• 2004 Feature
• 2002 Feature

February is Black History Month. Kidsreads.com would like to honor Africans and African Americans for their rich heritage, unimaginable hardships, and courageous, selfless acts to put an end to slavery and discrimination in their struggle for equality. We have gathered books brimming with heroes of all ages who are willing to stand up for what they believe in. We hope these amazing individuals and their remarkable lives inspire you long past the month of February, so you can celebrate their achievements all year long.

AFRICAN PRINCESS: The Amazing Lives of Africa's Royal Women
Joyce Hansen
illustrated by Laurie McGaw
Jump at the Sun/Hyperion
ISBN: 0786851163
Ages 8-up
48 pages

AFRICAN PRINCESS tells the stories of six remarkable royal women and the eras in which they lived, from 1473 B.C. to the present. Chronicling the rise of the slave trade, the arrival of European colonists, and other historical events, these portraits show us the intriguing, adventurous, and often dangerous lives of these fascinating leaders.

ALTHEA GIBSON: Young Tennis Player
Beatrice Gormley
illustrated by Meryl Henderson
Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN: 0689871872
Ages 8-12
224 pages

Althea Gibson, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was the first black tennis player ever to compete in what is now known as the U.S. Open and in the Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon. She also was the first black player to win the singles championship at what is now known as the French Open. This inspiring biography details Gibson's childhood and highlights the traits that later made her a champion.

THE CHAMP: The Story of Muhammad Ali
Tonya Bolden
illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Knopf
ISBN: 0375824014
Ages 5-8
40 pages

This incredible biography explains why Muhammad Ali is one of the world's best-known figures. Little did anybody know that a skinny young man named Cassius Clay who learned to box at a local gym would eventually become the heavyweight champion and captivate the world.

DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ROSA PARKS
Kenneth C. Davis
illustrated by Sergio Martinez
HarperTrophy
ISBN: 0064421260
Ages 9-12
128 pages

In his trademark question-and-answer format, bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis sensitively describes the life of one brave woman who quietly fought for what she believed in. Rosa Parks was arrested after she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person, but as this biography illustrates, she had been fighting the laws that separated blacks and whites for a long time.

ELLINGTON WAS NOT A STREET
Ntozake Shange
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0689828845
Ages 4-8
40 pages

In a reflective tribute to the African-American community of old, noted poet Ntozake Shange recalls her childhood home and the close-knit group of innovators that often gathered there. These men of vision, brought to life in the majestic paintings of artist Kadir Nelson, lived at a time when the color of their skin dictated where they could live, what schools they could attend, and even where they could sit on a bus or in a movie theater.

Yet in the face of this tremendous adversity, these dedicated souls and others like them not only demonstrated the importance of Black culture in America, but also helped usher in a movement that "changed the world."

FREEDOM ON THE MENU: The Greensboro Sit-Ins
Carole Boston Weatherford
paintings by Jerome Lagarrigue
Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0803728603
Ages 5-up
32 pages

In the segregated South of 1960, four courageous black teens sit down at a lunch counter they have been barred from because of their skin color. This significant event in the American Civil Rights Movement is told through a child's point of view. Showing how an ordinary family becomes involved in the great and personal cause of their times, this tale invites us to celebrate our country's everyday heroes, of all ages.

HARRIET TUBMAN: A Woman of Courage
by the Editors of Times for Kids
with Renee Skelton
HarperTrophy
ISBN: 0060576073
Ages 7-9
48 pages

Harriet Tubman was a brave and determined woman who helped hundreds of slaves escape on the Underground Railroad. See how her courage has inspired generations of Americans to fight for equal rights and to stand up for their beliefs.

I, DRED SCOTT: A Fictional Slave Narrative Based in the Life and Legal Precedent of Dred Scott
Shelia P. Moses
illustrated by Bonnie Christensen
Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN: 0689859759
Ages 10-14
112 pages

Born into slavery in Virginia in the late 1700s, Dred Scott had little to look forward to in life. On April 6, 1846, Dred and his wife Harriett took the bold and courageous step to sue for their freedom.

With a foreword by Dred Scott's great-grandson, Shelia P. Moses's powerful story chronicles Dred Scott's experiences as a slave, as a plaintiff in one of the most important legal cases in American history, and --- finally --- as a free man. Dred Scott's story is one of tremendous courage and fierce determination.

JACKIE ROBINSON: Strong Inside and Out
by the Editors of Times for Kids
with Denise Lewis Patrick
HarperTrophy
ISBN: 0060576006
Ages 7-9
48 pages

Until Jackie Robinson stepped up to the plate in 1947, African Americans weren't allowed to play Major League baseball. Find out how his strength and perseverance opened doors for athletes of all colors.

THE PATCHWORK PATH: A Quilt to Freedom
Bettye Stroud
illustrated by Erin Susanne Bennett
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 0763624233
Ages 5-8
32 pages

Before Hannah's mama died, she helped her daughter sew a quilt. When Hannah's papa decides to make a run for their freedom, they discover hidden clues in the patchwork squares that will guide them along the Underground Railroad to Canada, where finally they will be free.

THE PEOPLE COULD FLY: The Picture Book
Virginia Hamilton
illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
Knopf
ISBN: 0375824057
All ages
32 pages

"The People Could Fly," the title story in Virginia Hamilton's prize-winning American Black folktale collection, is a fantasy tale of the slaves who possessed the ancient magic words that enabled them to literally fly away to freedom. And it is a moving tale of those who did not have the opportunity to "fly" away, who remained slaves with only their imaginations to set them free as they told and retold this tale.

Leo and Diane Dillon have created powerful new illustrations in full color for every page of this picture book presentation of Virginia Hamilton's most beloved tale. The author's original historical note as well as her previously unpublished notes are included.

A SWEET SMELL OF ROSES
Angela Johnson
illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0689832524
Ages 5-8
32 pages

• More Angela Johnson

Inspired by the countless young people who took a stand against injustice, two Coretta Scott King Honorees, Angela Johnson and Eric Velasquez, tell the story of two young girls who sneak out of their house and across town to join a march for justice during the Civil Rights movement.