Kids

Juneteenth

From learning about history to enjoying a barbecue, there is a lot to do on Juneteenth! Young readers can learn about this important holiday, from when it started to today's traditions in this engaging title. Simple, predictable text and vibrant photos guide readers while special features offer additional support. Students who are just starting to read independently will find freedom with this title on Freedom Day!

Juneteenth

An African American family attends a modern-day Juneteenth parade in Galveston, Texas (the birthplace of the holiday). Text includes lines from "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

A Flag for Juneteenth

Expert quilter Kim Taylor shares a unique and powerful story of the celebration of the first Juneteenth, from the perspective of a young girl. On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army delivered the message that African Americans in Texas were free. Since then, Juneteenth, as the day has come to be known, has steadily gained recognition throughout the United States. ln 2020, a powerful wave of protests and demonstrations calling for racial justice and equality brought new awareness to the significance of the holiday.

Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth

The true story of Black activist Opal Lee and her vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday that represents the nation's creed of "freedom for all. Every year, Opal looked forward to the Juneteenth picnic--a drumming, dancing, delicious party.

Build a House

Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut. As an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, and cofounder of the traditional African American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rhiannon Giddens has long used her art to mine America's musical past and manifest its future, passionately recovering lost voices and reconstructing a nation's musical heritage.

Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem

Deeply emotional, evocative free verse by poet and activist Sojourner Kincaid Rolle traces the solemnity and celebration of Juneteenth from its 1865 origins in Galveston, Texas to contemporary observances all over the United States. This is an ode to the strength of Black Americans and a call to remember and honor a holiday whose importance reverberates far beyond the borders of Texas.