Reading is fundamental…right? That was a slogan when I was younger, but I’m not sure how that holds up in our digital world today. Personally, I think we should be reading about history, all year long … but to celebrate Black History Month, here are a few titles to be enjoyed by young and old.

For Children
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History (Vashti Harrison) ages 8-11
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race [by Margot Lee Shetterly] ages 4-8
I Am Enough [Grace Byers] ages 4-8
Henry’s Freedom Box [by Ellen Levine] ages 6+
Tar Beach [Faith Ringgold] ages 5-8

For Adults
The Color Purple [Alice Walker]
I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings [Maya Angelou]
The Invisible Man [Ralph Ellison]
The Children of Blood and Bone [by Tomi Adeyemi]
Citizen: An American Lyric [by Claudia Rankine]
I Can’t Talk About the Trees Without the Blood (Pitt Poetry Series) [by Tianna Clark]
Barracoon: The Story of the Last”Black Cargo” [by Zora Neale Hurston]

This is only a compressed list of good reads.  There are thousands of title available.  I have created a bigger list for Black History Month comprised of books, jazz, and spoken word. — Enjoy —

[header image by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash]