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For teens- anything by Walter Dean Myers. Most of his work is realistic fiction, though he has a memoir, Bad Boy and an illustrated poem/picture book, Harlem, that is absolutely beautiful and not a "baby" book even though it's illustrated.
I think it's important for kids to be familiar with the classics that have already been named but there are some awesome contemporary works/writers that deserve attention. Anything by Nikki Grimes, especially Jazmin's Notebook, and Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons go to Birmingham 1963. These would all be best for younger teens.
Swingin' at The Savoy by Norma Miller and Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Both written by people that were young kids living in Harlem back in the day and became a party of the Lindy Hop movement. Granted much of it relates to the dancing but they also tell of growing up black and some of the discrimination and such that they faced.
Totally agree with the others already suggested. Great list!
Sundown Towns by Prof. James Loewen. Outstanding and convincing.
I came away from Malcolm X's autobiography utterly disgusted that anyone could identify with him, sympathize with him or even respect him. I read the words 'devil white man' many, many times in that book. What a racist! An unapologetic, hateful racist. Anyone who wears an X hat with reference to Malcolm X has no grounds to complain about any private individual wearing or flying a Confederate flag.
The two books on music contain a great deal of historical and ethnological material about African-American life, into which the history of the music is interwoven.
Sundown Towns by Prof. James Loewen. Outstanding and convincing.
I came away from Malcolm X's autobiography utterly disgusted that anyone could identify with him, sympathize with him or even respect him. I read the words 'devil white man' many, many times in that book. What a racist! An unapologetic, hateful racist. Anyone who wears an X hat with reference to Malcolm X has no grounds to complain about any private individual wearing or flying a Confederate flag.
My 5th grader is reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham as part of black history month and is loving it. She even put aside her latest Vampire Diaries book to read it.
Yeah. I wasn't impressed with his late-book epiphany. And even if I was, big deal. George Wallace became somewhat more moderate late in his life, too, but his primary legacy is still as a racist bigot. I find a pleasant irony in associating the two, who in my opinion deserve one another.
I'd like to nominate Toni Morrison's book "Song of Solomon" It deals with a variety of themes that make good discussion starters for black men, and teenage boys. You can find more <a href="http://books4men.blogspot.com/2009/11/good-books-for-african-american-men-to.html">good books for Black men</a> by visiting the blog "Books 4 Men."
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Two very different ones...
