African American Children Fiction

Fifteen-year-old Amari witnesses the murder of her family and the destruction of her remote African village. She endures countless humiliations as she is beaten, branded, and forced to board a slave ship. The atrocities continue as she struggles through endless days of backbreaking work and daily degradation on a plantation.

Middle school is just around the corner for Ryan Hart, which means it's time to start thinking about the future--and not just how to prank her brother, Ray! During Black History Month, Ryan learns more about her ancestors and local Black pioneers, and their hopes for the future, for her generation. She wonders who she wants to be and what kind of person her family hopes she becomes. Drawing on the ambitions of those who came before her and her own goals, Ryan is determined to turn her dreams into reality.

This humorous and heartwarming sequel to Simon B. Rhymin' follows a young rapper navigating the inequality and injustice within his school and community. Eleven-year-old Simon and his friends are disappointed with the lack of funding at Booker T. Washington School—there’s no AC, only one...

In November 1960, all of America watched as a tiny six-year-old black girl, surrounded by federal marshals, walked through a mob of screaming segregationists and into her school. An icon of the civil rights movement, Ruby Bridges chronicles each dramatic step of this pivotal event in history through her own words.

The riveting second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Door of No Return trilogy stars Kofi’s granddaughter, Charley, who’s set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional ball but who soon has to contend with the tensions about to boil over in her segregated town.You...

With Black Ice dead after Michael beheads him, Envy, Mike, and all his victims can finally live a normal life, but the nightmares are far from over. Rachel is the only one that can feel the truth in her soul that the drama is long from being over.

Maleeka Madison is a dark skinned African-American girl. She feels uncomfortable and wishes she had lighter skin. When her teacher, Miss Saunders, who suffers from a rare skin condition, shows that there is more to people than the color of their skin, Maleeka learns to appreciate and accept who she truly is.

The first book in an epic heart-pounding fantasy trilogy inspired by ancient Indian history and Hindu mythology, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Renée Ahdieh. * A Book Riot Most Anticipated Novel of 2019 * B&N Top 50 Most Anticipated Novels * A broken bond. A dying land. A cat-and-mouse...

In the 1930s, Black singer Marian Anderson was not allowed to perform at Constitution Hall. But with help from Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson staged an amazing concert at the Lincoln Memorial and became an activist for civil rights.

When 24-year old Tara Walker goes home for her brother's funeral, she discovers the secret journal she started when she was eight. As she reads, she is pulled back into her complicated, raw, and often frightening childhood, where drug addiction, alcoholism, and predators brought chaos into her privileged, middle-class home. Through the love and guidance of her hard-working parents, Tara navigates these threats and matures into a smart, strong, young woman.

A baby in need—and one special nurse—tame a wealthy doctor in this Texas Cattleman’s Club novel from USA TODAY bestselling author Michelle Celmer! Pediatrician Parker Reese likes to play the field and usually has women at his beck and call. Until caring for a newborn in crisis sets him on...

This biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young children through his own words. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most influential and gifted speakers of all time. Doreen Rappaport uses quotes from some of his most beloved speeches to tell the story of his life and his work in a simple, direct way.

Award-winning novelist Tayari Jones delivers a story based on the 1979-1980 Atlanta child murders. Told from the perspective of three fifth-grade classmates, Leaving Atlanta is a vividly disturbing, but hopeful novel.

Celebrate what your hair can do! This joyful, rhyming picture book invites diverse girls and boys to embrace their natural hair with an uplifting reminder of their self-worth.

In fourteen sublime stories, the bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Known World shows that his grasp of the human condition is firmer than ever. Returning to the city that inspired his first prizewinning book, Lost in the City, Jones has filled this new collection with people...

WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER OF THE CORETTA SCOTT KING AUTHOR AWARD National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson's stirring novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies. For as long as ZJ can...

After Winna's little sister breaks her glasses, her grandfather gives her an old-timey pair of spectacles that belonged to her great-aunt Estelle. The specs are silver and perfectly circular, with tiny stars on the bridge and earpieces that curl all the way around her ears. Best of all, they're magic. Because when Winna makes a wish beginning with the words "What if"—that is, when she speculates—the spectacles grant it.

1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land.

Eleven-year-old Janie finds herself in a quandary. The War Between the States is now over, and Miss Laura, widowed mistress of Rubyhill Plantation, has told Rubyhill's former slaves they're welcome to stay or free to leave. But for Janie, where should she go? There are still dangers in the South, and so many unknowns in the North—and moving may eliminate any chance of ever finding her mother.

In this YA novel in verse from bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (Solo), which Kirkus called “lively, moving, and heartfelt” in a starred review, Noah and Walt just want to leave their geek days behind and find “cool,” but in the process discover a lot about first...