February is Black History Month, so I’ve put together a list of incredible reads that celebrate, center, or explore Black history and lives. This list is by no means exhaustive, and I would love to hear your recommendations in the comments.
All the Blues in the Sky by Renee Watson is the 2026 John Newbery Medal Award winning book. It is a beautifully written novel in verse about a 13-year old dealing with the death of her best friend. The book portrays the complexities of loss in a very moving and authentic way, but in a way that is relatable and appropriate for middle grade readers.
Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson is a suspenseful thriller for middle grade readers. Twelve-year old Kaylani is spending her summer on the wealthy island of Martha’s Vineyard, trying to fit it. But when a teen boy ends up dead on the beach, is it a shark attack or is it murder? Kaylani investigates and uncovers some shocking secrets.
Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas is a fun graphic novel about Bree, a young girl who befriends an elderly neighbor, Etta, to help overcome her fear of water. With Etta’s help, Bree joins her school’s swim team and competes against their biggest rival. My Fourth Grader loved this book and read it over and over again.
Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes is the 2026 Coretta Scott King Award Winner. I loved this book when I first read it last year, and it is a fun, fast-paced, and action-filled novel about the Oklahoma Land Rush. Will is determined to help his family claim land but faces tremendous obstacles in doing so.
Satchel Paige by James Sturm & Rich Tommaso is a wonderful graphic novel about the terrible conditions of life for blacks living under Jim Crow laws. The novel is narrated by an Alabama sharecropper, Emmet, who once scored a run against the legendary pitcher, Satchel Paige. The story focuses on Emmet’s life in segregated Alabama, but through his story, readers also learn what Satchel Paige was like as a player and a person.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose is an inspiring biography of the civil rights champion who, as a teenager, refused to give up her seat to a white woman. Her act of bravery sparkied the protest that led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and desegregation of public facilities. This is a must-read for all middle grade students.
Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson is the 2023 John Newbery Award Winner. This gripping novel follows two enslaved children, Homer and his sister Ada, as they escape a plantation and head into the unknown swamps nearby. There, they discover a hidden settlement of escaped slaves, Freewater, where they learn what it means to actually be free.
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson is a beautiful, touching, and powerful memoir in verse. Through her poetry, Woodson shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, both in New York and South Carolina.
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson is a page-turning mystery inspired by the Westing Game. When Candice finds a letter hinting at past wrong and promising a hidden fortune, she enlists the help of her quiet neighbor, Brandon, to solve the puzzle. Along the way, they uncover secrets, dirty deeds, and even forgotten heroes.
Published in 1976, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor should be on all students’ reading lists. Told from the perspective of 9-year-old Cassie, this is a powerful story about a family trying to hold onto their land and dignity in the face of racism and hate in Depression-era rural Mississippi.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is the 2015 Newbery Award Winner. It’s a heartwarming novel in verse – a series of poems – about twin brothers who are also basketball stars. It’s a story not only about basketball, but brotherhood, family, navigating 8th grade and all that comes with it. You’ll laugh and cry. It’s wonderful.
One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome is a Newbery Honor Award book that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement. Written in verse and narrated by three women as they head west on a perilous wagon journey, this book sheds light on a fascinating time in history from a diverse lens.
What recommendations do you have? Post in the comments!
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Happy Reading!
Birdie's Bookshelf 