Author
James Haskins
6 books here
James Van Der Zee: The Picture Takin' Man
Picture book · ages 6–10 · 620L
A tender, beautifully illustrated biography that treats its subject—and young readers—with respect; kids see how one person's vision shaped how we remember a whole era.
Lena Horne
Nonfiction · ages 8–12 · 800L · 1983
A solid, accessible introduction to Lena Horne that doesn't shy away from racism but keeps the focus on her agency and artistry — good entry point to jazz-era history for older elementary readers.
Bayard Rustin: Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement
Nonfiction · ages 8–12 · 750L · 1996
An unflinching portrait of a heroic figure most kids have never heard of—Haskins makes Rustin's strategic mind visible alongside his moral witness, though the 1996 language around his sexuality feels dated.
Black Dance in America
Nonfiction · 1050L · 1990
A scholarly but accessible survey that centers Black artists in American cultural history—dense enough to challenge 9-10 year-old readers with rich vocabulary and complex ideas, light enough to hold interest with concrete examples and biographical sketches.
Andrew Young: Young Man with a Mission
Nonfiction · age 10+ · 820L · 1979
A straightforward, earnest portrait of a major civil-rights figure written for young readers; useful for 10-year-olds studying activism and 1960s history, though the writing is workmanlike rather than gripping.
Barbara Jordan
Nonfiction · ages 9–12 · 750L · 1977
A straightforward, earnest biography that gives kids a vivid model of how one person's clarity and moral backbone changed American politics—best read with a parent ready to discuss racism and segregation.