Ash, Maureen.
The Story of the women’s movement.
Chicago: Childrens Press, 1989.
A brief history of how women in this country have tried to gain equal rights with men is presented with many photographs.
Adler, David A.
A Picture book of Rosa Parks
. illus. Robert Casilla. New York: Holiday House, 1993.
This is an easy to read biography that is well illustrated.
Benjamin, Anne.
Young Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Heroine
. illus. Ellen Beier. Troll Associates, 1996.
This is a good example of a child’s first introduction to biographies.
Many pages only have three or four short sentences.
Burch, Joann J.
Marian Wright Edelman
. Brookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, 1994.
Edelman is noted as the founder of the Children’s Defense Fund but in this biography there is a good section on her involvement in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee while at Yale and afterwards in Jackson, Mississippi.
Cooney, Barbara.
Eleanor
. New York: Viking, 1996.
This picture book biography of Eleanor Roosevelt reads like a story book. Cooney had done beautiful illustrations to depict Roosevelt’s childhood.
Dallard, Shyrlee.
Ella Baker: a leader behind the scenes
. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Silver Burdett Press, 1990.
This is definitely more comprehensive biography that would be appropriate for a good fourth or fifth grade reader. It includes a time line of the civil rights movement, a timetable of her life, a suggested reading list, and a good index.
Dudley, Karen.
Great African Americans in government
. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1997.
Of the thirteen contemporary politicians included six are women.
Duncan, Alice Faye.
The National Civil Rights Museum celebrates everyday
people
. photos by J. Gerard Smith. Troll Medallion, 1995.
This over size history of the civil rights movement is a great supplemental source for student research.
Faber, Doris.
Eleanor Roosevelt: first lady of the world
. illus. Donna Ruff. New York: Puffin Books, 1985.
This is a biography that emphasizes Roosevelt’s early years.
Freedman, Russell.
Eleanor Roosevelt: a life of discovery
. New York: Clarion Books, 1993.
This Newbery Honor Book will be a little difficult for elementary students.
Friese, Kai.
Rosa Parks: the movement organizes
. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Silver Burdett Press, 1990.
This is a more difficult biography that includes a civil rights movement time line.
Greene, Carol.
Mary McLeod Bethune: champion for education.
Chicago: Childrens Press, 1993.
This is an easy to read biography with many photographs.
Hacker, Carlotta.
Great African Americans in history
. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1997.
Each of the thirteen biographies include a personality profile and a table of accomplishments. This makes the reading easier.
Halasa, Malu.
Mary McLeod Bethune: educator
. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989.
This comprehensive biography has an introduction by Coretta Scott King, a chronology, a list of readings, and an index.
Jacobs, William Jay.
Eleanor Roosevelt: a life of happiness and tears
. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1981.
This is also a higher level biography that would be too difficult for most elementary students but teachers might use.
King, Sarah E.
Maya Angelou: greeting the morning
. Brookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, 1994.
The early part of Angelou’s life was lived in Arkansas. The biography depicts the rural south in the 30s and 40s.
Levine, Ellen.
Freedom’s children: young civil rights activists tell their own stories.
illus. with photographs. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993.
The civil rights movement is described by people who were children during 1950s and 1960s.
McKissack, Patricia A.
Mary McLeod Bethune: a great American educator
. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1985.
This is a difficult read for elementary students but the detailed chronology could be very useful.
McKissack, Patricia and Fred.
Mary McLeod Bethune.
Chicago: Childrens Press, 1992.
This is an easier read for elementary students with many photographs.
Mary McLeod Bethune: a great educator
. illus. Ned O. Hillside, New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1991.
This is the easiest of the McKissacks’ biographies of Bethune. Early readers should be able reads this volume independently. Difficult words are in boldface type and defined in the glossary.
Meriwether, Louise.
Don’t ride the bus on Monday: the Rosa Parks story
. illus.
David Scott Brown. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1973.
Children can compare and contrast the illustrations in this volume with photographs in other biographies.
Myers, Walter Dean.
Brown angels: an album of pictures and verse
. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.
The pictures of hardworking people-of tenant farmers, porters, and teachers of the “colored” schools are an excellent addition to a unit on the civil rights movement.
Rochelle, Belinda.
Witness to freedom: young people who fought for civil
rights
. New York: Puffin Books, 1993.
This is a wealth of primary source material. Students who integrated Little Rock’s schools tell what it was like. Others tell about participating in a sit-in or a boycott.
Turner, Glennette Tilley.
Take a walk in their shoes: biographies of fourteen
outstanding African Americans
. illus. Elton C. Fax. New York: Puffin Books, 1989.
Besides biographical material this books contains skits that the class could act out.
Turner, Robyn Montana.
Faith Ringgold
. Canada: Little, Brown & Company, 1993.
Ringgold’s acrylic on canvas, #4 The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles is depicts Walker, Truth, Wells-Barnett, Hamer, Tubman, Parks, Bethune, Baker, and van Gogh could work very well with a unit on civil rights.