BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Feb. 1st – March 1st, 2025
“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit.” -Wilma Rudolph
Inspire the future! Stop by the Teen Desk and share what and who inspires you on our Black History Month Inspiration Board!
Black History Month Reading List for Grades 6-12
Click the book cover to view the title in the Library catalog.
Rapunzella, Or, Don’t Touch My Hair (McLeod, Ella)
Rapunzella, Or, Don’t Touch My Hair by Ella McLeod
“A girl spends her time at the hair salon–a space of safety and possibility–dreaming of hair so rich that it grows into something alive and magical. Rapunzella is imprisoned in an enchanted forest made of her own Afro, and the might of the evil King seems unstoppable. But is it?”
Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School (Jewell, Tiffany)
Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School by Tiffany Jewell
“From preschool to higher education and everything in between, this book focuses on the experiences Black and Brown students face as a direct result of the racism built into schools across the United States. The overarching nonfiction narrative follows author Tiffany Jewell from early elementary school through her time at college, unpacking the history of systemic racism in the American educational system along the way.”
Tangleroot (Williams, Kalela)
Tangleroot by Kalela Williams
“When eighteen-year-old Noni moves to Tangleroot plantation in rural Virginia for her mom’s new position as a college president, she uncovers long-buried secrets of the town’s racist past and present.”
Dead Girls Walking (Ellis, Sami)
Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis
“Temple Baker, the daughter of a well-known serial killer, assumes the role of a camp counselor at a camp for true crime enthusiasts while she attempts to unearth the truth surrounding her mother’s murder, but becomes embroiled in a disturbing series of events when a girl is found dead in the woods.”
American Wings (Smith, Sherri L. & Elizabeth Wein)
American Wings: Chicago’s Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky by Sherri L. Smith & Elizabeth Wein
“A nonfiction account of a group of determined Black Americans who created a flying club and built their own airfield on Chicago’s South Side in the period between World Wars I and II.”
Ruin Road (Giles, Lamar)
Ruin Road by Lamar Giles
“High school football player Cade Webster buys a ring in a pawn shop, but when his wish that people stop acting scared of him seems to be coming true, he remembers the ring came with a warning–“When the strangeness begins, come back”–and suddenly people seem to have lost their fear of everything.”
March: Book One (Lewis, John)
March: Books 1-3 by John Lewis
“A graphic novel trilogy based on the life of civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis.”
The Color of a Lie (Johnson, Kim)
The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson
“In 1955, a Black family relocates to the suburbs where they must pass for white, but dark secrets about the town and its inhabitants threaten their new home.”
Till the Last Beat of My Heart (Bou-Montes, Louangie)
Till the Last Beat of My Heart by Louangie Bou-Montes
“Jaxon Santiago-Noble’s mom is the local mortician. But when Christian Reyes is brought in after a car accident, he accidentally resurrects Christian. The more Jaxon learns about his newfound necromancy, the more he grasps that Christian’s running on borrowed time–and it’s almost out.”
Something Kindred (Burch, Ciera)
Something Kindred by Ciera Burch
“Seventeen-year-old Jericka tries to navigate the impending death of her estranged grandmother in a haunted small Maryland town.”
Martin Luther King Jr.: Fulfilling a Dream (Conciatore Senter, Jacqueline)
Martin Luther King Jr: Fulfilling a Dreamby Jacqueline Conciatore Senter
“An orator, minister, organizer, activist, and leader, King’s focus on effecting change peacefully shaped everything he did. This book outlines the beliefs and influences that guided King as he helped lead the Civil Rights movement, provides information about the prejudice and racism he fought, and demonstrates his continued impact today.”
Me and White Supremacy – Young Readers’ Edition (Saad, Layla F.)
Me and White Supremacy: Young Readers’ Edition by Layla F. Saad
“From the author of the New York Times bestselling book Me and White Supremacy, that teaches readers how to explore and understand racism and white supremacy and how young readers can do their part to help change the world.”
Twelfth Knight (Follmuth, Alexene Farol)
Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth
“Viola’s favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but online spaces aren’t exactly kind to girls like her–So Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario. But when a football injury leads the school’s star running back Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos–Cesario and Duke Orsino–are surprisingly well-matched.”
Barda (Ukazu, Ngozi)
Barda by Ngozi Ukazu
“When Granny Goodness decides her champion Barda is becoming too soft, she assigns her the task of breaking the seemingly unbreakable Scott Free, but as Barda questions Granny’s motives she finds herself drawn to Scott in a way she never expected.”
Separate No More (Goldstone, Lawrence)
Separate No More: The Long Road to Brown vs. Board of Education by Lawrence Goldstone
“In this thrilling examination of the path to Brown v. Board of Education, constitutional law scholar Lawrence Goldstone highlights the key trials and players in the fight for integration.”
Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter (Chambers, Veronica)
Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter by Veronica Chambers and Jennifer Harlan
“A broad and powerful exploration of the history of Black Lives Matter told through photographs, quotes, and informative text.”
The Love Interest (Comerford, Helen)
The Love Interest by Helen Comerford
“When a superhero emerges in her hometown to fulfill a prophecy, seventeen-year-old Jenna Ray uses her newfound and unwanted status as his love interest to find her missing mom, and along the way discovers her town is in danger.”
Black Girl You are Atlas (Watson, Renée)
Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renee Watson
“Poet Renee Watson looks back at her childhood and urges readers to look forward at their futures with love, understanding, and celebration in this fully illustrated poetry collection.”
Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I’d Known (Johnson, George M.)
Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I’d Known by George M. Johnson
“Through 14 essays, Johnson reveals how American culture has been shaped by icons who are both Black and Queer – and whose stories deserve to be celebrated in their entirety.”
The Life of Frederick Douglass (Walker, David F.)
The Life of Frederick Douglass: A Graphic Narrative by David Walker
“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.”
How to Lose a Best Friend (Casomar, Jordan K.)
How to Lose a Best Friend by Jordan K. Casomar
“When sixteen-year-old Zeke expresses romantic interest in his best friend Imogen, her unexpected reaction sends their relationship into a tailspin.”
The Unboxing of a Black Girl (Shanté, Angela)
The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shante
“Written as a collection of vignettes and poetry, this is a creative nonfiction reflection on Black girlhood. A love letter to Black girls set in New York City and serves as a personal and political critique of how the world raises Black girls.”
Tender Beasts (Sambury, Liselle)
Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury
“When a gruesome murder rocks Sunny’s private school–with her own brother as the main suspect–she takes it upon herself to discover the real killer and uncovers a slew of dark family secrets in the process.”
On the Come Up (Thomas, Angie)
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
“On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free.”