Sit-In How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney

A vibrant book that tells the story of integration.
*This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for supporting this website by clicking.*

Resource: picture book
Time: 1960 - 1964
Place: America

Summary:
Buy this book.  With lyrical prose Andrea Davis Pinkney tells the story of the sit-in at Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.  How four friends sat down at a segregated lunch counter with dignity and waited to be served.  This books tells of how the movement spread and the reactions of others to this peaceful protest.  She offers a beautiful recipe for integration.  The illustrations drawn by Brian Pinkney take a living book and make it truly alive.  This is a book you will want to pour over again and again.  The end of the book contains an informative timeline and the story of the Greensboro Four, along with books and websites for further enjoyment.

Potentially Objectionable Content:
none

Reading Level: grade 1-4
Lexile Measure: 500L
Guided Reading Level: not available


Format Links
Audiobook 
Book

Additional Resources:

Find this book and other suggestions from this time period on the History Magpie Timeline.

Before John was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford

John Coltrane changed the face of jazz, but before that he was a little kid listening to the world around him.
*This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for supporting this website by clicking.*

Resource: picture book
Time: 1926-1967
Place: America

Summary:
Little boy John listened to everything around him.  He took that music of everyday and transformed it into greatness.  Subtitled "A Song of John Coltrane", this book begs to be read aloud.  A simple story of sounds and songs this book is so full of joy. Illustrated by Sean Qualls, the pictures are delightful.  At then end, there is a an author's note with a concise biography of John Coltrane.  There is also a list of selected listening and books for further reading.

Potentially Objectionable Content:
none

Reading Level: grade K - 2
Lexile Measure: AD1090L
Guided Reading Level: not available


Format Links
Book

Additional Resources:

Find this book and other suggestions from this time period on the History Magpie Timeline.

I Have a Dream illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech illustrated.
*This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for supporting this website by clicking.*

Resource: picture book, speech
Time: 1963
Place: America

Summary:
I Have a Dream is an abridged, illustrated version of Martin Luther King Jr's speech of the same name.  The last page of the book has the complete transcript of the speech.  The book that I have also has a CD of the speech included.

Potentially Objectionable Content:
none

Reading Level: grade 8
Lexile Measure: 1130
Guided Reading Level: Q

Awards:
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book

Format Links
Book + CD 

Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill

Dave the Potter was an enslaved man who made beauty out of clay.
*This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for supporting this website by clicking.*

Resource: picture book, non-fiction/biography
Time: 1857
Place: America

Summary:
Dave the Potter was an enslaved man who lived in Edgeville, South Carolina.  He made thousands of pots and on some of them he wrote short poetry.  The book chronicles the process of making a jar.  There is further biographical information in the back few pages of the book including several of the inscriptions and a photo of some of the jars.  It is beautifully illustrated in full color.

Potentially Objectionable Content:
None

Reading Level: grade K - 2
Lexile Measure: not available
Guided Reading Level: not available

Awards:
Caldecott Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Award

Format Links
Audiobook: 
Book

Rosa's Bus by Jo S. Kittinger

An important event told from an interesting perspective.
*This post contains affiliate links*

Resource: picture book
Time: 1940s
Place: America

Summary:
Rose Parks refused to give up her seat on bus #2857 and it ignited the Montgomery boycott which in turn led to repeal some segregation laws. This is the story of that bus from the time it rolled off the assembly line in Detroit, through the tumultuous civil right movement in Montgomery back to the Detroit area at the Henry Ford where you can visit it today (like I did, check out the picture below).  A the end of the book there is a page about the bus, and an authors note with more detail on the events of the story.  There is also a nice bibliography.

Potentially Objectionable Content:
None

Reading Level: grade 1- 4
Lexile Measure: not available
Guided Reading Level: not available


Format Links
Book

Unspoken by Henry Cole

A story from the underground railroad.
*This post contains affiliate links*

Resource: Picture Book
Time: 1860s
Place: America

Main Character: girl

Summary:
This is a picture book in the true sense of the word.  There are no words in the bulk of the book.  The pencil drawn, black and white pictures tell the story of a runaway slave and the young girl who shows courage and kindness.  There is an author's afterward that tells a little of the story behind the story.  In addition to insight into history, this book would also be wonderful in teaching about character or inference.

Potentially Objectionable Content:
None

Reading Level: grade pre-k - 2 (although lots of application for older students!)
Lexile Measure: N/A

Format Links
Book

Courage Has No Color The True Story of the Triple Nickles by Tanya Lee Stone

"Soldiers were fighting the world's worst racist, Aldolf Hitler, in the world's most segregated army." Stephen Ambrose, historian
*This post contains affiliate links*

Resource: Non-fiction book
Time: 1940s
Place: America

Summary:
This is a book about racism and integration.  The Triple Nickles were the first black paratroopers.  They did not get to fight on the front lines of World War II. This is the story of how they came to be, were trained, and were integrated. This is a beautifully written book with lots of captioned, primary source photos, and a couple of first person drawings.  There are extensive appendixes, including the story of researching the book, names of the first 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, a timeline of integration, source notes, bibliography, and index.

Potentially Objectionable Content:
None

Reading Level: grade 5 - 9
Lexile Measure: (this is a new book and I could not find a Lexile Measure

Format Links
Audiobook: 
Kindle
Book