The Oldest Student by Rita Lorraine Hubbard: Mary Walker was 15 when the Emancipation Proclamation declared she was no longer a slave. Life, though, was still hard: Mary had to work long hours for a meager wage, and there was no time for school. One day an evangelist gave her a Bible and said, “Your civil rights are in these pages.” Mary promised herself she’d learn to read it, but never found time. Then at 114, Mary decided the time had come. Note: Parents may want to edit out one phrase taking the Lord’s name in vain. (Ages 4-8)

Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome: While many books recount how African Americans escaped slavery through the Underground Railroad, this one highlights the lesser-known story of families who fled north to escape the bondage of sharecropping perpetuated in the post–Civil War era. Poetic writing and mixed-media illustrations capture the emotion of one fictionalized family’s journey to New York: “‘No more picking,’ Daddy said mad. ‘No more working someone else’s land,’ Mama said proud.” A helpful book for discussing the injustices African Americans experienced post-slavery. (Ages 4-8)

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta: Scientist and inventor George Washington Carver’s interest in agriculture began as a child with a garden that helped him become an astute observer of creation. At home he learned to be creative with natural resources and not to waste anything. As an adult, his ingenuity guided his research and eventually transformed Southern farming. Sadly, this picture book only briefly alludes to Carver’s Christian faith. It concludes with a New Age–inspired message of “Regard Nature. Revere Nature. Respect Nature.” (Ages 4-8)

A Ride To Remember by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan: As Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C., in 1963, Sharon Langley and her parents were making history in Baltimore. For years, Gwynn Oak Amusement Park had barred African Americans, but peaceful protests finally helped lead to its desegregation. The Langleys were the first black family to enter the park, and photographers captured Sharon’s historic ride on the park’s carousel. Although carousel horses come in all different colors, Langley writes, “Everyone is equal when you ride a carousel.” (Ages 5-8)

Afterword

In This Is Your Time (Delacorte Press, 2020) Ruby Bridges pens a letter to America’s youth, beseeching them to continue pursuing racial ­equality. Bridges recounts becoming the first black child in New Orleans to integrate an all-white ­elementary school, comparing the racial tensions she faced in 1960 with what our nation still ­wrestles with today. She concludes the brief book (55 pages) by reminding readers that love and grace “will allow us to respect the many ways God has made all of us unique and will allow us to turn our stumbling blocks into stepping stones.”

Fourteen years before Bridges’ historic stand, Marguerite de Angeli released her groundbreaking children’s book Bright April, which portrayed an African American family ­living amid racial prejudice. For many African American children, it would mark the first time they saw themselves and their experiences sympathetically reflected in a book. Today the book’s plot and writing may seem old-fashioned, but the message still ­resonates. —K.C.

—WORLD has updated this page to correct the date of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.