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Topic: Black Lives and Black History

Non-fiction

A celebration of the lives and achievements of inspirational black people through history who made a difference

Black Stories Matter: Groundbreaking Scientists explores the important contributions that black people have made to the field of science throughout history, as well as today. From astronomer and inventor Benjamin Banneker to agricultural science pioneer Dr Segenet Kelemu and father of the internet Philip Emeagwali, each has enriched our knowledge of the scientific world with their sheer talent and resilience.

Black Stories Matter is a powerful illustrated collection of stories of inspiring black personalities through history. Perfect for readers aged 9 and above.

Contents:
Main biographies
Benjamin Banneker
George Washington Carver
Bessie Coleman
Kenneth & Mamie Clark
Philip Emeagwali
Mae Jamison
Dr Segenet Kelemu
Maggie Aderin-Pocock
Mary Seacole
Daniel Hale Williams
Mini biographies
Marie Maynard Daly
Dr Alan Goffe
Ernest E Just
Wangari Maathai
Jesse Russell Sr
David Unaipon
Rachel Watkins
Gladys West

Graphic Novel

Mary is a brave nurse. When a war starts in the Crimea she sails across the sea to help, and even enters the battlefield!

Hopscotch Histories are brand new stories in historical settings, told in under 400 words, perfect for children who are building up their reading confidence

Non-fiction

Malorie Blackman is one of the most successful and prolific children’s authors writing today. Made Children’s Laureate for 2013-15, her books, such as Noughts and Crosses , Double Cross and Knife Edge , are loved by kids and adults alike. Malorie’s influence extends far beyond the literary world, however. She has used her position to speak out against racism, and to campaign for greater ethnic diversity in children’s books and children’s publishing.

Discover the story behind this incredible writer – from her struggles as a child facing racism in 1960s London, through her parents’ divorce and her misdiagnosis of Sickle-Cell Anaemia, to the globally renowned author she is today.

It focuses on Malorie’s love of reading, and how she tries to foster that in children today. It also looks at how she pursued her dream of becoming a writer with determination and courage, in the face of people who told her she would never amount to anything. Biographical information, and Malorie Blackman quotes, support the narrative.

A fantastic resource for biography based project work!

Chapter book

An action-packed and pacey story about a boy’s experience of slavery in Britain.

Nathaniel doesn’t want to move to England with his master’s family, leaving behind his mother and sister on the Jamaican plantation. But then he remembers what his mother told him: once a slave sets foot on English soil, they’re free. Perhaps he can earn his fortune and buy his family’s freedom, too.

Non-fiction

Meet 52 icons of colour from the past and present in this celebration of inspirational achievement – a collection of stories about changemakers to encourage, inspire and empower the next generation of changemakers. Jamia Wilson has carefully curated this range of black icons and the book is stylishly brought together by Andrea Pippins’ colourful and celebratory illustrations .

Written in the spirit of Nina Simone’s song “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black,” this vibrant book is a perfect introduction to both historic and present-day icons and heroes. Meet figureheads , leaders and pioneers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks, as well as cultural trailblazers and athletes like Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams.

All children deserve to see themselves represented positively in the books they read. Highlighting the talent and contributions of black leaders and changemakers from around the world, readers of all backgrounds will be empowered to discover what they too can achieve. Strong, courageous, talented and diverse, these extraordinary men and women’s achievements will inspire a new generation to chase their dream… whatever it may be.

Picturebook

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award-nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrator Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.

They participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America’s first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as “colored computers,” and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.

Picturebook

Meet the little leaders. They’re brave. They’re bold. They changed the world.

Did you know the treatment for leprosy was developed by a young scientist called Alice Ball? And Josephine Baker- world famous cabaret singer and dancer- was also a spy for the French resistance?

Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in the world’s history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations. Debut author/illustrator Vashti Harrison pairs captivating text with stunning illustrations as she tells the stories of both iconic and lesser-known female figures of black history, including:

Nurse Mary Seacole
Politician Diane Abbott
Mathematician Katherine Johnson
Singer Shirley Bassey

Inspire your own little leader with the stories of these amazing women.

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