Black History Month 2012

In honor of Black History month, here at the Fourth Musketeer I will be reviewing a number of new titles focusing on this important topic.  Watch out this month for reviews of the following:

Nonfiction
Jazz Age Josephine, by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman, a new picture book biography of the famous dancer and entertainer Josephine Baker;

Words Set Me Free:  The Story of Young Frederick Douglass, by Lesa Cline-Ransome, a new picture book biography;

Zora:  The Life of Zora Neale Hurston, by Dennis Brindell Fradin and Judith Bloom Fradin, a new biography for young readers;

Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass:  The Story Behind an American Friendship, by Russell Freedman;

Black and White:  The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor, by Larry Dane Brimmer;

Historical Fiction
Crow, by Barbara Wright;

The Mighty Miss Malone, by Christopher Paul Curtis;

Chasing the Nightbird, by Krista Russell

The U.S. Census Bureau, to commemorate Black History Month, has published a slew of interesting statistics about African-Americans in the U.S.  This is part of the Census Bureau's Facts for Feature series.

For the best in African-American literature for children, at least according to the American Library Association, you can't go wrong with perusing the Coretta Scott King awards.  This year's winner, Kadir Nelson's Heart and Soul, is particularly appropriate for those looking for books for Black History Month, since it covers the entire history of America as seen through the experience of African-Americans. The paintings by Kadir Nelson are incredibly powerful, and the text offers a good overview of the African-American journey.

Also, Reading Rockets website has a terrific compilation of resources for Black History Month, including book lists, classroom activities, interviews with notable authors and illustrators, guides to Black history, television programs, and more.  Check it out for lots of great ideas on how to celebrate!

I also recently discovered another fabulous resource for Black History and American History in general, Kate Kelly's America Comes Alive!  This month she is publishing a series of fascinating profiles of distinguished African Americans throughout U.S. history--you can subscribe to her posts through her website.