These biographies of notable Black Americans throughout the nation's history, many of whom brought about changes great and small that improved this country in countless ways.
You can find many biographies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on our page celebrating his birthday.
From NYT bestselling author Tracey Baptiste comes a singular picture book that is both a biography about Claudette Colvin, the teen whose activism launched the Montgomery bus boycott, and a celebration of collective action.
#1 New York Times bestseller and NAACP Image Award winner! The debut picture book from iconic voting rights advocate and bestselling author Stacey Abrams is an inspiring tale of determination, based on her own childhood.
Explore one of the most powerful and highest-ranking female figures in American history with this biography of Vice President Kamala Harris in this Level 2 reader.
The inspiring story of the Black explorer who made the first successful expedition to the North Pole.
Congressman and civil rights advocate Elijah Cummings dedicated his life to public service. This comprehensive and visually stunning biography details his humble beginnings and unwavering faith as he waged an endless battle for truth, justice, and equality.
We can do better.
Newbery Honor Book
National Book Award finalist
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award
A brilliant picture book biography about Thurgood Marshall, who fought for equality during the Civil Rights Movement and served as the first Black justice on the Supreme Court, from Coretta Scott King Honor winners Kekla Magoon and Laura Freeman.
RUN, the Eisner Award-Winner for Best Graphic Memoir, is one of the most heralded books of the year including being named a:
New York Times Top 5 YA Books of the Year · Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Young Adult Library Services Association) ·Washington Post Best Books of the Year ·
Get to know John Lewis, social justice activist and politician, in this fascinating nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people “you should meet!”
Meet John Lewis. When John Lewis was a teenager, he asked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to help integrate a segregated school in his hometown.
An inspiring picture-book biography about the woman whose cooking helped feed and fund the Montgomery bus boycott of 1956, from an award-winning illustrator.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY New York Public Library • Chicago Public Library
Imagine learning to read at the age of 116! Discover the true story of Mary Walker, the nation's oldest student who did just that, in this picture book from a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator and a rising star author.
An uplifting message of hope for the future and pride in your history, inspired by a mother's experience of being the only Black child in her classroom.
Who do you see when you look in the mirror?
From award-winning author Tonya Bolden comes a biography of the first Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Black woman to run for president with a major political party: Shirley Chisholm.
A timely picture book biography about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress, who sought the Democratic nomination to be the president of the United States.
A New York Times Best Illustrated Book
Critically acclaimed author Jabari Asim and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis give readers a fascinating glimpse into the boyhood of Civil Rights leader John Lewis.
“A brilliant work of US history.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“Gripping.” —BCCB (starred review)
“Accessible…Necessary.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction, Never Caught is the eye-opening narrative of Ona Judge, G
Inspired by an iconic Norman Rockwell painting and translated from an original French text, this is a story about the day a little girl held her head high and changed the world.
It's up, up, and away with the Tuskegee Airmen, a heroic group of African American military pilots who helped the United States win World War II.
Author-illustrator Vashti Harrison shines a bold, joyous light on black men through history in this #1 New York Times bestseller.
“...to be revisited again and again…The candy-colored pages and straightforward stories are hard to resist…” –The New York Times
“...diverse collection of iconic figures…vibrantly illustrated…beautifully crafted volume…” –Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“…exuberant&hell
Building on the brilliance of Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, the newest installment in the Fighting for Justice series introduces young readers to another real-life champion for civil rights: Bridget "Biddy" Mason, an African American philanthropist, healer, and midwife who was born into slavery.
"When it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can't sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, 'This is not right.'" - Claudette Colvin
Discover the inspirational tale of this revolutionary abolitionist, Harriet Tubman.
A celebration of August Wilson’s journey from a child in Pittsburgh to one of America’s greatest playwrights
August Wilson (1945–2005) was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who had a particular talent for capturing the authentic, everyday voice of Black Americans.
Learn about the abolitionist Frederick Douglass and his fight for freedom in this Step 3 Biography Reader!
Part of the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad conductor who "never lost a single passenger."
Little Harriet was born into slavery on a plantation in Maryland. Though life was hard, Harriet persisted.
Learn about the inspiring life of Harriet Tubman in this early reader biography. This I Can Read book is an excellent choice to share in the classroom or at home.
Harriet Tubman's heroic and pivotal role in the fight against slavery is the subject of the fourteenth picture book in this New York Times bestselling biography series. (Cover may vary)
Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks is the 3rd hero in in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8. (Cover may vary)
If you can see it, you can be it! Introduce your child to your role models with this series of inspirational board books.
It's never too early to introduce your child to the people you admire! This board book distills Michelle Obama's excellent qualities into deliciously illustrated little baby-sized bites, with text designed to share and read aloud.
John Lewis knew that treating someone differently because of the color of their skin was unfair and wrong. In his early 20s, he decided to do something about it. During the struggle for equal treatment, Lewis faced many beatings and was arrested around 40 times. But he would become one of the most influential leaders in the civil rights movement. He continues that work today.
Get to know the woman who made many of NASA’s early missions possible in this fascinating, nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people “you should meet!”
Meet Katherine Johnson, a brilliant mathematician who worked at NASA in the early 1950s until retiring in 1986.
In this kids' biography, discover the inspiring story of Katherine Johnson, famed NASA mathematician and one of the subjects of the best-selling book and movie Hidden Figures.
From the legendary civil rights activist and author of the million-copy-selling Warriors Don’t Cry comes an ardent and profound childhood memoir of growing up while facing adversity in the Jim Crow South.
Long before she was one of the Little Rock Nine, Melba Pattillo Beals was a warrior.
A Step 3 biography of esteemed lawyer and former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama!
Michelle Obama is a lot like YOU! She grew up on the South Side of Chicago with her brother, Craig. She rode her bike and played freeze tag with her friends. And she and her family ate dinner together every night!
Frederick Douglass's dramatic autobiographical account of his early life as a slave in America.
In this book from the highly acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Rosa Parks, the "Mother of the Freedom Movement."
Rosa Parks grew up in Alabama, where she learned to stand up for herself at an early age. Rosa went on to become a civil rights activist.
Rosa Parks is best known for the day she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. Yet there is much more to her story than this one act of defiance. In this straightforward, compelling autobiography, Rosa Parks talks candidly about the civil rights movement and her active role in it. Her dedication is inspiring; her story is unforgettable.
The extraordinary true story of Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to integrate a New Orleans school -- now with simple text for young readers!
In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked through an angry crowd and into a school, changing history.
Get to know Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to enter the Democratic presidential race, in this fascinating nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people “you should meet!”
Meet Shirley Chisholm. In 1968, Shirley Chisholm made history as the first African American woman elected to Congress.
A timely picture book biography about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress, who sought the Democratic nomination to be the president of the United States.
Sojourner Truth had a tough childhood. She was born a slave, and many of the families she worked for treated her poorly. But when she was finally freed, Sojourner used her life to teach others about women's rights and the power of freedom.
The inspirational true story of Ruby Bridges.
The year is 1960, and six-year-old Ruby Bridges and her family have recently moved from Mississippi to New Orleans in search of a better life. When a judge orders Ruby to attend first grade at William Frantz Elementary, an all-white school, Ruby must face angry mobs of parents who refuse to send their children to school with her.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • CBC KIDS’ BOOK CHOICE AWARD WINNER
Thurgood Marshall--the first black justice on the Supreme Court and a giant of the civil rights movement--jumps to life in this inspiring picture-book biography from an award-winning author and six-time Coretta Scott King, four-time Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator.
In this essential autobiographical account by one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most powerful figures, Melba Pattillo Beals of the Little Rock Nine explores not only the oppressive force of racism, but the ability of young people to change ideas of race and identity.
Discover how George Washington Carver went from a slave to an innovator of agricultural science in this luminously illustrated picture book.
Born a slave, George Washington Carver went on to become the most prominent black scientist of the early twentieth century.
“When Barbara Jordan talked, we listened.” —Former President of the United States, Bill Clinton
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan had a big, bold, confident voice—and she knew how to use it!
The story of how a young Southern girl who was raised on a pig farm became one of the most influential and inspiring people in the world.
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Learn how a slave became one of the leading influential African American intellectuals of the late 19th century.
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was determined to gain freedom--and once he realized that knowledge was power, he secretly learned to read and write to give himself an advantage. After escaping to the North in 1838, as a free man he gave powerful speeches about his experience as a slave.
Born in 1860s Missouri, nobody expected George Washington Carver to succeed. Slaves were not allowed to be educated. After the Civil War, Carver enrolled in classes and proved to be a star student. He became the first black student at Iowa State Agricultural College and later its first black professor.
Born a slave in Maryland, Harriet Tubman knew first-hand what it meant to be someone's property; she was whipped by owners and almost killed by an overseer. It was from other field hands that she first heard about the Underground Railroad which she travelled by herself north to Philadelphia.
In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. This seemingly small act triggered civil rights protests across America and earned Rosa Parks the title "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." This biography has black-and-white illustrations throughout.
Almost 100 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat, Sojourner Truth was mistreated by a streetcar conductor. She took him to court--and won! Before she was Sojourner Truth, she was known simply as Belle. Born a slave in New York sometime around 1797, she was later sold and separated from her family. Even after she escaped from slavery, she knew her work was not yet done.
From award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate comes a remarkable picture book biography of William Still, known as Father of the Underground Railroad.
Kidnapped at the age of 11 from his home in Benin, Africa, Olaudah Equiano spent the next 11 years as a slave in England, the U.S., and the West Indies, until he was able to buy his freedom. His autobiography, published in 1789, was a bestseller in its own time. Cameron has modernized and shortened it while remaining true to the spirit of the original.
Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: James Armistead Lafayette by Kyandreia Jones takes YOU to the heart of the American Revolutionary War. 9-12 year old readers will enact the life of an actual historic spy, James Armistead Lafayette, whose top secret espionage efforts were instrumental in helping the revolutionary forces defeat the British.
NYPL'S TOP 10 BOOKS FOR KIDS
Exploring American history and finding diversity at its roots!
“Thompson-Hernández's portrayal of Compton's black cowboys broadens our perception of Compton's young black residents, and connects the Compton Cowboys to the historical legacy of African Americans in the west.
Nelson plaits her narrative with Western lingo and homespun similes. . . . James' painterly oils swirl with energy, visible daubs creating the dusty, monumental landscape and equally monumental horses and humans. . . . A champion indeed. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Learn about the voting rights advocate and politician Stacey Abrams and her groundbreaking achievements in this appealing Level 2 reader. Young readers will find out about Abram’s childhood and her early career as a city attorney and as minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives.
In 1854, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jennings, an African American schoolteacher, fought back when she was unjustly denied entry to a New York City streetcar, sparking the beginnings of the long struggle to gain equal rights on public transportation.
This stunning picture book looks into the life of Georgia Gilmore, a hidden figure of history who played a critical role in the civil rights movement and used her passion for baking to help the Montgomery Bus Boycott achieve its goal.
Georgia decided to help the best way she knew how.
Lyrical, inspiring, and affecting text paired with bright, appealing illustrations make Ready to Fly perfect for aspiring ballerinas everywhere who are ready to leap and to spread their wings!
A straightforward biography about Harriet Tubman's struggles and success for both civil and women's rights.
With a forward-thinking attitude, Harriet Tubman escaped slavery and risked her life countless times to help free 70 others. She became monumental in both the civil rights movement and the women's suffrage movement.
A graphic novel biography of the escaped slave, abolitionist, public speaker, and most photographed man of the nineteenth century, based on his autobiographical writings and speeches, spotlighting the key events and people that shaped the life of this great American.
