Black History Month is dedicated to celebrating Black excellence. It’s also a time reflect on the legacy of Black people in Canada and learn more about their experiences, history, and culture.
One way we can learn more is by exploring books written by Black authors about Black history, culture, and their achievements and struggles.
Here is our 2024 Black History Month book list:
Sparks / Embers (Ages 5-8):
Boonoonoonous Hair By Olive Senior
In this vibrant and exquisitely illustrated picture book by Jamaican-Canadian writer Olive Senior and acclaimed artist Laura James (the team that created the best-selling Anna Carries Water), a young girl learns to love her difficult-to-manage voluminous and Boonoonoonous Hair.
Dear Black Girls by Shanice Nicole
Dear Black Girls is a letter to all Black girls. Every single day poet and educator Shanice Nicole is reminded of how special Black girls are and of how lucky she is to be one.
Big Dreamers: The Canadian Black History Activity Book for Kids Volume 1
A colouring book for kids that celebrates the inspiring contributions of Black Canadians.
Emi’s Curly, Coily, Cotton Candy Hair by Tina Olajide
Emi is a creative 7-year-old girl with a BIG imagination. In this story Emi shares a positive message about her Curly, Coily, Cotton Candy Hair and what she likes most about it. The vibrant illustrations and fun story teach basic natural hair care techniques and tips in a playful and memorable way.
Guides (Ages 9-11):
Born Curious: 20 Girls Who Grew Up to Be Awesome Scientists by Martha Freeman
A collection of 20 biographical sketches about female scientists who had a passionate desire to unravel the marvels of the universe. Includes engaging anecdotes about the childhood experiences that shaped each of these amazing scientists and mathematicians.
Chasing Bats and Tracking Rats by Cylita Guy
Ecologist Cylita Guy shows how observing urban wildlife — from city bees to coyotes — can make cities a healthier environment for everyone in Chasing Bats and Tracking Rats. Guy highlights the fieldwork of 11 scientists, including herself, and demonstrates how social injustices, like racism, can impact how scientists study wildlife and where urban critters are more likely to thrive.
Pathfinders / Rangers (12+):
Black Women Who Dared by Naomi M. Moyer
Inspirational stories of ten Black women and women’s collectives from Canadian and American history. Included are leaders and groundbreakers who were anti-slavery activists, business women, health-care activists, civic organizers and educators. Celebrate these remarkable women, some of whom you may be hearing about for the first time, and the profound impacts they’ve made.
Burning Sugar by Cicely Belle Blain
Activist and poet Cicely Belle Blain intimately revisits familiar spaces in geography, in the arts, and in personal history to expose the legacy of colonization and its impact on Black bodies.
For Black Girls Like Me by Mariama J. Lockington
When Keda was a baby, she was adopted by a white family. Now, at 11, Keda struggles with friendship and family drama, witnessing mental health struggles and learning how to navigate a world that can be both cruel and kind, particularly for a Black girl growing up in a white family. Raw and real, honest and hopeful, For Black Girls Like Me is a powerful and engaging read.
My Name is Konisola by Alisa Siegel
My Name is Konisola is the bittersweet and intimate story of nine-year-old Konisola, who arrived with her mother to a harsh Canadian winter with nothing but the clothing they travelled in. Soon after they arrive Konisola’s mother gets sick, leaving Konisola alone in a strange and freezing country.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Felix worries that he won’t ever find love. He’s Black and trans, and he’s afraid that will be too much for anyone. When an anonymous troll begins sending him transphobic messages, dead-naming him, and sharing pre-transition photographs, Felix comes up with an elaborate catfishing scheme to try and figure out who his harasser is. But this scheme also puts him into an unexpected love triangle that forces him to confront his feelings about his identity and learn to accept himself.
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