Jason Reynolds - Serving Young Readers with "Long Way Down" - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Video Clip)

10 African-American Authors Everyone Should Read The majestic Maya Angelou, whom I met years ago at San Francisco’s Glide Memorial Church, once remarked, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Sadly, this agony was once common to millions of African-Americans, whose stories often went untold or unheard, let alone published and read by the world. Nevertheless, many inspiring and irreplaceable voices heroically surfaced over the years. They belong in the canon of great American authors not solely because of their race, but because they deftly address the perennial concerns of all humanity. Why You Should Read African-American Literature Year-Round Black History Month is important for many reasons. It’s important because of how widespread and systematic racism is, even in 2018, and it’s important simply because black history is American history. A fantastic way to celebrate the month is to read books written by African-American authors, though the novels don’t need to leave your to-be-read (TBR) list when March comes around. Many African-American penned stories have just as much literary merit as their canonical counterparts, but often go overlooked due to the systemic tendency to downplay the academic or artistic value of cultural commodities produced by minority figures. By choosing to read African-American literature year-round, readers are fighting the underrepresentation of black people in literature. In children’s literature, less than 8 percent of books published in 2015 were written by or about African-American people, according to a study by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center.

Why children’s books that teach diversity are more important than ever If you think back to your childhood, what sticks with you? For many people, it’s those cosy times when they were cuddled up with a parent or grandparent, being read a story. But bedtime stories aren’t just lovely endings to the day or a way to induce sleep, they are also a safe way to experience and discuss all sorts of feelings and situations. So even when children think they’re just being told about an adorable bunny’s adventures, they are actually learning about the world around them.

Top 150 Recommended African-American Children’s Books Children’s book, authors, booksellers, and avid readers contributed their favorite children’s books, published bewteeen 1972 and 2019, to this list. We know children and young readers will enjoy most, if not all, of these books, because they have already brought joy to countless children. We recommend printed books for young readers, or when reading to a child. Jason Reynolds