Celebrate Juneteeth with these books!

Juneteeth just became a federal holiday, these are some great books to celebrate and remember this pivotal day in our history.

Picture Book

• FLYING HIGH: THE STORY OF GYMNASTICS CHAMPION SIMONE BILES by Michelle Meadows; illustrated by Ebony Glenn: From her early competitions to the height of her success as an Olympic champion, this is the story of the world’s greatest gymnast. For fans of She’s Got This by Laurie Hernandez and Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still.
• STELLA’S STELLAR HAIR by Yesenia Moises: Black girl magic takes the solar system in this celebration of hair, family, and self-love from debut author-illustrator Yesenia Moises!
• RUNAWAY by Ray Anthony Shepard; illustrated by Keith Mallett: Runaway is a powerful, lyrical picture book about the enslavement of Ona Judge and her self-emancipation from George Washington’s household.
• BLACK IS A RAINBOW COLOR by Angela Joy and Illustrated by Ekua Holmes: A poignant and powerful picture book, BLACK IS A RAINBOW COLOR  gives children the language and exposure to discuss ethnicity/race/culture and incline them to curiosity and not fear; self-love and not shame.
• WOKE by Mahogany L. Browne and Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III: A recommended read by The New York Times, Oprah’s Book Club, Vogue, Good Morning America, and TODAY, WOKE is a collection of poems to inspire kids to stay woke and become a new generation of activists.
• WHAT THE ROAD SAID by Cleo Wade; illustrated by Lucie de Moyencourt: Author and activist Cleo Wade’s New York Times bestselling picture book debut celebrates the journey we are all on, and the questions we ask along the way.
• WATCH ME by Doyin Richards, illustrated by Joe Cepeda: A picture book about immigration, Watch Me is based on the author’s father’s own story of coming to America from Africa. Watch Me teaches readers kindness and empathy through accessible text that breaks down the differences between new and old Americans and amplifies what we all have in common.
• WE WAIT FOR THE SUN by Dovey Johnson Roundtree and Katie McCabe; illustrated by Raissa Figueroa: A beautifully illustrated picture book and powerful family story, capturing a pivotal moment in the life of lesser-known Civil Rights Trailblazer Dovey Johnson Roundtree and her Grandma Rachel and how it made her into the powerhouse we know today.
• BROWN BABY LULLABY by Tameka Fryer Brown and Illustrated by AG Ford: BROWN BABY LULLABY is a celebration of a beautiful, brown baby–from sunset to bedtime, two brown-skinned parents lovingly care for their beautiful brown baby. First, they play outside, then it is time for dinner and a bath, and finally a warm snuggle before bed.

Middle Grade

• BASEBALL’S LEADING LADY by Andrea Williams: For fans of Hidden Figures and Steve Sheinkin’s Undefeated, this is the powerful true story of Effa Manley, the first and only woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• MIGHTY JUSTICE (Young Readers’ Edition) by Dovey Johnson Roundtree and Katie McCabe; adapted by Jabari Asim: A young reader’s adaptation of Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights, the memoir of activist and trailblazer Dovey Johnson Roundtree. Tying in with discussions of the Civil Rights Movement, Black History, and the Women’s Rights Movement, this thoroughly-researched and documented book is an informative and inspiring read applicable to today’s current events.

Young Adult

• ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson: In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA activist George M. Johnson explores their childhood and adolescence growing up as a gay Black man.
• DARLING by K. Ancrum: A teen girl finds herself lost on a dangerous adventure in this modern-day reimagining of Peter Pan.
• THE AWAKENING OF MALCOLM X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson: The Awakening of Malcolm X is a powerful narrative account of the activist’s adolescent years in jail, written by his daughter Ilyasah Shabazz along with YA powerhouse Tiffany D. Jackson.
• ANGEL OF GREENWOOD by Randi Pink: Randi Pink’s Angel of Greenwood is a historical YA novel that follows two Black teens in the days leading up, during, and after the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the most violent racist acts of our history recently brought into the spotlight. 2021 marks the 100 year anniversary.