Stories are what ground us. Stories help us move forward. They help us remember our past and instill in us a hope for our future. With Black History Month around the corner, we here at First Book are highlighting the stories that laud black heroes and honor the legacy of African Americans. Celebrate black history next month – and every month – with a few of our favorite new titles for young readers:

Ages 4-6

Dream March: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the March on Washington (Step into Reading, Level 3) by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Young readers can now learn about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and how he lead the historic march on Washington in the summer of 1963. A moving story and powerful illustrations combine to illuminate not only one of America’s most celebrated leaders, but also one of America’s most celebrated moments.

Ages 7-9

Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson

In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. Frank Morrison’s emotive oil-on-canvas paintings bring this historical event to life, while Monica Clark-Robinson’s moving and poetic words document this remarkable time.

Ages 10-12

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison

Featuring forty trailblazing black women in American history, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of breaking boundaries and achieving beyond expectations. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn’t always accept them.

Ages 13+

March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine by Melba Pattillo Beals

This is the autobiography of Melba Pattillo Beals. Long before she was one of the Little Rock Nine, Beals was a warrior. Frustrated by the laws that kept African Americans separate but very much unequal to white people, she had questions. Why couldn’t she drink from a “whites only” water fountain? Why couldn’t she feel safe beyond home – or even within the walls of church? Adults all told her: Hold your tongue. Be patient. Know your place. Beals had the heart of a fighter – and the knowledge that her true place was a free one.

If you work with children in need, you can find these and other great titles to celebrate black history in February (and every day!) on the First Book Marketplace.