Award Winners/Best of...

The wealth of “Black Wall Street” led to several successful black-owned businesses in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, but to many white people living in neighboring districts, that success was a threat that needed to be destroyed. Simple text from Weatherford carries the weight of this historical tragedy while being accessible to children. Floyd Cooper’s realistic yet stylized art conveys the prosperity before the event, the stark horror of the event, and the difficult yet hopeful aftermath. 2023 author award and illustrator award winner. Recommended for ages 9–12.

After her mother disappears, 16-year-old Nigeria Jones questions her identity and place in the world. When she attends a majority-white Quaker high school after having been homeschooled within the Movement, a Black activist community created by her father, she begins to discover the complexities between and within communities. 2024 author award winner. Note: This book is a part of the Young Adult collection. Recommended for ages 12–18.

The conclusion to the March trilogy describes activist and congressman John Lewis’s firsthand experiences during the Civil Rights Movement, leading up to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Young readers will also learn about how this historic era in U.S. history connects to our country today. Includes art by Bloomingtonian Nate Powell! Note: This book is held in the Young Adult and Adult Collections. 2017 author award winner. Recommended for ages 11 and up.

Deep in the swamplands lies a secret community called Freewater. When a twelve-year-old slave named Homer escapes the plantation, leaving his mother behind, he finds Freewater a safe haven for formerly enslaved people. A page-turning and powerful exploration of a community of extraordinary resistance. 2023 author award winner. Recommended for ages 9–12.