Sharing African American History and Culture Through Kids’ Books: Elementary Edition
It’s African American History Month and since we have made some
critical African American history already this year at Barack Obama’s
inauguration, there’s more to celebrate than ever.
To help you share
some special touchpoints of African American history and culture with
your kids, I’ve rounded up a few favorite books on these themes.
Share and enjoy!
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma RudolphBecame the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull
I confess, I didn’t really know much about Wilma Rudolph before I read this book to my daughter. The illustrations are amazing and the story can be read aloud, but it is short and simple enough for young readers to handle too. Baby Wilma was born weak and sickly. Polio forced her to wear braces on her legs. Yet she grew up to be the world’s fastest woman. Find out how in this gem of a book!
Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat edited by Nikki Giovanni
Poet Nikki Giovanni puts hip-hop beats into child-appropriate form with her new edited book of rhymes old and new for kids. She draws on material from the Harlem Renaissance and material from the radio to share the genre with kids who love rhythm. But no mere book can convey the joy of the music, so this one comes with a fun CD to play along as you read.
Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison?
With her typical genius, Toni Morrison writes a fictional, first-person narrative of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of children integrating schools. It’s creatively real, featuring black and white photos from the time, but perfectly age-appropriate for a child’s first introduction to a tough, but critically important part of U.S. history.
Harlem Stomp: A Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance by Laban Carrick Hill?
This is a really cool book! If you don’t know much yourself about the Harlem Renaissance, you’ll learn a lot from this book. It’s a great reference for any age, but geared to older children. Filled with art, poetry, music and vivid scenes of life in Harlem, you won’t want this one to be hidden away in the kids’ room, but displayed on your own coffee table for easy, frequent family browsing.
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson
This lovely story tells of a little girl born into slavery. She is taught to sew in order to gain a place working in the house, rather than the fields. But as she sews her quilt, she begins to create a map north to freedom. Once the quilt is finished, the map is written in her mind. Clara sneaks away to follow the way it taught her, but leaves the quilt behind so that others can learn the way too.
See also:
Sharing African American History and Culture Through Kids’ Books: Preschool Edition
Thanks, Shannon! I can get on board with that. It’s when the assumption is made that everything has to rhyme a la “Multiplication Hip Hop” for black children to learn that I start getting annoyed. Dh and my sister are both public school principals, and both have battled this mindset among many of their teachers for years. Sorry:)
Just for the record, twintown, the “hip-hop” book includes “traditional” poetry too. It shows that all poetry has rhythm. It’s a nice intro to more traditional literature for kids who might turn up their noses at Langston Hughes, but if they see a Hughes poem on one page and a familiar hip-hop rhyme on the other, they might take a second look at “poetry” too.
Great suggestions! As an aside, though, I’m just waiting for the day when black no longer equals hip-hop. Poetry with a beat? Blech. I don’t need things to rhyme in order for it to entertain me.
Thanks for more great suggestions.