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Books to Read...For Juneteenth

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Today is Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of enslavement in the United States. It is also called, “Juneteenth Independence Day," “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.” It became a federal holiday in 2021 and many are still learning the importance of this day. To help you learn more, we have compiled a list of some great books to read.

Written by Alliah L. Agostini
Illustrated by Sawyer Cloud
Bellevue, WA : becker&mayer! kids, 2022. Informational.

This informational picture book is a great resource to teach children all about Juneteenth and the history behind this holiday. It talks about the events that lead up to Juneteenth and how the first celebration of Juneteenth was called "Jubilee Day". The illustrations are colorful and bright and the author shares lots of information in a way that is easy to understand.

By Kim Taylor
New York : Holiday House, 2023. Informational. 

The author of this book, Kim Taylor, is a skilled quilter who uses her quilting skills to tell the story of Juneteenth. Each page has pictures of her handmade quilts that tell the story of Juneteenth through the eyes of a young girl named Huldah. This is a unique way of telling the story of this holiday that adds even greater depth to our understanding.

Written by Glenda Armand
Illustrated by Corey Barksdale
New York : Crown Books for Young Readers, 2023. Picture Book.

This picture book is written in the same rhyming pattern as The Night Before Christmas, which makes it a fun read aloud. This book tells about a family that gathers every year to hear Grandma tell the story, passed down from her Grandmother, about what it was like on June 19, 1865 when the people in Texas received word of the Emancipation Proclamation. 
 
Written by Rhiannon Giddens
Illustrated by Monica Mikai
Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2022. Picture Book.

The author Rhiannon Giddens, is a Grammy Award winner, who originally wrote the text of this book as a song on the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth. She decided to also turn it into her first children's picture book. It tells of the struggles, hardship, and resilience of the enslaved African Americans and how they used music to sustain them. There is also a QR code included to be able to scan and listen to her powerful song.
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