Books with Themes of Social Justice and Cultural Celebration

By Evelyn Gilbertson, WSM Librarian

Here is a list of books recommended by Winston-Salem Montessori School Librarian centering Black voices.

Testing the Ice: a True Story About Jackie Robinson by Sharon Robinson

Age: Elementary

Themes: Civil rights, bravery, sports

Written by Jackie Robinson's daughter, this story highlights how he broke the color barrier in baseball and demonstrated bravery to his own family.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Elementary

Themes: Civil rights

Shares the story of the Greensboro Sit-ins by four NC A&T students in 1960 at the Woolworths, which sparked years of sit-in protests across the country for civil rights.

Justice Is... by Preet Bharara

Elementary

Themes: Fairness, World history

Each page completes the title sentence of "Justice is..." with different examples from history, such as Sojourner Truth, Malala, US school integration, Black Lives Matter, and Harvey Milk. Back matter gives brief background information on each topic.

Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson

Elementary

Themes: Civil rights

A fictionalized first-person narrative of what it was like to be a child in the children's marches in Alabama in 1963. Contains factual background information and real photographs on the final page.

Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book by Tonya Bolden

Elementary

Themes: Segregation, Travel, Discrimination

Tells the origin story of the Green Book, a travel guide developed to help keep Black Americans safe during the Jim Crow era.

An American Story by Kwame Alexander

Upper Elementary, AP

Themes: Slavery

With beautifully haunting illustrations and lyrical poetry, this picture book conveys both the horror of slavery and its impacts, as well as the fierce hope for the future.

Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History by Schele Williams

Elementary

Themes: Slavery, Historical figures, Black culture/pride

Talking directly to Black children, this book addresses slavery, African culture, famous Black Americans, and the spirit with which enslaved Americans resisted.

Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford

Children's House, Lower Elementary

Themes: Social justice

Using the repeated refrain, "You can be a King," this book encourages the reader to embody characteristics that Dr. King valued, such as education, peace, equality, and justice.

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