Slavery can be a difficult topic to introduce to your kids, but I have compiled a list of children’s books about slavery that will hopefully make the process easier. Each of these books deals specifically with slavery in some way but presents it in a manner that is appropriate for children.
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!
Meet Addy (Connie Porter)
The first book in the six-book American Girl series that chronicles the life of 9-year-old Addy, a runaway slave who makes a new life in Philadelphia. (This is my favorite book series to use to introduce slavery in a gentle yet truthful way.)
Elijah of Buxton (Christopher Paul Curtis)
11-year-old Elijah is born free in a colony of runaway slaves in Canada, but he must prove himself by tracking down a thief and embarking on a dangerous journey.
Many Thousand Gone (Virginia Hamilton)
This renowned compilation traces the roots and history of slavery in America.
Freedom in Congo Square (Carole Boston Weatherford)
The history of a little-known area in 19th century New Orleans where slaves could come sing, dance, and play music together.
Like a Bird: The Art of the American Slave Song (Cynthia Grady)
A compilation of stories behind well-known slave songs, with sheet music included.
Steamboat School (Deborah Hopkinson)
A school for free blacks in Missouri must be moved to a boat on the Mississippi River when a law is changed forbidding black education.
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan (Ashley Bryan)
A tribute to the lives and aspirations of 11 slaves, based on real historical documents.
Working Cotton (Sherley Anne Williams)
A very raw, honest look at a child’s long day spent working in a cotton field.
Love Twelve Miles Long (Glenda Armand)
A fictional portrayal of young Frederick Douglass and his mom conversing about why they must live on separate plantations.
My Name is James Madison Hemings (Jonah Winter)
A look at the everyday life of James Madison Hemings, the son of Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings, with noted comparison to Jefferson’s white children.
Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl (Tonya Bolden)
A unique portrait of the life of a free black girl in New York City in the mid-1800s.
I, Dred Scott (Shelia P. Moses)
A fictional portrayal of the life of Dred Scott and the famous court case that bears his name.
I hope these children’s books about slavery are helpful to you as you tackle the weighty topic of slavery with your children or students. Do you have any recommendations I missed? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!