become one of the most successful, determined and well-known conductors of the Underground Railroad. With her family’s love planted firmly in her heart, Harriet looked to the North Star for guidance–and its light helped guide her way out of slavery. Her courage made it possible for her to help others reach freedom too. In this chapter book biography by bestselling and award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney, readers learn about the amazing life of Harriet Tubman–and how she persisted. Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton!
The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy by Kekla Magoon.
Growing up in Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall could see that things weren’t fair. The laws said that Black and white people couldn’t use the same schools, parks, or water fountains. When Thurgood had to read the Constitution as punishment for a prank at school, his eyes were opened. It was clear to him that Jim Crow laws were wrong, and he was willing to do whatever it took to change them.
Lewis Latimer: Engineering Wizard (VIP) by Denise Lewis Patrick.
Lewis Latimer was one of the greatest inventors of his time. He was also an engineer who transformed the lightbulb at Thomas Edison’s company. And he was a gifted artist, too! Experience all the exciting moments in Lewis Latimer’s thrilling life in this exciting biography, packed with two-color illustrations and fun facts, like who invented the Super Soaker! Perfect for fans of the Who Was and Little Leaders series, the books in the VIP series tell the true–and amazing–stories of some of history’s greatest trailblazers.
This is Your Time by Ruby Bridges.
Written as a letter from civil rights activist and icon Ruby Bridges to the reader, This Is Your Time is both a recounting of Ruby’s experience as a child who had to be escorted to class by federal marshals when she was chosen to be one of the first black students to integrate into New Orleans’ all-white public school system and an appeal to generations to come to effect change. Ruby’s honest and impassioned words, imbued with love and grace, serve as a moving reminder that “what can inspire tomorrow often lies in our past.” This Is Your Time will electrify people of all ages as the struggle for liberty and justice for all continues and the powerful legacy of Ruby Bridges endures.
