Read-Alouds are an integral part of our homeschool. There's something about snuggling up on the couch and reading together that makes our homeschool, well, work. For Black History month, we read books about inspiring African-Americans. These are some of our favorite Black History month read aloud books. Join us in reading or listening and don't forget your free printable book list at the bottom of this post you can take to the library.
Check out this great list of read-aloud books for Black History month and Printable #ihsnet #homeschool #blackhistorymonth
Brown Girl Dreaming
This is actually a book of poems, but like Love That Dog, it is also a narrative. Brown Girl Dreaming tells the story of the author growing up in the Civil Rights Movement.
Elijah of Buxton
This is a historical novel about young Elijah who is born free but tells the stories of slaves who escaped to freedom. Prepare to get a little teary-eyed... well, at least I did.
Elijah of Buxton is heartwrenching and wonderful.
We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
by Kadir Nelson
This book tells the story of the Negro Baseball League. It is perfect for a baseball fan.
Read We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball and "play ball!"
Bud, Not Buddy
This book is funny and has a fabulous vocabulary. A fantastic read-aloud (and even better on Audible).
We loved this book so much that I created an online book club to go along with it. You can check out a sneak peek at the bottom of this article.
One Crazy Summer
This is the story of three young sisters who travel across the country to spend the summer with their mother and experience a very different summer vacation plan than what they had expected. This was a favorite with my middle school daughter.
Read One Crazy Summer with your crazy daughter!
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
I know. Another book by Christopher Paul Curtis. His books are great. They have humor and tell stories about serious subjects. They draw you in and keep you reading.
The Watsons Go To Birmingham will NOT disappoint.
Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring: A Spy on History Book
by Enigma Alberti (Author), Tony Cliff (Illustrator)
Did you know that there was a woman who posed as a slave to get confidential information during the Civil War?
Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring tells the story of this amazing spy with an interactive story!
Go Free or Die: A Story about Harriet Tubman
Go Free or Die is a short book about the story of Harriet Tubman, a slave who escaped to freedom on the Underground Railroad and then came back to save others.
Up from Slavery
Up From Slavery is the autobiography of the renowned teacher and founder of the Tuskgee Institute. Booker T. Washington tells his story of life as a slave to the advisor to presidents.
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans
by Kadir Nelson
Beautiful pictures and arresting narration from an elderly African-American woman tell the story of early American history from her perspective in Heart and Soul.
What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors
by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld, A.G. Ford (Illustrator), Ben Boos (Illustrator)
Basketball legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, entertains with this living history book about African-American inventors in What Color is My World?
The Kidnapped Prince: The Life of Olaudah Equiano
by Olaudah Equiano, Ann Cameron (adapted by)
This true story is about the life of Olaudah Equiano who was kidnapped and sold as a slave. After buying his freedom, he wrote this autobiography in 1789.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
by Bryan Mealer (Author), William Kamkwamba (Author)
William Kamkwamba tells his story of how he educated himself and saved his community by building a windmill that harnessed the power of the wind and created electricity.
Read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and learn the power of reading.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Reader's Edition
by Bryan Mealer (Author), William Kamkwamba (Author)
For a shorter book, read the Young Reader's Edition of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
This edition is just as good with a lighter feel.
Inspire your kids to read by enrolling in our online family book clubs. Learn about the lives of African Americans during the Depression in Bud, Not Buddy.
Get a Sneak Peek below!
If this is your first book club....
Adding adventure to education in a Bud, Not Buddy book club.
Hi, I’m Dachelle. I’m a homeschooling mom of 3 in the South. I love chocolate and have been known to hide it from my children. I can often be found reading a good book (or even sometimes just an okay book) and enjoying a jar of Nutella — don’t judge. I blog, here, at HideTheChocolate.com when I’m not creating book clubs and making lists…lots and lots of lists (it’s an addiction). Learn more…
Visiting from #LMMLinkup. This looks like a great list of books. I’m going to see if my library has any of them!
Great! I’m heading to the library myself.
This is a great list. We also really enjoyed A Pocketful of Goobers, about George Washington Carver.
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll check them out.
These books look really good! We need to incorporate more African American books into our homeschool, as we tend to focus on classics.