Browse Items · Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

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The youngest marcher: The story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a young civil rights activist

Levinson, Cynthia

Audrey is a very confident and brave nine-year-old girl who knows all about segregation. She sees how others treat black people, and she wants to speak up and go to places like anybody else. After a church service, Audrey volunteers to go to jail to make a statement about freedom. Jail was quite hard, and the food was awful. After five days, Audrey is released to go home. Two months later, the City of Birmingham Alabama wipes segregation laws off the books. From then on, Audrey Faye Hendricks is known as the "Civil Rights Queen" and the youngest known marcher in the Children's March in May 1963. Audrey can now enjoy her ice cream at the parlor counter like everybody else.

Tags

african american, author's note, children, church, civil rights, comparison, discrimination, equality, faith, family, food, freedom, grandparents, history, marching, multicultural, parents, prison, recipe, signs, timeline

How do you spell unfair? MacNolia Cox and the national spelling bee

Weatherford, Carole Boston

In 1936, an eighth grader becomes the first African American to win the spelling bee in Akron, Ohio. MacNolia gets a military band send off to the National Spelling Bee in Washington DC with her mother. MacNolia learns about racism and discrimination when she crosses into Maryland and arrives in Washington. She and another black girl are seated away from the other spellers and their families. MacNolia spells word after word with a calm and focused performance. The judges throw a curveball to stump her and MacNolia is determined out. Her triumph is that folks now learn that African American students are as smart as anyone.

Tags

african american, book, community, comparison, competition, discrimination, emotions, epilogue, feelings, foreword, hard work, history, homework, learning, letters, multicultural, newspaper, parents, performance, racism, respect, school, spelling, travel

Voice of freedom Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the civil rights movement

Weatherford, Carole Boston

No woman could be braver and have more courage than Fannie Lou Hamer. For the fearless fight that Fannie demonstrated as the "the country's number one freedom-fighting woman", we learn how her story written in themed prose serves as a chronicle of her life of civil rights. From being the last born of a large Mississippi family to being a speaker at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, Fannie went on to cofound the National Women's Political Caucus. By learning that she had a right to vote, Fannie used her voice to advocate for voting rights for others.

Back of the bus

Reynolds, Aaron

From the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a young boy plays with his marble while sitting next to his mother. His mother tells the boy to stop the rolling marble and to tuck his marble inside and be quiet. This is the day that Rosa Parks sits in the front of the bus instead of the back of the bus with the boy and his mother. The boy knows his marble with its brown and golden shine in the sunlight is a symbol of change. No need to hide it no more.

Tags

boycott, bus, change, colors, courage, discrimination, family, hope, parents, playing, signs, sun, toy, transportation

Ruth and the green book

Ramsey, Calvin Alexander

Ruth and her parents drive from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandma. Along the way, they saw signs that said "White Only" where they couldn't eat in the restaurants or use the bathroom inside. Ruth's mother had food packed for the trip, and they sang songs along the way to stay happy. They also visited a friend, Eddy, in Tennessee where Eddy and Ruth's daddy played music together. When the family drove into Georgia, a man explained "The Negro Motorist Green Book" which would list places in different states that would welcome black people who were traveling. Ruth and her family learns how to use the Green Book to find places to sleep, eat, shop, and get a haircut on their travels because Jim Crow laws were unfair and discriminatory against black people. When a 'tourist home' welcomes them for free, Ruth learns that it is important to help each other and treat others like a big family. After this lesson, she gives her Brown Bear to a little boy who was traveling away from home with his mother for the very first time. Ruth said that she no longer needed Brown Bear because she was too old now, then she told his mother about buying a Green Book for her travels.

Tags

african american, anger, author's note, books, car, conversation, discrimination, family, fear, feelings, food, friendship, grandparents, happiness, instruments, law, learning, literacy, map, multicultural, music, oppression, parents, reading, signs, singing, storytelling, toy, transportation, travel

Boycott blues: How Rosa Parks inspired a nation

Pinkney, Andrea Davis

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus because of her race, sparking a social movement to end segregation enforced by the Jim Crow laws.Following the arrest of Rosa Park, her supporters refused to ride the community bus system during the Montgomery bus boycott. Despite the struggles of this protest, the Jim Crow laws were eventually overturned due to the spark that Rosa Parks ignited to motivate a generation to stay resolute in their pursuit of justice.

Tags

aggression, ambition, america, author's note, beliefs, boycott, bravery, challenges, change, conflict, courage, determination, discrimination, history, music, onomatopoeia, prejudice, protest, walking

Stitch by stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS memorial quilt

Sanders, Rob

Cleve Jones was an advocate for gay rights and showed support for his community through volunteering, protesting, and creating artwork. As a part of his work, Cleve made the NAME Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to recognize and remember members of the LGBTQ+ community who lost their lives to this disease. This project shows the interconnectedness of a suffering community and the importance of staying together to fight for what is right.

Tags

aids, author's note, bully, change, community, courage, discrimination, diseases, emotions, glossary, government, health, history, homosexuality, law, love, memories, monuments, numbers, politics, sequence, sewing, sexuality, symbols, time

All different now: Juneteenth, the first day of freedom

Johnson, Angela

A young girl wakes up on what she believes to be a normal day, working with her family to complete the daily tasks of her work as a slave. Then, everyone is told that slavery has been abolished and that now they are finally free people. The young girl celebrates with her family and community, excited by the prospects of what their future, independent life will bring.

Tags

author's note, bodies of water, celebration, community, depression, discrimination, farm, five senses, freedom, illustrator's note, ocean, picnic, prejudice, racism, slavery, storytelling, vocabulary

Two grooms on a cake: The story of America's first gay wedding

Sanders, Rob

Michael and Jack met and fell in love, growing closer over time. Even though no one had done it before, Michael and Jack wanted to get married, and although it was difficult, they were the first same-sex couple to marry in America legally. Today, they are still married and work to ensure that other same-sex couples can also get married.

Tags

affection, celebration, discrimination, emotions, equality, friendship, government, happiness, history, homosexuality, justice, law, marriage, patience, politics, recipe, relationship, sequence, sexuality, time, wedding

Sister Anne's hands

Lorbiecki, Mary Beth

Anna begins her second year of school in the early '60's. Her new teacher, Sister Anne, is different from other teachers because she has a different skin color. She inspires students all around her and overcomes challenges. Students learn what respect and tolerance are, and everyone learns from one another.

Tags

acceptance, african american, appearance, art, beach, bedtime, body parts, challenges, change, colors, community, counting, differences, discrimination, diversity, garden, god, history, learning, library, map, memories, moving, multicultural, numbers, prejudice, racism, religion, rhythm, school, singing, stereotypes, storytelling, teaching

Elena's serenade

Geeslin, Campbell

Elenaﾒs father is a glassblower. Elena wants her father to teach her how to blow glass. He refuses to teach her because she is a girl. After disguising herself as a boy, she learns how to blow glass. She shows her father she can blow glass and then reveals that it is her.

Tags

animals, assertiveness, business, conflict resolution, day, decision making, discrimination, disguise, family, goal setting, mexican, Mexico, multicultural, music, night, nonverbal communication, spanish, travel, verbal communication

Hunter bunny saves Easter

Weaver, Alexis Rae

Hunter Bunny, made fun of because of his limp leg, meets Clark, the duck who has trouble seeing and the two become best friends. The night before Easter, the two find the Easter bunny lying on the ground and it is now up to them to deliver the baskets around town. After successfully saving Easter, the return to the forest to find all the animals praising and cheering for them.

Tags

animals, baby, differences, disability, discrimination, duck, easter, family, feelings, friendship, glasses, handicap, happiness, helping, heroism, holidays, hope, injury, learning, loneliness, moods, parents, playing, rabbit, sadness, siblings, sight, surprises, swimming, teaching, teasing, vision

Girl wonder: A baseball story in nine innings

Hopkinson, Deborah

Alta's dream of becomming a professional baseball player comes true. She proves that it doesn't matter if you're a girl, you can still be just as talented. After pitching for an Ohio semipro baseball team in 1907, Alta goes on to become a doctor like her dad.

Tags

accomplishment, ambition, author's note, baseball, careers, confidence, determination, discrimination, doctor, gender, history, memories, practice, skills, sports, travel

Who was the woman who wore the hat?

Patz, Nancy

In the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam, a lone hat is on display in a glass case. It is all that remains of a woman's life. A pictorial and poetic view of this hat, worn during the Holocaust, is poignantly expressed.

Tags

author's note, clothing, discrimination, diversity, family, feelings, germany, history, Jewish, memories, multicultural, museum, photograph, prejudice, relationship, religion, war

Amelia to zora

Chin-Lee, Cynthia

Explore in an alphabet formula, biographies that examine different successes and triumphs of famous women in history from Amelia Earhart to Zora Neale.

Willie and the all-stars

Cooper, Floyd

Willie is a young African American boy who learns about discrimination against black baseball players. Willie's fear of prejudice will prevent him from being a famous baseball player. Willie receives tickets to attend a Negro league game and realizes that maybe his dream is possible.

Tags

accomplishment, african american, baseball, bat, body parts, buildings, car, celebration, creativity, discrimination, dreams, friendship, games, grandparents, history, hope, imagination, multicultural, neighbors, practice, prejudice, presents, pretend, radio, relationship

The hallelujah flight

Bildner, Phil

James Banning fixes up an old plane to fly across the country from California to New York. James's courage and perseverance allows him to overcome many challenges during his 1932 trek across the United States (e.g., California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York).

Tags

accomplishment, adventures, african american, airplane, anger, bias, biography, bodies of water, celebration, challenges, community, courage, crowd, day, determination, direction, discrimination, dreams, feelings, food, geography, hard work, helping, heroism, kindness, machines, maps, monuments, mountains, multicultural, night, numbers, performance, prejudice, relationship, sky, storm, transportation, tree

The bat boy and his violin

Curtis, Gavin

Reginald loves playing the violin. Every free moment Reginald practices his violin, but his dad wants him to play baseball instead. Reginald does not give up. Soon his dad realizes the value and talent that Reginald has for the violin.

Tags

acceptance, african american, ambition, baseball, bus, camping, car, celebration, crowd, dedication, discrimination, embarrassment, encouragement, family, feelings, games, happiness, hard work, helping, history, instruments, love, mistake, multicultural, music, performance, practice, relationship, running, sports, transportation

Papa's mark

Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn

Simms teaches his father how to write. For many years, Simm's father struggled when writing his own name. However, Papa learns just in time so he can vote in the first election which gave Blacks the right to vote.

Tags

accomplishment, african american, american, animals, bedtime, buildings, change, church, community, cow, crowd, discrimination, education, election, equality, family, food, freedom, hard work, helping, horse, learning, letters, multicultural, night, parents, prejudice, quilt, relationship, school, shopping, signs, teaching, writing

The best beekeeper of lalibela: A tale from africa

Kessler, Cristina

In the Ethiopian mountain village of Lalibela, famous for its churches and honey, a young girl determines to find a way to be a beekeeper despite being told that is somethign only men can do.

Tags

africa, animals, bee, business, careers, critical thinking, determination, discrimination, dreams, family, feelings, forest, insects, inventions, language, market, mountains, multicultural, sadness, siblings, tree, village, work

Afro-bets: First book about africa

Ellis, Veronica

Mr. Amegashie explores the cultural diversity, rich history, and the beautiful and exciting land of Africa.

Tags

africa, african, animals, art, bodies of water, business, camel, celebration, ceremony, culture, customs, dancing, desert, discrimination, diversity, egypt, family, forest, geography, ghana, history, horse, hyena, independence, instruments, islam, learning, leopard, library, maps, mountains, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, photograph, religion, river, school, ship, slavery, storytelling, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, water, zimbabwe

African beginnings

Haskins, James//Benson, Kathleen

Come explore and celebrate the powerful impact people of African descent have made on world history and on the American experience.

Tags

africa, african, animals, architecture, art, bodies of water, business, clothing, culture, dancing, death, desert, discrimination, donkey, egypt, europe, flood, food, geography, ghana, hard work, history, instruments, islam, leadership, lizard, maps, multicultural, music, muslim, nigerian, nonfiction, nonverbal communication, ocean, religion, river, ship, slavery, time, traditions, transportation, verbal communication, village, work, zimbabwe

Candy shop

Wahl, Jan

A young boy, Daniel, and his aunt Thelma take a trip to the market with money that he has earned. The boy is looking forward to visiting the candy shop but when they arrive they see a crowd and are faced with prejudice acts toward the owner of the store. Daniel and his aunt help comfort the owner and show true friendship.

Tags

african american, asian, challenges, conflict, conflict resolution, coping, culture, discrimination, feelings, helping, kindness, market, money, multicultural, nonverbal communication, problem solving, racism, respect, sadness

Grandpa, is everything black bad?

Holman, Sandy Lynne

Montsho struggles with the dark color of his skin. Everything around him that is black is considered bad. Thankfully, Muntsho's grandfather teaches him to appreciate his black skin by telling him stories about his African heritage.

Tags

activities, africa, african, african american, animals, bedtime, colors, confusion, death, discrimination, egypt, emotions, friendship, glasses, grandparents, greek, history, identity, instruments, inventions, language, playing, pride, relationship, rhythm, royalty, self esteem, sounds, storytelling, television, traditions, understanding, witches

Bessie Smith and the night riders

Stauffacher, Sue

Emmarene always loved to listen to Blues music. When Bessie Smith comes to town, Emmarene can't wait to hear Bessie sing. Not everyone likes Bessie though. Emmarene and Bessie Smith have to stand up against people who tried to destroy their nights. And boy, could Bessie sing on stage and off!

Tags

african american, anger, author's note, bravery, clothing, courage, dancing, discrimination, feelings, fire, flowers, happiness, history, multicultural, music, nature, night, performance, sadness, show, singing, stars

The bus ride

Miller, William

Sara stands up for justice on her city bus. Sara gets tired of sitting in the African American section of the bus. Sara does not undertsand why she does not have the same rights as the white Americans, so she takes a stand to change that law.

Tags

african american, america, anger, author's note, body parts, bus, car, change, community, courage, crowd, discrimination, equality, feelings, freedom, heroism, hunger, justice, law, money, newspaper, parents, pride, school, segregation, support, transportation

Heroes

Mochizuki, Ken

Donnie is always the bad guy when he plays war with his friends. They think because Donnie is Japanese American that he should be the enemy. When his father and uncle take a trip to school, they prove they can be heroes too.

Casey jones's fireman: The story of sim webb

Farmer, Nancy

Sim Webb is finally getting his chance to work on a train for the famous Casey Jones. Casey is putting a brand new whistle on his train, but Casey knows it's a bad idea. He knows that something bad is about to happen.

The other side

Woodson, Jacqueline

A fence not only divides two properties -- it segregates two families because of their different cultures. Initial fears from the parents cause them to set rules that will forbid the friendship of their young daughters. Little did they know that their daughters would break the barrier as they climbed the fence together to see the world as it should be, not as it is.

Roberto the insect architect

Laden, Nina

Being an architect is tough when you are a termite. But with hard work and dedication, Roberto is determined to become one.

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, ambition, ant, architecture, assertiveness, bee, beetle, bias, buildings, butterfly, careers, caring, creativity, critical thinking, dedication, determination, disappointment, discrimination, dreams, flea, fly, friendship, goal setting, habitat, hard work, insects, ladybug, museum, newspaper, patience, photograph, self confidence, self esteem, spider, technology, termite, tick, time, tools

Baseball saved us

Mochizuki, Ken

Shorty and his family are sent to an American camp after an attack on Pearl Harbor because they are Japanese-American. To help keep their spirits up, the people at the camp make a baseball field and play games. Shorty learns how to believe in himself, even when others do not treat him nicely.

Tags

baseball, bias, discrimination, history, japanese, multicultural, prejudice, self esteem, sports, stereotypes, war

A long way to go

Oneal, Zibby

During World War I in Europe, a girl named Lisa struggles because she feels that girls also deserve the right to vote. She is determined to prove this to others.

Tags

assertiveness, beliefs, bias, critical thinking, discrimination, gender, history, nonverbal communication, parade, prejudice, self confidence, self esteem, verbal communication, war

Miss spider's tea party

Kirk, David

Miss Spider is planning to have eight for tea. But what is she to do when the bugs are too scared to eat her cake?Ask Miss Spider how she makes friends with every moth, tick, and flea -- just by having cake and tea.

Flowers on the wall

Nerlove, Miriam

During 1938 in Poland, Rachel and her family are struggling to survive along with other Jews in the area. Her father loses his store, Rachel and her brother stop going to school, and they have nothing to eat. Rachel paints flowers on their apartment walls to pass the time.

Tags

art, change, critical thinking, decision making, discrimination, family, fear, feelings, flowers, food, german, history, hunger, Jewish, loss, multicultural, nonverbal communication, nutrition, painting, parents, polish, sadness, school, siblings, stress management, verbal communication, war

A hanukkah treasury

Kimmel, Eric

Hanukkah is to me the time for lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, and remembering heros from the past. Poetry, music, and recipes help keep the Hanukkah tradition alive!

Tags

acceptance, accomplishment, adventures, ambition, american, animals, anticipation, appreciation, assertiveness, beliefs, bias, bravery, celebration, ceremony, challenges, change, charity, closeness, communication, conflict, conflict resolution, cooking, courage, critical thinking, culture, customs, decision making, destruction, determination, discrimination, elephant, family, feelings, folktale, food, freedom, games, goal setting, god, grandparents, grief, hanukkah, happiness, hebrew, heroism, history, holidays, hope, immigrants, independence, individuality, israelian, Jewish, kindness, language, love, loyalty, memories, miracle, moose, moving, multicultural, music, parents, peace, pilgrims, poetry, polish, politics, poverty, prayer, prejudice, presents, racism, religion, russian, sadness, secrets, siblings, snow, song, spiritual, storytelling, toys, traditions, war, weather

Black like kyra, white like me

Vigna, Judith

A young girl finds out about racial discrimination when it rears its ugly head in her neighborhood.

Tags

african american, assertiveness, conflict resolution, critical thinking, decision making, differences, discrimination, friendship, learning, multicultural, nonverbal communication, peer resistance, prejudice, racism, refusal skills, self esteem, stress management, understanding, verbal communication

Honk!The story of a prima swanerina

Edwards, Pamela Duncan

Mimi Swan loves the ballet. She practices her dancing all of the time and shows that she is very persistent. Mimi Swan dances her way into the Paris Opera House to perform in a production of Swan Lake.

Tar beach

Ringgold, Faith

A young, 8 year old, African American girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home and having the many things she sees. She speaks of her wish to have money and liberation for her family and herself.

Tags

african american, airplane, art, creativity, discrimination, dreams, family, freedom, goal setting, imagination, money, multicultural, nonverbal communication, poverty, quilt, self esteem, transportation

Richard wright and the library card

Miller, William

Due to segregation in the 1920s, African Americans are not allowed to check out books from the library. Richard Wright discovers his passion which becomes a road to his freedom - books.

Tags

african american, books, challenges, critical thinking, discrimination, freedom, goal setting, multicultural, nonverbal communication, reading, self esteem, storytelling, stress management, verbal communication, work

Dear Willie Rudd

Gray, Libba Moore

Elizabeth remembers a wonderful woman named Willie Rudd that had an extraordinary impact on her childhood. Elizabeth writes a letter to Willie Rudd to tell her that she loves her and apologizes for any wrongs committed due to Willie's race.

Tags

african american, aging, closeness, coping, dedication, discrimination, forgiveness, friendship, growing up, memory, multicultural, storytelling

Jesse's dream skirt

Mack, Bruce

Jesse always likes to wrap himself up and try on his mother's old dresses. He has a dream skirt which his mother helped him make. When he wears it to school, all the children have something to say.

Tags

acceptance, assertiveness, change, clothing, conflict resolution, differences, discrimination, family, learning, nonverbal communication, parents, peer resistance, school, self esteem, sexuality, verbal communication

So far from the sea

Bunting, Eve

Laura and her family are moving, so they are coming to visit the Manzanar War Relocation Center one last time. Years ago, this center was used to house anyone living in the United States that were of Japanese descent. These people were forced to leave their homes and come to the center because Japan bombed the United States. The center is bare now except for all of the memories and the cemetary, including her grandfather's grave.

Tags

acceptance, airplane, american, anger, anticipation, assertiveness, author's note, awareness, bias, bravery, change, citizen, cold, community, conflict, confusion, critical thinking, crow, culture, death, differences, discrimination, diversity, family, fear, feelings, flowers, forgiveness, generations, ghosts, grandparents, growing up, history, illness, japanese, loss, memories, monuments, mountains, moving, prison, sea, sky, snow, survival, verbal communication, war

Something beautiful

Wyeth, Sharon Dennis

A little girl looks out her window only to see broken glass and trash in the court yard. She remembers her mother once told her everyone should have something beautiful. She sets out to look for something beautiful in her neighborhood.

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