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Black Heroes: A Black History Book for Kids: 51 Inspiring People from Ancient Africa to Modern-Day U.S.A.
Meet extraordinary Black heroes throughout history—biographies for kids ages 8 to 12
You're invited to meet ancient rulers, brilliant scientists, legendary musicians, and civil rights activists—all in the same book! Black A Black History Book for Kids introduces you to 51 Black leaders and role models from both historical and modern times. This collection of Black history biographies for kids features inspirational stories of trailblazers from the United States, Egypt, Britain, and more.
Discover where in the world they lived, and what their lives and families were like growing up. Learn about the obstacles they faced, such as escaping slavery, on the way to making groundbreaking accomplishments. You'll find out how these inspirational figures left a legacy of lasting change—and paved the way for future generations.
Fascinating biographies — Read about famous icons like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Harriet Tubman, as well as lesser-known pioneers like aviator Bessie Coleman and astronomer Benjamin Banneker.
Colorful portraits — Bring these 51 historical heroes to life in your imagination with beautiful illustrations of each one.
Ways to learn more — Every biography includes an option to keep exploring the person and their work—like a book to read, website to visit, or video to watch.
Go beyond other books on Black history for kids, with one that highlights people from all different time periods and world regions. Who will your new hero be?
You're invited to meet ancient rulers, brilliant scientists, legendary musicians, and civil rights activists—all in the same book! Black A Black History Book for Kids introduces you to 51 Black leaders and role models from both historical and modern times. This collection of Black history biographies for kids features inspirational stories of trailblazers from the United States, Egypt, Britain, and more.
Discover where in the world they lived, and what their lives and families were like growing up. Learn about the obstacles they faced, such as escaping slavery, on the way to making groundbreaking accomplishments. You'll find out how these inspirational figures left a legacy of lasting change—and paved the way for future generations.
Fascinating biographies — Read about famous icons like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Harriet Tubman, as well as lesser-known pioneers like aviator Bessie Coleman and astronomer Benjamin Banneker.
Colorful portraits — Bring these 51 historical heroes to life in your imagination with beautiful illustrations of each one.
Ways to learn more — Every biography includes an option to keep exploring the person and their work—like a book to read, website to visit, or video to watch.
Go beyond other books on Black history for kids, with one that highlights people from all different time periods and world regions. Who will your new hero be?
212 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2020
300 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 24 reviews
March 21, 2022
*Very short* biographies. Norwood says, at the end of each bio, "explore more" and that's what this is good for - inspiration to explore further. Unfortunately there is no bibliography, and so I don't know from which work Sojourner Truth's quote about maintaining a sense of humor comes. I imagine the author assumes the reader can use the internet and the library to get more information.
In fact, I believe that she wrote the bios so briefly to raise, in the reader, more questions than each answered, especially to inspire the reader to be curious, to seek the answers, and to become more interested in history & research.
Anyway, it'd be also good for finding names for a black baby. I like Nzinga for a girl.
I appreciate that the book features people who did amazing things in a variety of fields, from athletics and entertainment to science medicine, business, activism, and politics. I especially appreciate that I knew many of subjects, because of course Tubman, King, and Obama must be included, but that there were a lot that I'd never heard of.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler is one of the names unfamiliar to me that I think should be much more famous, for example.
I am appalled and intrigued to learn that Mary McLeod Bethune was rejected as a missionary candidate to Africa because she's black. Racism sure does enable some bizarre attitudes & policies....
And a couple of quotations that I especially liked:
Sojourner Truth said, "Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me."
And Ernest Just said, "We feel the beauty of Nature because we are part of Nature and because we know that however much in our separate domains we abstract from the unity of Nature, this unity remains."
In short, if you're interested in this, do take a look at your library's copy. If they don't have it, suggest that they purchase it. Middle School libraries should definitely have a copy. Maybe especially if they don't have a lot of 'minority' or 'diverse' students in the school.
In fact, I believe that she wrote the bios so briefly to raise, in the reader, more questions than each answered, especially to inspire the reader to be curious, to seek the answers, and to become more interested in history & research.
Anyway, it'd be also good for finding names for a black baby. I like Nzinga for a girl.
I appreciate that the book features people who did amazing things in a variety of fields, from athletics and entertainment to science medicine, business, activism, and politics. I especially appreciate that I knew many of subjects, because of course Tubman, King, and Obama must be included, but that there were a lot that I'd never heard of.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler is one of the names unfamiliar to me that I think should be much more famous, for example.
I am appalled and intrigued to learn that Mary McLeod Bethune was rejected as a missionary candidate to Africa because she's black. Racism sure does enable some bizarre attitudes & policies....
And a couple of quotations that I especially liked:
Sojourner Truth said, "Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me."
And Ernest Just said, "We feel the beauty of Nature because we are part of Nature and because we know that however much in our separate domains we abstract from the unity of Nature, this unity remains."
In short, if you're interested in this, do take a look at your library's copy. If they don't have it, suggest that they purchase it. Middle School libraries should definitely have a copy. Maybe especially if they don't have a lot of 'minority' or 'diverse' students in the school.
June 16, 2020
I received a free, advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. :)
"Black Heroes: A Black History Book for Kids" was a wonderful read! I loved learning about these encouraging, persevering, and strong figures in history. There were a few non-Americans, which was nice to get a slightly more worldview of powerful historical figures, but the majority of stories are United States born people and their influence upon American culture. My personal favorites were reading and engaging with the biographies of Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Katherine Johnson, and many more!
The digital copy has each page bursting with color. Each person in the book has a four-page spread. The first page is a beautiful illustration of the person (I need poster versions of them all, please and thank you!). Several paragraphs over the course of two pages summarize and highlight important events of the individual's life. Since the book is directed towards kids, the events of the people's lives aren't gone into detail, but it does provide a general understanding of what the person went through and achieved. The last page dedicated to the person is one of my favorites: a quote from the person and then a "Explore More" feature where the reader can further engage with the individual and suggested resources to continue the learning. The last few pages of the book are dedicated to other influential people with a quick, one-line description of their accomplishments.
The entire book -the highlighted 51 heroes or the several additional dozen mentions- would be a great resource and launching point for research for students in all grade levels. The reading level and wording of the text is geared towards upper elementary; probably 3rd-6th graders could read this independently without trouble and with high comprehension. However, it would make a great 5-minute read aloud for any aged child or learner.
I highly recommend this book for any and all people. It is a quick, but informative and still engaging read about true heroes who their lives to causes bigger than themselves. I already have pre-ordered it and am looking forward to adding it to my classroom library.
"Black Heroes: A Black History Book for Kids" was a wonderful read! I loved learning about these encouraging, persevering, and strong figures in history. There were a few non-Americans, which was nice to get a slightly more worldview of powerful historical figures, but the majority of stories are United States born people and their influence upon American culture. My personal favorites were reading and engaging with the biographies of Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Katherine Johnson, and many more!
The digital copy has each page bursting with color. Each person in the book has a four-page spread. The first page is a beautiful illustration of the person (I need poster versions of them all, please and thank you!). Several paragraphs over the course of two pages summarize and highlight important events of the individual's life. Since the book is directed towards kids, the events of the people's lives aren't gone into detail, but it does provide a general understanding of what the person went through and achieved. The last page dedicated to the person is one of my favorites: a quote from the person and then a "Explore More" feature where the reader can further engage with the individual and suggested resources to continue the learning. The last few pages of the book are dedicated to other influential people with a quick, one-line description of their accomplishments.
The entire book -the highlighted 51 heroes or the several additional dozen mentions- would be a great resource and launching point for research for students in all grade levels. The reading level and wording of the text is geared towards upper elementary; probably 3rd-6th graders could read this independently without trouble and with high comprehension. However, it would make a great 5-minute read aloud for any aged child or learner.
I highly recommend this book for any and all people. It is a quick, but informative and still engaging read about true heroes who their lives to causes bigger than themselves. I already have pre-ordered it and am looking forward to adding it to my classroom library.
October 10, 2021
Our plan had been to read this all year, but we had a lot of little driving trips that gave us extra listening time this fall and the girls often asked for this. It was a nice over view of men and women from around the world, but mostly from the US. We actually knew most of the people within, but we have been very proactive since J moved in 6 years ago to expose her to a variety of men and women from various backgrounds, including her own. 🥰
October 28, 2020
Copyright Year: 2020
Theme(s): Black America, history, Africa, Heroes, Important Figures
This reference book details the lives and legacies of 51 important Black men and women throughout history as it relates to United States history. I would use this book as a resource for students to complete a biography project throughout the week for social studies. This book highlights several Black women which ties into my topic of women of color from and in North America. This would be a historical reference for students to access. I could also photocopy chapters so students could access the information without taking the whole book out of circulation for the rest of the classroom.
Theme(s): Black America, history, Africa, Heroes, Important Figures
This reference book details the lives and legacies of 51 important Black men and women throughout history as it relates to United States history. I would use this book as a resource for students to complete a biography project throughout the week for social studies. This book highlights several Black women which ties into my topic of women of color from and in North America. This would be a historical reference for students to access. I could also photocopy chapters so students could access the information without taking the whole book out of circulation for the rest of the classroom.
February 20, 2025
Although I was familiar with the most popular Black heroes, I wanted to learn about others. On a visit to the public library, I noticed this children's book and checked it out to satisfy my curiosity. It was a great find! It included short biographies of a variety of people from different places over time. Each short chapter started with an artistic depiction and ended with a quote. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"It seems almost incredible that the advocates of liberty should conceive of the idea of selling a fellow creature to slavery." James Forten, businessman and abolitionist.
"I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me." Sojourner Truth, abolitionist, and women's right's activist
"Children learn more from what you are than what you teach." W. E. B. DuBois, intellectual, philosopher and civil rights activist
"My doctor said I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother." polio survivor and track and field star Wilma Rudolph.
"It seems almost incredible that the advocates of liberty should conceive of the idea of selling a fellow creature to slavery." James Forten, businessman and abolitionist.
"I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me." Sojourner Truth, abolitionist, and women's right's activist
"Children learn more from what you are than what you teach." W. E. B. DuBois, intellectual, philosopher and civil rights activist
"My doctor said I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother." polio survivor and track and field star Wilma Rudolph.
January 18, 2021
The book "Black Heroes" is about black people who kind of went through a lot but still ended up being Heroes. I heard of Barak Obama who was in the book and maybe one other person who was in the book. I think it was good to learn about all these people because it was good to learn about black history and to learn about racism so you don't become a racist and its also good to know how it can affect people. I would recommend this book for people who want to know about racism so they can know how to stop it, or if you were in a school with people who were racist or one of your friends is black so you can have more empathy for people who are getting bullied.
June 1, 2024
Nice compilation of significant Black leaders, athletes, musicians, civil rights activists, etc. dating 1500 BCE thru present day. Format for all entries is a full page watercolor and/or digital illustration, two pages of text and a final page with a quote about the person plus a website, book, or suggestion for further research. Love the variety of people and the fact that they cover both well-known figures in history and some that will be new to even adults. Excellent book for the 920 section in school and public libraries, for use in elementary social studies classroom or home libraries.
Thanks for sharing a finished copy with me, Rockridge Press!
Thanks for sharing a finished copy with me, Rockridge Press!
February 14, 2021
Black Heroes by Arlisha Norwood is a wonderful book for children, especially if they need to do a Black History Month project. It covers amazing people from ancient Africa to modern-day U.S.A. There are colorful full-page pictures of each person, two pages of information, and an inspiring quotation. There is also a sentence or two where more information on the person can be found. I recommend this book, especially for elementary and middle school children. Adults can learn from it as well.
February 16, 2021
I work as a paraprofessional at an elementary school in Central FL. This book is a perfect addition to our library because it has excellent illustrations and descriptive yet straightforward details about each person selected. I've also noticed that the focus during BHM is almost always on MLK, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and maybe Jackie Robinson, and Nelson Mandela. I appreciate being able to inform our students about many more African-American heroes who have made substantial contributions throughout history.
June 21, 2020
I love the author’s selection of historical figures throughout Black Heroes. I learned some new ones. she includes links and recommendations for further reading, as well as a list of additional heroes at the end. overall I’m amazed by how well this books takes complex information and makes it accessible- really important work. I’d recommend Black Heroes for readers of all ages!
May 5, 2021
Good Intro
This book is a short introduction to historical Black personalities. Let's call the illustrations fair but for young readers that won't matter. The end of most of the bios point to a source of more information. A couple of people that aren't U.S. citizens or the regular figures.
This book is a short introduction to historical Black personalities. Let's call the illustrations fair but for young readers that won't matter. The end of most of the bios point to a source of more information. A couple of people that aren't U.S. citizens or the regular figures.
June 28, 2023
Short biographies that serve as a good introduction to some Black heroes. Most, although not all, are American, and it does a good job in particular with introducing lesser-known Black heroes from history. These are just intros, and although the author does offer some guidance on where to go for more information, a complete bibliography would have been helpful.
October 28, 2020
A good introduction
Black Heroes was a good introduction, however reading with a British lens, of African descent, the book was quite American centred.
I believe as we are all of the diaspora that introducing children to more people from across the Diaspora is needed. I look forward to further volumes.
Black Heroes was a good introduction, however reading with a British lens, of African descent, the book was quite American centred.
I believe as we are all of the diaspora that introducing children to more people from across the Diaspora is needed. I look forward to further volumes.
November 1, 2020
After reading her book, I am going to have my book club read this book!
I belong to a book club of adult women. I think my book club members will enjoy this read as much as I did and share it with others. :)
I belong to a book club of adult women. I think my book club members will enjoy this read as much as I did and share it with others. :)
February 9, 2022
I bought this book as a gift for my 11 year old nephew. I read it before I gave it to him. It is age appropriate reading for him. Includes so many black heroes. I learned so new stuff myself. I like the way the book encourages the reader to explore more.
February 27, 2023
I loved it. I sat and consumed the entire treat in one gulp.
This would be a good bedtime read with your child. One a night or one a week and "let's find out more tomorrow when we go to the library." Also good for reading time in an elementary class.
This would be a good bedtime read with your child. One a night or one a week and "let's find out more tomorrow when we go to the library." Also good for reading time in an elementary class.
Read
December 27, 2020Touches on some little known heroes- mostly 1.5 page summaries. Better for elementary? Colorful illustrations and pages.
Read
February 11, 2021this is good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2021
Great reference book of inspiring Black heroes. Meant for kids but can also serve as a teaching tool for teenagers and adults alike
March 2, 2022
wonderful
What a wonderful book I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about African-Americans. And I want more books just like this to read
What a wonderful book I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about African-Americans. And I want more books just like this to read
October 19, 2024
Great book. This is a fun way to learn about black history.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2026
It’s interesting I love how they have their iconic speeches
July 17, 2022
The was a great overview of what God allows people of color to do.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 24 reviews