BHM Childrens Book List (Past)

The South Orange Black History Month celebration brought an exciting Weekly Reading Adventure for young readers, from toddlers to teens! Each week, the event spotlighted books that align with timeless themes cherished year after year, regardless of the national theme from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Missed it? No worries! You can still dive into the fun by checking out past lists. They’re packed with great book summaries and handy purchase links to get you started (though you’re welcome to shop wherever you’d like).

Take a look, get inspired, and share the lists with your friends and family—there’s something for every young reader to enjoy!

Book Sub-Theme Meanings:

A special thank you to Dr. Ahadi Bugg-Levine curated a weekly booklist around four (4) essential themes: No Sidekicks Here, Loving Our Families, Inspired by Our History, and Turning Knowledge Into Action.

Beginning in 2026, the South Orange Public Library will begin curating the Black History Month Lists. Thank you SOPL!

No Sidekicks Here:
These books feature black children as protagonists, so they are not supporting characters.

Loving Our Families:
These books feature children with their families and children loving themselves and their culture.

Inspired by Our History:
These books highlight historical and current black figures.

Turning Knowledge Into Action:
These books look at ideas about digging deeper, engaging in fun activities, initiating conversations, and more.

Storytime Saturdays

Each Saturday, we selected a book from the list and had members of the community or local government read a book for Storytime Saturdays.

You can see the full playlist on the Community Relations YouTube channel.