Black History Month

Know Our Past, Understand Our Future

When we honor Black heritage, we recognize the history, the endurance, and the influence of Black culture. When we read stories with positive representations of Black characters, we affirm Black identity. When we celebrate black contributions to society, we teach our students about the historical victories we must continue to defend, and should do so beyond the month of February.

How will your classroom or library observe Black History Month, and incorporate these books into your programs all year long?

Hear a Special Message from the Creators of Black Boy Joy!

Black Boy Joy By Edited by Kwame Mbalia

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • FIVE STARRED REVIEWS

Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors—including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia.

★ "Pick up Black Boy Joy for a heavy dose of happiness." —Booklist, starred review

Black boy joy is…

Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit.
Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race.
Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times.
Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching.

And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.

Contributors include: B. B. Alston, Dean Atta, P. Djèlí Clark, Jay Coles, Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Don P. Hooper, George M. Johnson, Varian Johnson, Kwame Mbalia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Tochi Onyebuchi, Julian Randall, Jason Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, DaVaun Sanders, and Julian Winters