African Americans Books for Kids
163 books in african americans. Every book rated for reading level and content intensity.
African Americans books for kids span a wider readiness range than parents usually expect. The same genre category contains gentle picture books and high-intensity middle-grade novels — Lexile and grade-level scores measure text complexity, not what's actually in the story. A african americans title appropriate for a confident 8-year-old reader could still cover themes a sensitive 12-year-old isn't ready for.
Across HootRated's 163 african americans titles, books span picture books through Grade 10. About 80% are rated Gentle or Mild — safe picks for sensitive readers and kids reading ahead of their emotional readiness. 0% sit at the Intense or Very Intense end. Average content intensity is 1.8/5.
Use the intensity badges (green → red, low → high) to filter by emotional readiness rather than just age. For deeper detail on how we rate, see our rating methodology.
The sin eater
Gary D. Schmidt
The sin eater
Gary D. Schmidt
Day I Saw My Father Cry
Bill Cosby
Day I Saw My Father Cry
Bill Cosby
Louis Armstrong
Dharathula H. Millender
Louis Armstrong
Dharathula H. Millender
The Honeywood street fair
Catherine Lukas
The Honeywood street fair
Catherine Lukas
Animal Sounds
Claudette C. Mitchell, Patricia Tefft Cousin, Gracie R. Porter
Animal Sounds
Claudette C. Mitchell, Patricia Tefft Cousin, Gracie R. Porter
My weekly chores (Visions)
Claudette C Mitchell
My weekly chores (Visions)
Claudette C Mitchell
Where Do I Live/VIS/d
Claudette C. Mitchell, Patricia Tefft Cousin, Gracie R. Porter
Where Do I Live/VIS/d
Claudette C. Mitchell, Patricia Tefft Cousin, Gracie R. Porter
At the playground
Patricia Tefft Cousin
At the playground
Patricia Tefft Cousin
Civil rights, the long struggle
Eileen Lucas
Civil rights, the long struggle
Eileen Lucas
Louis Armstrong
Wendie C. Old
Louis Armstrong
Wendie C. Old
Kendra
Coe Booth
Kendra
Coe Booth
Carlos is gonna get it
Kevin Emerson
Carlos is gonna get it
Kevin Emerson
African American civil rights movement
World Book, Inc
African American civil rights movement
World Book, Inc
Lucky beans
Becky Birtha
Lucky beans
Becky Birtha
Trophy night
Ryan Howard
Trophy night
Ryan Howard
Friend on freedom river
Gloria Whelan
Friend on freedom river
Gloria Whelan
Civil Rights Movement
Susanne Bushman
Civil Rights Movement
Susanne Bushman
The foot warmer and the crow
Evelyn Coleman
The foot warmer and the crow
Evelyn Coleman
And the Sun God said: That's hip.
Ernest Gregg
And the Sun God said: That's hip.
Ernest Gregg
Prince
Bruce Brooks
Prince
Bruce Brooks
The tales of Uncle Remus
Julius Lester
The tales of Uncle Remus
Julius Lester
Fannie Lou Hamer
David Rubel
Fannie Lou Hamer
David Rubel
Quiz book on Black America
Clarence N. Blake
Quiz book on Black America
Clarence N. Blake
Ride the red cycle
Harriette Robinet
Ride the red cycle
Harriette Robinet
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington
Frances E. Ruffin
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington
Frances E. Ruffin
Little Eight John
Jan Wahl
Little Eight John
Jan Wahl
Blacks in America, 1861-77
Florence Jackson
Blacks in America, 1861-77
Florence Jackson
Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr!
Eleanora E. Tate
Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr!
Eleanora E. Tate
The secret of Gumbo Grove
Eleanora E. Tate
The secret of Gumbo Grove
Eleanora E. Tate
Tony Dorsett
Marcia McKenna Biddle
Tony Dorsett
Marcia McKenna Biddle
The little black truck
Libba Moore Gray
The little black truck
Libba Moore Gray
Peoples
Robert C. S. Downs
Peoples
Robert C. S. Downs
Willie Bea and the time theMartians landed
Virginia Hamilton
Willie Bea and the time theMartians landed
Virginia Hamilton
Raw Head, Bloody Bones
Mary E. Lyons
Raw Head, Bloody Bones
Mary E. Lyons
Shayla's double brown baby blues
Lori Aurelia Williams
Shayla's double brown baby blues
Lori Aurelia Williams
Presents for everyone!
Lara Bergen
Presents for everyone!
Lara Bergen
The extra-thankful Thanksgiving
Kim Watson
The extra-thankful Thanksgiving
Kim Watson
The Halloween costume hunt
Kim Watson
The Halloween costume hunt
Kim Watson
An adventure with Captain Brainstorm!
Fracaswell Hyman
An adventure with Captain Brainstorm!
Fracaswell Hyman
Martin Luther King Jr.
Anne E. Schraff
Martin Luther King Jr.
Anne E. Schraff
Booker T. Washington
Anne E. Schraff
Booker T. Washington
Anne E. Schraff
A spicy-herby day
Evangeline Nicholas
A spicy-herby day
Evangeline Nicholas
The education of Mary
Ann Rinaldi
The education of Mary
Ann Rinaldi
Bigfoot
L. L. Owens
Bigfoot
L. L. Owens
DK NFL Readers: Terrell Davis (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
DK Publishing
DK NFL Readers: Terrell Davis (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
DK Publishing
Callie Ann and Mistah Bear
Robert D. San Souci
Callie Ann and Mistah Bear
Robert D. San Souci
Poochie
Ted Pontiflet
Poochie
Ted Pontiflet
No bad news
Kenneth Cole, Dr.
No bad news
Kenneth Cole, Dr.
Uh-oh! It's Mama's birthday!
Naturi Thomas
Uh-oh! It's Mama's birthday!
Naturi Thomas
Martin Luther King, the man who climbed the mountain
Gary Paulsen
Martin Luther King, the man who climbed the mountain
Gary Paulsen
The adventures of Sugar and Junior
Angela Shelf Medearis
The adventures of Sugar and Junior
Angela Shelf Medearis
Meet Martin Luther King, Jr.
Johnny Ray Moore
Meet Martin Luther King, Jr.
Johnny Ray Moore
The tent in the notch.
Edward A. Rand
The tent in the notch.
Edward A. Rand
The days when the animals talked
William J. Faulkner
The days when the animals talked
William J. Faulkner
Two tickets to freedom
Florence B. Freedman
Two tickets to freedom
Florence B. Freedman
When I was little
Toyomi Igus
When I was little
Toyomi Igus
The civil rights movement
Dunn, John M.
The civil rights movement
Dunn, John M.
The minstrel's melody
Eleanora E. Tate
The minstrel's melody
Eleanora E. Tate
Addy Studies Freedom
Connie Rose Porter
Addy Studies Freedom
Connie Rose Porter
A house by the river
William Miller
A house by the river
William Miller
Browse all 163 african americans books
- Corduroy's Garden
- The Hired Hand
- The sittin' up
- Cast two shadows
- Last Summer with Maizon
- Look at You, Baby Face!
- The Mirk and Midnight Hour
- 145th Street
- Go Down Moses
- The Snowy Day Board Book
- Little Bill Mixed Prepak
- The Halloween Costume Hunt (Little Bill The Halloween Costume Hunt (Lift the Flap Story))
- The minstrel's melody (History mysteries)
- All-Star Allen Iverson
- The journal of Biddy Owens, the Negro leagues
- Messy Bessey's Holidays (Rookie Reader)
- How to Lose Your Cookie Money (Willimena Rules!, 3)
- Coming on Home Soon
- Harriet Tubman (What Was It Like?)
- Lauryn Hill (High Interest Books)
- Dave Parker
- Raven in a Dove House
- Springtime blossoms
- Sassy
- How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba Sized Trophy
- Dazzle Disaster Dinner Party
- Zane and The Hurricane: A story of Katrina
- Faraway Home
- Night Running
- Overload
- The secret of Gumbo Grove
- Sidewalk story
- UNCLE JED'S BARNERSHOP
- DO LIKE KYLA
- African American History
- A ring of tricksters
- Feathers
- Armando's Great Big Surprise #5
- The Gold Cadillac
- Booker T. Washington
- Members of the C.L.U.B.
- Mysteries on Monroe Street
- What's What? a Guessing Game
- Showdown at the Okie Dokie (Cheetah Girls (Sagebrush))
- Stealing Freedom
- The Minstrel's Melody (American Girl History Mysteries)
- EllRay Jakes the dragon slayer
- Oh, Freedom!: Kids Talk About the Civil Rights Movement with the People Who Made It Happen
- Value of Courage
- Let's Go to the Gullah Gullah Island Market (Gullah Gullah Island)
- Yolandas Genius
- Is It My Turn Now? (Little Bill)
- Honey, I Love (Let's Read Aloud)
- Miami Gets It Straight (Road to Reading)
- Stealing Home
- Rosa Parks (Black Americans of Achievement (Econo-Clad))
- Having Our Say
- The Life and Death of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Dinner at Aunt Connie's House
- Book 3 Middle Grade Series for Black Girls
- Sharon G. Flake Collection, The
- African American Biography Volume 7. (African American Biography)
- Major modern black American writers
- Days of sorrow, years of glory, 1831-1850
- Going the distance
- Fifteen years
- More Stories Julian Tells (Julian Stories)
- African Americans in Us History/0151-3N27
- A Hunger For Learning
- Martin Luther King, Jr
- Wilma Rudolph
- It's a Black Thing Everyone Needs to Understand
- Jackie Robinson (Black Americans of Achievement (Econo-Clad))
- Whose Side Are You On?
- Malcolm X
- Barry Sanders (Ovations)
- Diddie, Dumps and Tot
- The Empak Heritage Kids: Kumi & Chanti Tell the Story of Jean Baptiste DuSable (An Empak "Black History" Publication Series: Black History at an Early Age)
- Land of the four winds =
- Kids' book of wisdom
- The Chill Street Gang Spring Break Vacation (The Chill Street Gang)
- Malik & the fairy Rasta
- Blast Back
- Junebug
- African American Eras Library
- Presents for everyone!
- Most Powerful Words about Civil Rights
- Shirley Chisholm
- Suzanne de Passe
- Addy
- Ants Everywhere (Visions: African-American Experiences, Volume 31: Young Readers Series)
- Addy Studies Freedom
- Mysterious Thelonious
- Bound for Glory 1910-1930
- Struggle and Love
- A Picture Book Of Harriet Tubman (Live Oak Readalong)
- I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly
- Young James Hickok and A Girl Named Hannah
- Duo cai duo yi di Gelishi
- Harriet Tubman
- Wilma Rudolph
- The Freedom Tree
- Jonathan and His Mommy
Questions parents ask about african americans books
- What are the best african americans books for kids?
- HootRated catalogs 163 african americans children's books spanning picture books through Grade 10. Each is rated on reading level and content intensity. The picks above are sorted by quality signals — hook factor, discussion potential, and content appropriateness.
- Are african americans books appropriate for sensitive readers?
- 131 books (80%) are rated Gentle or Mild — safe for sensitive readers. 0 (0%) are rated Intense or Very Intense. Average intensity is 1.8/5. Filter by intensity badge to match your child's emotional readiness.
- What reading level are african americans books?
- African Americans books in our catalog span picture books through Grade 10. The typical reading level lands around Grade 5. Reading level measures text difficulty — separate from content intensity, which measures emotional weight. The two often don't track together for gifted readers — the Gifted Kid Paradox.