There has been much controversy and conversation recently about the history of slavery and how to present that to children so they get a true, un-romanticized picture of the cruelty it imposed on generations of Black Americans. There are few stories about our country’s history that are more important to set straight. Elizabeth Bird, Collections Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library, former Youth Materials Specialist at the New York Public Library, and a much-respected children’s book reviewer, posted a list of some of the most recent books here.To read Bird’s daily book reviews in the School Library Journal, look HERE.

And here for three powerful and beautiful picture books about school segregation, slavery, and Black women in sports from the NYT Book Review.