Black History Month Reads with The Washington Mystics

This Black History Month, DC Public Library is teaming up with the Washington Mystics to recommend great reads that you can check out with your library card! Each month we post Read Feed entries that spotlight titles around a theme. February's theme is Black Athletic Excellence! We have selected some great pictures books and chapter books for children that will get them excited to move their bodies and get active. Happy Reading!

Picture Books

Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan, In Pursuit of a Dream, Written by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Young Michael Jordan, who is smaller than the other players, learns that determination and hard work are more important than size when playing the game of basketball.

Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams, Written by Lisa Cline-Ransome, Illustrated by James Ransome
Shares the story of the sisters and tennis stars, including their special relationship as sisters and best friends, their constant training as children, and their incredible success in professional tennis.

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the Fastest Woman in the World
A biography of the African-American woman who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track in a single Olympics.

Chapter Books

The Crossover, Written by Kwame Alexander
He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle-grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander. The Crossover, which won the 2015 Newbery Award is DC Public Library's DC Family Reads pick for February 2022 as part of our celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Newbery Award. Learn more about it on the DC Family Reads page!

Ghost, Written by Jason Reynolds
Ghost, a naturally talented runner and troublemaker, is recruited for an elite middle school track team. He must stay on track, literally and figuratively, to reach his full potential.

Jayla Jumps In, Written by Joy Jones
After learning that her mother was a Double Dutch champion, eleven-year-old Jayla forms a team hoping to stand out in her big, quirky family, and finds her life changed in ways she never imagined. Written by DC Public Library's own Joy Jones, you can watch her chat with DC Public Library's Teen Council about her writing in this recent author talk!

DC Public Library is celebrating Black History all February long with virtual and self-directed programs, educational activities, great reads and so much more. Learn more by visiting the Library's Black History Month page.