As Black History Month approaches, now is the time to introduce your children to some of the outstanding books about lesser known African American heroes and historical events. In Bad News for Outlaws, we meet Bass Reeves one of the first black deputy U.S. marshals. Reeves began his life as a slave in Texas and became one of the most feared marshals in the late 1800’s making more than 3,000 arrests. Children will not only enjoy the “cops and robbers” story but will learn old west vocabulary.
Eloise Greenfield’s new book The Great Migration, introduces children to the movement of African Americans in the early 1900s to the north in search of better jobs and less discrimination. In fact, Greenfield’s parents made the move from rural North Carolina to Washington, D.C. The poems not only chronicle her family’s journey but the journey of a million others in search of a brighter future.
In these suggested books children will also be introduced to Dave the Potter, a gifted slave artisan; Effa Manley, the only woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; and Bill “Doc” Key, who trained his horse, Jim Key, to recognize letters and numbers. February is also an excellent time to study some of the great African American authors including: Donald Crews, Faith Ringgold, and Eloise Greenfield.
