Black History Month is traditionally celebrated around the U.S. throughout the month of February. It's also best practice to incorporate African American authors and characters in your middle school ELA curriculum year-round. A culturally-diverse curriculum is end goals!
My favorite ideas and resources for diversifying my curriculum year-round:
Teach novel studies with African American characters. The following novels are my top recommendations:
Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds
- Realistic fiction/poetry
- Male main characters, African American
- 2017 publication date
- I just read this novel in verse for the first time (Feb 2025), and I read it in TWO SITTINGS. This one should be taught in every 8th grade class (maybe even as a pairing with Ghost Boys). Does have some profanity and gun violence.
Zane and the Hurricane, by Rodman Philbrick
- Historical fiction: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans 2005
- Male main character, mixed race
- 2015 publication date
- This novel is under 200 pages of loveable characters and cliff-hangers galore! I love reading this one out loud with students.
- Check out my Zane resources here.
- Realistic fiction/poetry
- Male main characters, African American
- 2017 publication date
- I just read this novel in verse for the first time (Feb 2025), and I read it in TWO SITTINGS. This one should be taught in every 8th grade class (maybe even as a pairing with Ghost Boys). Does have some profanity and gun violence.
- Historical fiction: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans 2005
- Male main character, mixed race
- 2015 publication date
- This novel is under 200 pages of loveable characters and cliff-hangers galore! I love reading this one out loud with students.
- Check out my Zane resources here.
Ghost, by Jason Reynolds
- Realistic fiction
- Male main character, African American
- 2017 publication date
- First book in a series
- Novel about a middle school boy nicknamed "Ghost" who joins the local middle school running team. Such a sweet story.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor
- Historical fiction: Great Depression, Mississippi
- Female main character, African American
- Newberry Medal Winner, 1977
- This one is a powerful story about a black family living in the South during the Great Depression. That scene with the school books though... IYKYK. Contains profanity, so make sure you have a conversation (or two) about why it's used in the book and why it's not okay to use it now.
- I love using this Historical Fiction Novel Study Research Museum Project & Rubric with Roll of Thunder.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, by Kwame Mbalia
- Fantasy/African mythology
- Male main character, African American
- 2019 publication date
- First book in a series
- 7th grader Tristan falls into a world of African folklore where he must become a hero. Ties in historical literary characters like John Henry and Brer Rabbit. Excellent recommendation for students who already love the Percy Jackson series.
- Check out the Story Elements Project & Grading Checklist I use with Tristan Strong.
Hidden Figures, Young Reader Edition, by Margot Lee Shetterly
- Non fiction
- Female main characters, African American
- 2016 publication date
- The stories of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, who lived through the Civil Rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the movement for gender equality, and whose work forever changed the face of NASA and the country.
- Realistic fiction/poetry
- Male main characters, African American
- Newberry Medal Winner, 2015
- First book in a series
- Novel in verse about twin brothers in middle school. There's also a graphic novel version and a Disney+ series.
- Realistic fiction/historical fiction: Emmett Till
- Male main character, African American
- 2018 publication date
- HEARTBREAKER. Y'all, I listened to this one as an audiobook in my car, and at the end, I was bawling. Big ugly cry. Be sure you read it first before assigning it, depending on your school climate.
- Read about how the author feels about her novel being banned here.
If you have any questions about these Black History content ideas feel free to email me at ms.t@talbertscurriculumcorner.com or reach out through any of my social media accounts! Let me know in the comments if/how you used these in your classroom!
💚Holly
@Talbert's Curriculum Corner
Want more book recommendations?
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