Children’s books about the Civil War and Reconstruction can be a dime a dozen, but I put together this book list that specifically recommends books about black people or black history during that time period. Whether you’re studying the Civil War or Black History Month, I hope these books will be wonderful supplements to your learning!
If you’re looking for a comprehensive, printable Black History Month book list, you can go here!
If you’d like a list of posts about different topics in black history, you can go here!
Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring (Enigma Alberti)
The true story of Mary Bowser, a black spy who gained information from the Confederate forces.
Which Way Freedom? (Joyce Hansen)
The story of a slave sold from his mother who ran away to find her again.
I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina 1865 (Joyce Hansen)
A late-elementary book about a freed slave girl who ultimately becomes a teacher.
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom (Angela Johnson)
A little girl tells about her experience on June 19, 1865, the day that freedom came to the final slaves in the South.
Juneteenth for Mazie (Floyd Cooper)
A little girl looks forward to celebrating Juneteenth, the day the last of the slaves were free after the Civil War.
Ellen’s Broom (Kelly Starling Lyons)
A young girl watches her parents legally marry after they are free.
The Pullman Porter (Vanita Oelschlager)
The fascinating story of Pullman porters, black men hired after the Civil War to serve whites on train cars.
The Buffalo Soldier (Sherry Garland)
African-Americans headed west to join the military after the Civil War and were called “Buffalo Soldiers” by locals.
Sounder (William H. Armstrong)
A poor sharecropping family relies on their dog, Sounder, to hunt and put food on their table, until one day the local Sheriff arrests the father.
Wagon Wheels (Barbara Brenner)
Three African-American brothers have wilderness adventures as they pioneer west in 1870’s America.
I Have Heard of a Land (Joyce Carol Thomas)
Thousands of slaves head to Oklahoma in the 1880s to seek out new lives and families for their future.
I hope these black history children’s books set during the Civil War and Reconstruction will be helpful as you delve deeper into this period of history! Happy reading!