Although his circumstances appeared to be an insurmountable challenge for realizing his musical passion, Louis (and readers) realize the powerful beauty of kindness given (and accepted) and the reward of hope and dependability. A valuable read.

Amos Fortune was born the son of an African king. In 1725, when he was 15 years old, he was captured by slave traders, brought to America and sold at auction. For 45 years, Amos worked as a slave and dreamed of freedom. At 60, he began to see those dreams come true. A Newbery Honor Book.

As a successful former slave, Clara Brown used her money to help other freed slaves get a new start in life. In 1859 Clara bought her own freedom and headed west to Colorado to find her daughter, who was sold when she was just a little girl. Clara didn't find her daughter there, but she did get rich. The people she helped became her family, and she became known as Aunt Clara Brown.

High in the sky, Bessie Coleman could soar like a bird. She was free--at least until she landed. As a black woman in the 1920s, she wasn't allowed to learn how to fly. Forced to travel to France to learn, she became the first African American woman to earn her pilot's license. Whether she was wing-walking, giving a speech, parachuting, or flying, Coleman inspired people with her bravery and resolv ...

“Unlike my parents, I had no concept of what war was actually like.” With these words, 10-year-old Leon Leyson foreshadows his shattered innocence. Deft writing presents horrific injustices of war, grievous loss, and unfathomable disdain for humanity with an authentic voice that acknowledges such evil but chooses to more significantly highlight every scrap of hope and celebrate every s ...

Benjamin Banneker was born free when most blacks were still enslaved. A self-taught mathematician and astronomer, he was the author of the first published almanac written by a black man. Throughout his life Bannecker was troubled that all blacks were not free. So, in 1791, he sent a letter to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Here is the extraordinary correspondence between the two men. Full-co ...

Another stunning picture book biography of a prominent twentieth-century African-American in the arts, from the creative team behind Alvin Ailey.

A celebration of our nation's melting pot, this beautifully illustrated origin story of the Statue of Liberty honors a poet who has advocated for the voiceless. "Give me your tired, your poor Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . . " In 1883, Emma Lazarus, deeply moved by an influx of immigrants from eastern Europe, wrote a sonnet that gave a voice to the Statue of Liberty. Originally ...

This easy-to-read, page-turning account surveys the life of Harriet Tubman, including her childhood in slavery and her later work in helping other slaves escape north to freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Learn about the abolitionist Frederick Douglass and his fight for freedom in this Step 3 Biography Reader! Frederick Douglass was a keystone figure in the abolitionist movement, and his story has impacted generations of people fighting for civil rights in America. He was born to an enslaved mother and grew up with the horrors of slavery. In the course of his childhood, he was able to learn to read ...

Compelling, life-sized, carefully-detailed illustrations, punctuate the depth of Frederick Douglass's devotion to justice and liberty for all. The dark pain of loss at a young age translated into grim determination to learn words because "...Frederick sensed that words had power. ...he traded food for words." In a world of fast food and e-books, Rappaport reminds us to value the influence of speak ...

While recounting the details of this historical movement, the author leaves readers with a deep respect for the courage shown by the people involved. An engrossing and inspiring read! A note from the author regarding terminology in the book: "Many words have been used to describe people of color. I use 'black' and 'African American' interchangeably and with equal respect in the pages that follow. ...

Ronde and Tiki are each other's best friends and biggest fans, and now they are on the same football team. Tiki gets all the glory for his touchdowns, but Ronde feels slighted because if he hadn't led the way with his blocking, Tiki wouldn't have scored.

Born a slave near the end of the Civil War, George Washington Carver was a small and sickly child. Too frail to work in the fields of the Missouri farm where he grew up, George did chores around the house. But when his work was done, he headed for the woods. There his lifelong love of nature was born. As a teacher and scientist at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute in the 1900s, George Washington Carver ...

Once a kidnapped slave baby, George Washington Carver found freedom in learning everything he could about the world around him. Overcoming poverty and racism, George became a brilliant scientist and a gifted professor who dedicated his expertise to helping black farmers escape the devastating grip of poverty. George's scientific creativity knew no limits. His ingenious experimentation with peanut ...

Before blacks were allowed in the major leagues, Hank Aaron was determined to play. This is the story of how he became a great ballplayer and an inspiration to us all.

This engrossing and thorough biography of an American legend reads like a great story. The author, a black woman who passed away in the 1990's, uses the term "Negro" throughout the book (originally published in 1955), so young readers may need instruction regarding the term's background and use. While many books relate Harriet Tubman's story, this one may retell it the best.

From the time he was a young boy on a farm in Alabama until he received his fourth Olympic gold medal in Berlin in 1936, all Jesse Owens wanted to do was run. Overcoming sickness, poverty, and racial discrimination, Jesse worked hard, shattered many track and field records, and earned countless medals and trophies. But perhaps his greatest and most important accomplishment came when he stood up to ...

This definitive picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is an unforgettable portrait of a man whose dream changed America--and the world--forever.

The story of Harriet Tubman's childhood as a young slave is told in this book which is written especially for younger readers. Tubman, a young slave nicknamed "Minty", was a feisty, stubborn girl with a dream of escape, and whose rebellious spirit often got her into trouble. Full-color illustrations.