African American Historical Fiction

African American Historical Fiction | Heritage Mom

source: https://heritagemom.com/index.php/2020/03/05/african-american-historical-fiction/

I try to set high standards for the books I offer up to my children. Certainly, I want them to read the very best literature and hear ideas from the great minds of long ago and today. But when so many things make it seem otherwise, I want the books they read to reinforce, or at the very least not contradict, the refrain that they are made in the very image of God.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.

Lately, we've hit upon a series of unrelated historical fiction books that meet this standard. They're not religious books, in the literal sense, but most show the characters' reliance on Him, and they all point to the God-breathed humanity of black people in the midst of nightmarish persecution. They share a clear picture of God's sustaining hand in life's seemingly unbearable trials. Yes, they're school books, but they're so much more. And according to Charlotte Mason,

"...we do not merely give a religious education because that would seem to imply the possibility of some other education, a secular education, for example. But we hold that all education is divine, that every good gift of knowledge and insight comes from above... that the culmination of all education is that personal knowledge of and intimacy with God in which our being finds its fullest perfection"

School Education

, 95 (emphasis is mine)

These are my top recommendations for African American historical fiction books that we've enjoyed within the last year:

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A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (Dear America Series) "Having secretly taught herself how to read and write, Clotee, a brave twelve-year-old Virginia slave, witnesses the horrors of slavery and eventually becomes a conductor on the Underground Railroad."

I recommend reading Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters by the same author (Patricia McKissack is one of our favorites!) before reading this book. Christmas is a mature picture book with lots of text, and it lays the groundwork for a few things that are referenced in the Clotee book.

Running Out of Night This is the tale of "the incredible journey of an abused twelve-year-old white girl and an escaped slave girl who run away together and form a bond of friendship while seeking freedom."

The main character in this book is white, so at first glance, it may not seem like a story of the black experience, but it so is. Not only does the white girl journey with black loved ones, but the story leaves us with an understanding of how people of all backgrounds can connect through their shared pain and triumph.

Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule "Like other ex-slaves, Pascal and his older brother Gideon have been promised forty acres and maybe a mule. With the family of friends they have built along the way, they claim a place of their own. Green Gloryland is the most wonderful place on earth, their own family farm with a healthy cotton crop and plenty to eat. But the notorious night riders have plans to take it away, threatening to tear the beautiful freedom that the two boys are enjoying for the first time in their young lives."

This book uniquely describes a time period that is often overlooked in children's literature - Reconstruction. We hear a ton about slavery and Jim Crow, but what was going on during the years between? The author, Harriette Gillem Robinet, does a great job of bringing to life flawed, yet heroic, characters that struggled, prevailed, failed, and lost during those years.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This is typically the token black book on every middle grade book list, and rightfully so. I mean, it stinks that there's only one book, but if they're only willing to list one, I can see why this would be it. This book is beautifully raw. It doesn't hold back, but nothing is shared for shock value; it's all necessary. It feels like Mildred D. Taylor agonized over every single word in order to make everything spill out into a story that you'll never want to end. My kids sat in complete silence when it ended, and they literally begged me to order the next book in the Logan Family saga, Let the Circle Be Unbroken. I obliged, of course, and they enjoyed it just as much.

Stella by Starlight. "Stella lives in the segregated South...Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can't. Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn't bothered them for years. But one late night...Stella and her little brother see something they're never supposed to see...As Stella's community-her world-is upended, she decides to fight fire with fire. And she learns that ashes don't necessarily signify an end."

The main character bravely battles racism in this Depression-era book. My younger daughter selected this book from our shelves as a free read. I was apprehensive because I didn't pre-read it, but I took a chance, and I'm glad I did. She enjoyed it so much! In fact, I'll call this a "gateway" book - one that elevated her desire to read more dense texts because she got a taste of what joy a great book can provide - even if it's stacked with an intimidating 352 pages. Because I only got the story second-hand - through her many descriptions (Might we call them elective narrations? Yes, let's do that.) - I can't give a first-hand endorsement, but I know my girl, and if she raved as she did, the book was really good.

Sounder. "The boy knows that times are tough for his family. Every night, his father goes out hunting with their great coon dog, Sounder, to try to put food on the table. But even with the little they bring back, there is still never enough for the family to eat. When the boy awakens one morning to a sweet-smelling ham on the table, it seems like a blessing. But soon, the sheriff and his deputies come to the house and take the boy's father away in handcuffs. Suddenly the boy must grow up fast in a world that isn't fair, keeping hope alive through the love he has for his father's faithful dog, Sounder."

This is a tear-jerker, but it's worth all of the tissues. It's the black version of Where the Red Fern Grows, so I read both aloud this fall so we could compare and contrast. With only 116 pages, it's a pretty quick read, but don't plan to rush. You'll want to meander through it as there are parts that have to kind of sit with you. There are also movies: This one by Disney (rated PG) and this older one starring Cicely Tyson (Supposedly rated G but there were curse words). We haven't watched them yet, but they're on our movie list for lazy days during our worldschooling trip.

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