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During Black History Month, the Santee School District is proud to engage and educate students about the rich and diverse history of African Americans. Throughout the month, schools will honor the achievements, contributions, and resilience of Black individuals who have helped shape our nation through a variety of meaningful classroom activities and learning experiences. Families are encouraged to learn alongside their students and explore our school librarians’ curated book recommendations. Below are top picks from our team, available in all of our libraries!
Grades K–2 (Early Elementary / Picture Books)
“Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o
“I Am Enough” by Grace Byers
“Love Is Loud” by Sandra Wallace
“Hair Love” by Matthew Cherry
“Wash Day Love” by Tanisia Moore
“More Than Peach” by Bellen Woodard
“Let It Shine” by Ashley Bryan Pinkney
“Make a Pretty Sound” by Traci Todd
“Opal Lee” by Alice Faye Duncan
“A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks” by Alice Faye Duncan
“Mae Among the Stars” by Roda Ahmed
“We Are Here” by Tami Charles
“We Shall Overcome” by Bryan Collier
Grades 2–3 (Upper Primary / Picture Book Biographies & Narrative Nonfiction)
“Little Learners: Bold Women in Black History” by Vashti Harrison
“Trombone Shorty” by Troy Andrews
“Blast Off into Space! Mae Jemison” by Catherine Thimmesh Moss
“The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes (Dr. Patricia Bath)” by Julie Mosca
“Lift As You Climb (Ella Baker)” by Patricia Hruby Powell
“How Do You Spell Unfair?” by Carole Boston Weatherford
“Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins” by Carole Boston Weatherford
“I Am Ruby Bridges” by Ruby Bridges
Grades 3–5 (Upper Elementary / Narrative & Informational Nonfiction)
“How Sweet the Sound” by Kwame Alexander
“Remember” by Joy Harjo
“Because of You, John Lewis” by Andrea Davis Pinkney
“Fighting with Love” by Linda Cline-Ransome
“Henry’s Freedom Box” by Ellen Levine
“Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese” by Glenda Armand
Grades 4+ (Upper Elementary to Middle School / Advanced Nonfiction)
“Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly
“We Are the Ship” by Kadir Nelson
“Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen?” by Sherri L. Smith
“The Civil Rights Movement” by Rebecca Venable
“Claudette Colvin” by Claudette Colvin and Phillip Hoose
“Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library” by Carole Boston Weatherford
“Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre” by Carole Boston Weatherford