February is Black History Month, and while we prioritize sharing Black fiction and nonfiction this month, we must be committed to sharing Black stories all year long. Continue sharing Black joy through fabulous fiction featuring Black main characters, continue reading empowering stories of Black pride, and learn from biographies of inspiring Black leaders and creators. We can use these narratives to initiate conversations of justice, racism, discrimination, equity, and representation.

In this Black History Month Round Up, I’m focusing on Book + Craft Pairings to help extend the book themes and messages beyond the story and engage littles in conversations about stories they’ve read. You’ll also find MaiStoryBook’s Full Recommended Read List for BHM, as well as a Playlist of Interactive Read Aloud Videos featuring Black representation.

BOOKS

Below you’ll see the collection of books I’ve curated in honor of Black History Month. Check out the themed-curated book lists below for some of mai favorite reading recs:

Black Picture Books NONFICTION

Black Picture Books FICTION

Black Music + Musical Artists Children’s Books

Check out Mai Little Learner’s YouTube for a Deep Dive into some of mai favorite BHM reading recs:

BOOK + CRAFT PAIRINGS

Book: *Sulwe* by Lupita Nyong’o // Lupita Nyong’o’s debut picture book “Sulwe” is a heartwarming story about a young girl with skin the color of midnight who learns to appreciate her unique beauty through a magical journey in the night sky. The story aims to inspire children to see their own beauty and embrace their individuality.

Craft: *I Shine Like a Star* Craft Template // Ecourage students to create their own *I am a Star* Craft to share about how they shine with brightness and beauty both outside and in!

Book: *Shirley Chisholm Dared* by Alicia D. Williams // Shirley Chisholm started as a curious little girl who was always asking too many questions. Throughout her life, she stood up for what she believed in, broke boundaries in education, and made history as the first black woman to run for Congress, where she won in a landslide.

Craft: *I Dared / All About Shirley Chisholm* Craft Template // Encourage students to create their own *Shirley Chisholm* Craft to share Shirley Chisholm’s Biography, or to share about how they are persistent, daring, and bold.

Book: *The Oldest Student* by Rita Lorraine Hubbard // A biography of a former slave who accomplished numerous milestones throughout her long life. Despite facing challenges and setbacks, Mary Walker persevered and proved that age is just a number, as she learned to read at 116 years old.

Craft: *Mary Walker* Craft Template // Encourage students to create their own *Mary Walker* Craft to share Mary Walker’s Biography, or to share about their own student learning experience.

Book: *I am Enough* by Grace Byers // A beautiful and lyrical story about self-love, respect, and kindness, written by Empire actor and activist Grace Byers, and illustrated by talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo. The message of the book is that we are all enough and just need to believe it.

Craft: *I am Enough* Sunshine Craft Template // Encourage students to create their own *I Am Enough* Sunshine Craft to record affirmations about themselves that are inspired by the story.

Book: *Stacey’s Remarkable Books* by Stacey Abrams // An inspiring tale based on a true story from Stacey Abrams’ childhood, where books bring friends together. On Thursday library days, Stacey and a new student, Julie, begin sharing books to practice reading in English and soon other students join. The books take the group on magical adventures and change their lives.

Craft: *My Remarkable Bookshelf* Craft Template // Encourage students to create their own *My Remarkable Bookshelf* to record their own reading adventures.

Book: *Mae Among the Stars* by Roda Ahmed // Driven by her curiosity, intelligence, determination, and supported by her encouraging parents, Little Mae became the first African American woman to travel in space at NASA. This book aims to inspire young girls to aspire for the impossible and persist with childlike imagination.

Craft: *Hopes and Dreams Rocket/ Helmet* Craft Template // Encourage students to create their own Rocket/ Space Helmet crafts to record their own hopes and dreams to remind them to always reach for the stars and pursue their aspirations! **Flaps open up to reveal hopes and dreams**

Book: *Wangari’s Trees of Peace* by Jeanette Winter // The true story of Wangari Maathai, a woman who inspired great change and went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Growing up surrounded by trees in Kenya, Wangari became determined to protect them after returning home and seeing the destruction of forests. She started by planting 9 seedlings in her own backyard and her passion, vision and determination only grew from there.

Craft: *My Trees of Peace* Craft Template // Use the template to have students record the negative effects of deforestation, how Wangari helped combat these effects, how they may help fight against deforestation, and other ways they can protect nature.

Book: *Change Sings* by Amanda Gorman // When our voices join together~ anything is possible! Through music, a young girl leads a cast of colorful characters as they learn that they each have the power to make change. And that change, whether big or small, has the power to shape the community, the world~ and themselves! 

Craft: *I am the Change* Guitar Craft Template // Encourage students to create their own *I am the Change* Guitar Craft to record how they can change the world through their actions and words, and how they can be the change the world needs.

Book: *The Year We Learned to Fly* by Jacqueline Woodson // A brother and sister learn from their grandmother about the power of their *minds*~ and their imagination’s ability to lift them up and out of boredom, anger, fear, and hate. The story addresses how this skill was used by the children’s ancestors long ago, when they were chained and beaten, to show the world the strength and resilience by soaring back to their homeland in their brilliant minds.

Craft: *Imagination Bird* Craft Template // Encourage students to create their own *The Year I Learned to Fly* Imagination Bird Craft to record how they can use their imagination when they are bored, angry, scared, and to share what their dream for the world is.

Book: *Little People, Big Dreams: RuPaul* by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara // RuPaul, a famous performer, found success by doing what felt right and by loving himself. He went from playing dress-up as a child, to studying performing arts, to becoming a successful drag performer, inspiring others to do the same.

Craft: *Born to Stand Out* Pride Craft Template // Encourage students to create their own *Flower Power Blazers* to share how they were *Born to Stand Out.*

INTERACTIVE READ ALOUDS

Plus, read along with MaiStoryBook YouTube for interactive, shared-reading read aloud adventures where I ask questions throughout the story, point out main themes and ideas, and introduce vocabulary to keep little learns engaged and participating throughout the story. I’ve curated a collection of Black History Month Interactive Read aloud videos for you to read along and learn with me this month.

Click here to read along with the FULL MaiStoryBook’s Black History Month Playlist, or click on the image-links below to read along to some of mai favorite individual titles.

I hope you found some reading recommendations to add to your own shelves and share with your littles. Please comment below and share any other Black History Month Titles  to add to this themed collection.

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*~I’d love to  see and hear about your own reading adventures you are having to share inclusive and diverse experiences and stories with your children, so please share your story times below in the comments –Tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary or FaceBook , find me on TikTok, or contact me via email . I’d love to hear from you!~*

Plus, checkout out MaiStoryBook’s Interactive Read Aloud Video Playlist of Diverse Reads here.

*~Until Next Time, Happy Reading~*

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