M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Books to Celebrate Black History Month
By Holly E. Newton

February is a great month to read outstanding books about African American history. Here are some of the best and newest books recently published to help celebrate Black History Month.

Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis, is a fictionalized account of a time in history when slaves were escaping to Canada from the South. This book won this year’s Newbery Honor award and it’s the author’s third time winning a Newbery award!

Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman is the first freeborn child in a Canadian settlement just across the Michigan border. He encounters a con artist who claims he’s a preacher, but eventually discovers that this man isn’t what he appears to be. This preacher steals the money that Elijah’s friend raised to send for Elijah’s family who has just escaped from slavery in America and attempting to go to Canada where they can also be free. Elijah sets out to find this iniquitous man and discovers much more than finding the preacher.

There is much for us to learn about the horrific struggles that African Americans endured as they struggled to stay alive during the height of slavery back in the 1800’s. Elijah was known for being weak and whiny, but by the end of the story, his character traits have become courageous and strong. The relationship between the protagonist and his best friend lightens the story so that humor is found and helps lighten an otherwise difficult and sad storyline. This is a book that everyone, ages 10 through adult, should read to better understand this very challenging, complicated and heartbreaking time in America.

Click to Buy
On a lighter note, Sallie Gal and the Wall-a-kee Man, by Shelia P. Moses, and with illustrations by Niki Daly, is a simple story about working hard to earn enough money to buy beyond the necessities of life. Sallie Gal envies her friend’s hair ribbons and wants to have some for her own hair. But her mama is proud and honest and will not take anything that hasn’t been earned.

So when the Wall-a-kee Man shows up with everything you could possibly need to buy in the back seat of his station wagon, she begs her momma to buy her some of those brightly colored ribbons. But with papa serving in Vietnam and money scarce, momma will not permit their money to go to unnecessary items. If Sallie Gal wants those ribbons, she’ll have to work extra for them.

There are many lessons learned in this sweet story. Honesty, friendship, family relationships and hard work are all part of this story, making it a perfect read-aloud for ages 6 through 10.

Click to Buy
The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom, by Bettye Stroud, and illustrated by Erin Susanne Bennett, is another great story of courage and hope. This fictional picture book is based on the many slaves that used quilts to communicate the way to freedom. Ten-year-old Hannah and her father use her mother’s quilt as a guide post to find their way to Canada. Here’s a perfect introduction to slavery for youngsters.

Click to Buy
The rest of these are picture books and are good for all ages. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, written and beautifully painted by Kadir Nelson, will undoubtedly be in the running for next year’s Caldecott award. The pictures are breathtaking and fill the pages.

This oversized picture book is filled with the history of the African American baseball league and the segregation and discrimination that these little known heroes of the sport endured. From the years between 1920 and 1940, the league offered these true athletes a place to play. The book truly reflects the difficulties of the times and should be part of junior high and high school curricula. The title comes from Rube Foster, who organized the Negro Leagues and said: “We are the ship; all else the sea.”

Click to Buy
What I like best about I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer, by Carole Boston Weatherford, and illustrated by Eric Velasquez, is it celebrates this great man as an explorer and adventurer, not as an African American. Matthew Henson started out as a cabin boy, but after his captain dies, no one would hire a black crewman. But he was fortunate when Robert Peary hired him to be his assistant and he traveled to the Arctic seven times. Here is man who persevered in the harshest weather conditions many times.

Wind Flyers, by Angela Johnson, and gorgeously illustrated by Loren Long, is a picture book that seems to soar into the hearts of youngsters of all ages. The story showcases a youngster imagining himself flying and then growing up and becoming the first African American Army Air Force pilot who fought in WWII. This little known piece of history is told through the eyes of a great-great nephew.

And for the last book, here is another picture book to teach youngsters about the Underground Railroad. Ain’t Nobody a Stranger to Me, by Ann Grifalconi, and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, is told through the eyes of an older African American as he retells his granddaughter about how he escaped. But his actual message is of hope and friendship as he befriended so many that were willing to help him.

Return to Top of Article

Click here to sign up for Meridian's FREE email updates