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7 books about inspiring Black women from history

Children's books about Black women who are historical figures

Countless Black women in history have made important contributions to society and culture, and these seven books lift up over 80 of them. From Harriet Tubman to Sojourner Truth and biographies to anthologies of many Black women in history, these Black History Month books for children are best for elementary school and middle school kids. Dive in and teach your children about these important women in history.

A Black Woman Did That

This 2020 book spotlights 43 inspirational Black women in history who have made a difference in the world. Dr. Patricia Bath restored the eyesight of people around the world, Misty Copeland became the first Black principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, and entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker became the first female self-made millionaire in the early 1900s. This brightly illustrated book shares their stories and others.

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker

This award-winning book presents the biography of one of the most incredible life stories out there: Josephine Baker. She was a spy, activist, performer, and mother — all on extreme scales. She worked for the French government as an anti-Nazi spy, she worked with top leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. against segregation, she was one of the most successful performers in the entire world for her time, and she was a mom of 12 kids.

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Widely acclaimed Vashti Harrison wrote and illustrated this bestseller that features 40 Black women in history. Politicians, singers, everyday heroes, and more are all presented with lovely illustrations and kid-friendly bios.

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

A Caldecott Honor Book and a Coretta Scott King Award winner, Moses recounts the tale of Harriet Tubman heroically leading people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. This book leans on Tubman’s spirituality to tell her story.

My Name Is Truth: The Life of Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth was born into slavery and became a preacher and orator who was a leader in the abolitionist and women’s rights movements. My Name Is Truth showcases how she found and used her voice for change, written in Truth’s own voice.

She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story

Effa Manley was the first — and only — woman ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This biography is about a woman who grew from a baseball fan as a little girl to a business manager and owner of the Newark Eagles.

Shirley Chisholm Is a Verb!

Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman in Congress and ran for president of the United States — an inspirational historical figure for sure. This picture book biography shares her life story with young readers.

Little girl reading a book

These Black History Month books or Women’s History Month books will educate and inspire your children with the true stories of Black women in history. Their stories are universal and should be told year-round.

Editors' Recommendations

These books will teach your toddler to talk about their feelings
Toddler having a grumpy day? Sit down and read all about it
Girl with glasses holding book

It's hard enough for grown-ups to talk about their feelings. Asking a toddler to understand and cohesively express complicated emotions is a bit of a lofty request. At times, it can feel like a completely futile one. Happiness, sadness, excitement, and nervousness are more than just vocabulary words for a little one to learn. These are emotions that have real mental and physical manifestations in kids and adults. They can make our hearts race, our palms sweat, and our tears fall. It's not easy for toddlers to wrap their little brains around how feelings impact their bodies and minds. It's confusing, to say the least. Adults are still trying to fully understand their emotions.
One way to help your little one process their feelings and find the right words to use when expressing them is through reading. Nothing puts things into perspective like a little parent-child story-time session. So, curl up together on the couch, cuddle in, and calmly flip through a few sweet, silly, and meaningful books that seek to define and describe how our feelings affect everything we do.
Not sure what children's books make for a great read on the subject of feelings? We've rounded up 10 toddler books about feelings to help you teach your child to channel and express their emotions in a productive way. Whether your tyke is going through a difficult behavioral stage, exploring new friendships, or struggling with change, these feeling books for toddlers can help your kiddos identify and navigate all those confounding emotions and hard-to-articulate thoughts going through their heads.

Best feeling books for toddlers
Reading to kids is a great way to spend quality time and help them down the road to becoming a lifelong reader. It's also a perfect pick for teaching toddlers about their feelings. Add these feeling books to your library for bedtime or anytime reads.
Lots of Feelings, by Shelly Rotner
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when you're trying to explain a difficult concept to a child. This is one of our favorite books about emotions for toddlers. It offers real-life photographs of children to show the facial expressions that accompany common feelings. It's a great way to give kiddos visual cues to help them express their feelings and decode those of the people around them.

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7 stellar picture books about LGBTQ+ history to help educate your kids
Help kids learn about LGBTQ history with these amazing picture books
Kind Like Marsha and Pride books

LGBTQ+ history may sound like a grown-up topic at first to some parents, but it's actually very accessible with these picture books. Just like women's history or Black history, it's about sharing the stories of inspiring historical figures in age-appropriate ways. Skilled authors sharing identity, joy, pride, and courage will enhance your children's educational foundation and open-mindedness for interacting with all kinds of friends and families.

Before the 2010s, no books on LGBTQ+ history existed for children. Today, there are over fifty. We've combed through them to bring you the very best picture books we recommend for sharing with kids ages three to nine in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month, celebrated in October in the U.S.

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Chess for kids: Why this is a fantastic activity for your 7-year-old
These are the benefits to teaching your kid to play chess
Father and son playing a game of chess

Child prodigies and chess have long been a source of fascination. From movies like Searching for Bobby Fisher to series' like The Queen's Gambit, people are intrigued by the stories behind children and teens who are able to master the complexities of a game steeped in history. World Chess Champion and grandmaster Bobby Fisher was the youngest American chess champ at the age of just 14 and a grandmaster at 15. In Searching for Bobby Fisher, which is based on a true story, parents are excited to learn their 7-year-old is gifted in the game of chess and could potentially follow in Fisher's path. Chess champions were long dominated by men, which makes the Netflix blockbuster series, The Queen's Gambit interesting because the lead character is a young orphan girl on a quest to become a grandmaster.

Of course, not every 7-year-old who plays chess is destined to become the next Bobby Fisher, but playing chess is an excellent activity for kids and teens. If you're wondering when is a good age to teach your child to play chess, seven is a perfect time to introduce your child to the game because a lot of important lessons come from those 32 pieces.
Why should kids learn to play chess?

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