Celebrate Black History
In honor of Black History Month, our members are sharing their favorite books on Black history or written by Black authors. If you choose to purchase any of these books, please consider supporting our local bookshop, Buttonwood Books or a Black-owned bookstore, such as Frugal Books in Roxbury.
Books for Adults
Just as i am
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson’s memoir is raw, captivating, and as extraordinary as she was. Ms. Tyson wasn’t just an actor - she was revolutionary in insisting on only taking parts that portrayed strong Black women and her work, and her life, are powerful and inspiring.
Recommended by: Meg Wheeler
black like me
John Howard Griffin
This was a huge story when it came out in 1961. I haven’t read it since but it made a lasting impression on me. It’s about a journalist who dyes his skin black and discovers through his own eyes how blacks are treated. It’s quite a powerful story!
Recommended by: Debbie Cook
THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS
Isabel Wilkerson
The book uncovers the reasons that black people fled from the Jim Crow South in mid 20th century and how they fared on the journey and when they arrived in other seemingly friendly states.
Recommended by: Peter Pescatore
SING, UNBURIED, SING
Jesmyn Ward
This haunting novel chronicles the journey on a road trip through Mississippi, to the notorious maximum-security prison, Parchman, and highlights the legacy of racial terror and its impacts still today.
Recommended by: Anonymous
FOUR HUNDRED SOULS
Keisha N. Blain
This incredible collection of 90 writers creates a volume of African American history - with each writer highlighting a 5-year period in the 400-year history. This is absolutely a must-read!
Recommended by: Meg Wheeler
how we fight for our lives
Saeed Jones
Saeed’s memoir is beautiful and agonizing and critical to read. Saeed is a young, Black, gay man in the South and this tells the story of how he fights to be who he is. I couldn’t put this book down, it’s so good.
Recommended by: Meg Wheeler
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
little & lion
Brandy Colbert
This is a fabulous coming-of-age novel portraying a Black Jewish girl that covers themes of identity, love, and loss. I can’t recommend this book enough!
Age Level: 13+
Recommended by: Meg Wheeler
HENRY AARON’S DREAM
Matt Tavares
What a great story about Hank Aaron, who started playing baseball when it was segregated and went on to break Babe Ruth’s home run record.
Age Level: 5-8
Recommended by: Gail Collins
THIS JAZZ MAN
Karen Ehrhardt
A great book for little kids - exploring music and dance while paying tribute to African-American jazz greats. Such a fun book!
Age Level: 4-7
Recommended by: Anonymous
moses: When harriet tubman led her people to freedom
Carole Boston Weatherford
Any of Carole Boston Weatherford’s books are great for kids, but this is one of my favorites!
Age Level: 4-8
Recommended by: Anonymous
nightjohn
Gary Paulsen
Set in the 1850s, Gary Paulsen tells the story of Nightjohn, who escaped to freedom but came back to teach reading - despite the penalty for doing so. This important book meticulously shares the story of a grim time in our nation.
Age Level: 12+
Recommended by: Anonymous
what color is my world?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
This entertaining and inspiring tells the story of African-American inventors whose stories haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve.
Age Level: 8-12
Recommended by: Meg Wheeler