I used to work at a bookstore (more than one, actually), and I once really let a customer down. I was on the sales floor when an older African-American woman asked for help finding some children’s books. She wanted to find some books with Black protagonists for young readers. I was stumped, and I was instantly ashamed. I could have answered her question if she had been searching for adult genre fiction books with POC protagonists or authors, but I didn’t usually work in the kids’ department. I don’t remember the exact circumstances, but we were slammed that day and I couldn’t ask another employee with a better grasp of that department to help. It was a big bookstore, and everybody pretty much had their sections.
Anyway, I was worried that my ignorance would look willful, that it might be read as malice. I apologized, admitted I should have better known how to help, and I asked the woman to be patient with me as I searched for books for her. We found some books — and I found an area in which I was severely lacking. It was uncomfortable realizing how remiss I had been.
I think we’re all going to have to be uncomfortable for a while as we learn to address a history of racism, oppression, and disparity. But ignorance has a cure. That’s why, after the murder of George Floyd and a week of nationwide protests against disproportionate instances of police brutality toward African Americans, in lieu of reviewing a new children’s book, I compiled a short list of children’s books that address, in one form or another, the issue of racism. I hope this list can be a tool for parents trying to find a way to discuss these protests with their children.
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale
This graphic novel in author/illustrator Nathan Hale’s “Hazardous Tales” series tells the true tale of Amarita Ross, who became Harriet Tubman, an “abductor” on the Underground Railroad. (For adults, I’ll add that Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer, my favorite novel of 2019, also includes Harriet Tubman in a central role.)
Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn
This gorgeously illustrated picture book celebrates the social contributions of Black women such as Harriet Tubman, the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives Shirley Chisholm, and Rosa Parks. It is powerful, uplifting, and beautiful.
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Voice of Freedom celebrates the life and work of activist Fannie Lou Hamer. (Side note — one of my two favorite photos in the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery on Beale Street is Ernest C. Withers’ photo of Hamer smiling and triumphantly holding her voter registration card. That picture is indeed worth a thousand words.) Voice of Freedom is a book of poems, a lyrical look at a tireless campaigner for equal voting rights.
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
This is the first work of fiction on the list, Sulwe by Kenyan actor and producer Lupita Nyong’o (from Us, Black Panther, 12 Years a Slave). The young girl Sulwe wishes she had lighter skin, but she learns to love herself as she is. This book explores colorism and self-affirmation.
IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All by Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, and Carolyn Choi, Illustrated by Ashley Seil Smith
IntersectionAllies follows nine kids with different backgrounds, exploring how different aspects of their identity contribute to their fears and concerns. It’s a great place to start talking about allyship and diversity with young readers.
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Eric Velasquez
This picture book tells the story of Arturo Schomburg. An important intellectual figure, activist, and preservationist in the Harlem Renaissance, Schomburg was an Afro–Puerto Rican law clerk with a passion for collecting the books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora. When his collection began to overflow his house, he turned to the New York Public Library, where he created and curated a collection that eventually became known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz, Illustrated by A.G. Ford
In this picture book, author Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter, tells the story of how her father became Malcolm X, one of America’s most influential leaders. The book is a celebration of young Malcolm Little’s humanity and of his adult self’s quest for justice and equality for African Americans.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
This middle-grade novel follows Rashad Butler and Quinn Collins, two young men, one black and one white. They come face to face with an act of extreme police brutality, after which their lives will never be the same. This story told in alternating chapters between Rashad’s and Quinn’s perspectives is not for early readers, but it gives middle-grade readers a chance to confront this real-world scenario.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This young adult novel was a runaway success in 2017, and it is still as topical as ever. The Hate U Give follows Starr Carter, a 16-year-old black girl who becomes entangled in a national news story after she witnesses a white police officer shoot and kill her childhood friend, Khalil.
Thank you to Cotton Tails, the place to find unique children's clothing and shoes, found in the Laurelwood Shopping Center, and Literacy Mid-South for sponsoring this children’s book review! Learn more about the various programs offered by Literacy Mid-South by visiting their site literacymidsouth.org and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @literacymidsouth.
