Special Collections
Black History Month
Description: Black History Month is celebrated in October each year.
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Purple Hibiscus
by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieThe limits of fifteen-year-old Kambili's world are defined by the high walls of her family estate and the dictates of her fanatically religious fath. Her life is regulated by schedules: prayer, sleep, study, prayer. When Nigeria is shaken by a military coup, Kambili's father, involved mysteriously in the political crisis, sends her to live with her aunt. In this house, noisy and full of laughter, she discovers life and love - and a terrible, bruising secret deep within her family. This extraordinary debut novel from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of 'Half of a Yellow Sun', is about the blurred lines between the old gods and the new, childhood and adulthood, love and hatred - the grey spaces in which truths are revealed and real life is lived.
Purple Hibiscus (PDF)
by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieThe limits of fifteen-year-old Kambili's world are defined by the high walls of her family estate and the dictates of her fanatically religious fath. Her life is regulated by schedules: prayer, sleep, study, prayer. When Nigeria is shaken by a military coup, Kambili's father, involved mysteriously in the political crisis, sends her to live with her aunt. In this house, noisy and full of laughter, she discovers life and love - and a terrible, bruising secret deep within her family. This extraordinary debut novel from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of 'Half of a Yellow Sun', is about the blurred lines between the old gods and the new, childhood and adulthood, love and hatred - the grey spaces in which truths are revealed and real life is lived.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (PDF)
by Maya AngelouMaya Angelou's six volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a Black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration. In this first volume of her six books of autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930s. She learns the power of the white folks at the other end of town and suffers the terrible trauma of rape by her mother's lover.nbsp;
Nelson Mandela (PDF)
by Kay BarnhamThe series focuses on the people who inspire children today. Each book looks at the background, life and achievements of a personality, their impact on popular culture as well as detailing the everyday facets of their job and how they have gained such success. This title explores how Nelson Mandela became one of the most influential political leaders in the world, from his origins in a South African herding village, through to his arrest for political activism, his imprisonment at Robben Island and his eventual release and presidency.
Noughts and Crosses
by Malorie BlackmanCallum is a Nought--a second-class citizen in a world run by the ruling Crosses... Sephy is a Cross, daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country... In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don't mix. And as hostility turns to violence, can Callum and Sephy possibly find a way to be together? They are determined to try. And then the bomb explodes...
Noughts and Crosses (Noughts and Crosses, Book 1) (PDF)
by Malorie BlackmanCallum is a Nought--a second-class citizen in a world run by the ruling Crosses... Sephy is a Cross, daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country... In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don't mix. And as hostility turns to violence, can Callum and Sephy possibly find a way to be together? They are determined to try. And then the bomb explodes...
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Clayborne CarsonWith knowledge, spirit, good humor, and passion, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. brings to life a remarkable man whose thoughts and actions speak to our most burning contemporary issues and still inspire the desires, hopes, and dreams of us all.Written in his own words, this history-making autobiography is Martin Luther King: the mild-mannered, inquisitive child and student who chafed under and eventually rebelled against segregation; the dedicated young minister who continually questioned the depths of his faith and the limits of his wisdom; the loving husband and father who sought to balance his family's needs with those of a growing, nationwide movement; and the reflective, world-famous leader who was fired by a vision of equality for people everywhere. Relevant and insightful, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. offers King's seldom disclosed views on some of the world's greatest and most controversial figures: John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Lyndon B. Johnson, Mahatma Gandhi, and Richard Nixon. It also paints a rich and moving portrait of a people, a time, and a nation in the face of powerful change. Finally, it shows how everyday Americans from all walks of life confronted themselves, each other, and the burden of the past-and how their fears and courage helped shape our future.
The Black Peoples Of America (PDF)
by Douglas R FeatonbyThe Black Peoples of America is an essential and unique Key Stage 3 resource for teaching and learning about the issues and events that characterise the history of Black peoples from Slavery up to the struggle for Civil Rights and life in modern America. It never lets go of the period's story, providing innovative and exciting opportunities to examine the Big Picture and Investigate particular topics. This foundation edition has been written for use with lower attainers and promotes literacy as well as knowledge and understanding. Discover how at least 12 million Black people were taken as slaves from Africa to America in the three hundred years after 1532 (and why at least two million died during the sea journey); how one slave hid in a box, 'posted' himself to freedom in the North and afterwards was know as Henry 'Box' Brown; and how Black people who volunteered to fight against slavery in 1861 were turned away because it was thought to be a 'White man's war'!
Hodder History
by Douglas R. FeatonbyThe Black Peoples of America is an essential and unique Key Stage 3 resource for teaching and learning about the issues and events that characterise the history of Black peoples from Slavery up to the struggle for Civil Rights and life in modern America. It never lets go of the period's story, providing innovative and exciting opportunities to examine the Big Picture and Investigate particular topics. This foundation edition has been written for use with lower attainers and promotes literacy as well as knowledge and understanding. Discover how at least 12 million Black people were taken as slaves from Africa to America in the three hundred years after 1532 (and why at least two million died during the sea journey); how one slave hid in a box, 'posted' himself to freedom in the North and afterwards was know as Henry 'Box' Brown; and how Black people who volunteered to fight against slavery in 1861 were turned away because it was thought to be a 'White Man's War'!
Black People in the British Empire
by Peter Fryer'Fantastic … the most important book on Black British history’ - Akala Black People in the British Empire is a challenge to the official version of British history. It tells the story of Britain's exploitation and oppression of its subject peoples in its colonies, and in particular the people of Africa, Asia and Australasia Peter Fryer reveals how the ideology of racism was used as justification for acquiring and expanding the Empire; how the British Industrial Revolution developed out of profits from the slave trade; and how the colonies were deliberately de-industrialised to create a market for British manufacturers. In describing the frequency and the scale of revolts by subject peoples against slavery and foreign domination - and the brutality used in crushing them - Peter Fryer exposes the true history of colonialism, and restores to Black people their central role in Britain's past.
Black People in the British Empire
by Peter Fryer'Fantastic … the most important book on Black British history’ - Akala Black People in the British Empire is a challenge to the official version of British history. It tells the story of Britain's exploitation and oppression of its subject peoples in its colonies, and in particular the people of Africa, Asia and Australasia Peter Fryer reveals how the ideology of racism was used as justification for acquiring and expanding the Empire; how the British Industrial Revolution developed out of profits from the slave trade; and how the colonies were deliberately de-industrialised to create a market for British manufacturers. In describing the frequency and the scale of revolts by subject peoples against slavery and foreign domination - and the brutality used in crushing them - Peter Fryer exposes the true history of colonialism, and restores to Black people their central role in Britain's past.
Staying Power
by Peter FryerStaying Power is recognised as the definitive history of black people in Britain, an epic story that begins with the Roman conquest and continues to this day. *BR**BR*In a comprehensive account, Peter Fryer reveals how Africans, Asians and their descendants, previously hidden from history, have profoundly influenced and shaped events in Britain over the course of the last two thousand years.*BR**BR*This edition includes a foreword by Paul Gilroy explaining the genesis of the book and its continuing significance in black history today.
Staying Power
by Peter FryerStaying Power is a panoramic history of black Britons. Stretching back to the Roman conquest, encompassing the court of Henry VIII, and following a host of characters from Mary Seacole to the abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, Peter Fryer paints a picture of two thousand years of Black presence in Britain.*BR**BR*First published in the '80s, amidst race riots and police brutality, Fryer's history performed a deeply political act; revealing how Africans, Asians and their descendants had long been erased from British history. By rewriting black Britons into the British story, showing where they influenced political traditions, social institutions and cultural life, was - and is - a deeply effective counter to a racist and nationalist agenda.*BR**BR*This new edition includes the classic introduction by Paul Gilroy, author of There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack, in addition to a brand-new foreword by Guardian journalist Gary Younge, which examines the book's continued significance today as we face Brexit and a revival of right wing nationalism.
Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence
by Pilkington and Doris Garimara and NugiThis is the true account of Doris Pilkington Garimara's mother Molly, made legendary by the film Rabbit-Proof Fence. In 1932 Molly led her two sisters on an extraordinary 1,600 kilometre walk across remote Western Australia. Aged 8, 11 and 14, they escaped the confinement of a government institution for Aboriginal children removed from their families. Barefoot, without provision or maps, tracked by Native Police and search planes, the girls followed the rabbit-proof fence, knowing it would lead them home. Their journey - longer than many of the celebrated walks of our explorer heroes - reveals a past more cruel that we could ever imagine.
Grandpa Chatterji
by Jamila GavinGrandpa Chatterji is a loveable grandparent who invites his grandchildren back to Calcutta. The author draws the reader into the colour and magic of India while her funny and poignant stories and adventures cross every culture and boundary.
Grandpa Chatterji (PDF)
by Jamila GavinGrandpa Chatterji is a loveable grandparent who invites his grandchildren back to Calcutta. The author draws the reader into the colour and magic of India while her funny and poignant stories and adventures cross every culture and boundary.
Little Leaders
by Vashti HarrisonThis beautifully illustrated volume educates and inspires as it relates true stories of black men in history. Illuminating text paired with irresistible full-color art bring to life both iconic and lesser-known figures.Among these biographies, readers will find aviators and artists, politicians and pop culture icons. The men featured include writer James Baldwin, artist Aaron Douglas, photographer Gordon Parks, diplomat Kofi Annan, comic book author Dwayne McDuffie, and musician Prince.
Martin Luther King
by Godfrey HodgsonMartin Luther King left an indelible mark on 20th-century American history through his leadership of the non-violent civil rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s. The election of Barack Obama as America's first black president in November 2008 has spawned a renewed interest in King's role as an agent and prophet of political change in the United States. Writing with verve and clarity but also with acute insight, Godfrey Hodgson traces King's life and career from his birth in Atlanta in 1929, through the campaigns that made possible the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to his assassination in Memphis in 1968. Hodgson sheds light on every aspect of an extraordinary life: the Black Baptist milieu in which King grew up, his theology and political philosophy, his physical and moral courage, his insistence on the injustice of inequality, his campaigning energy, his repeated sexual infidelities. Martin Luther King is a rounded and fascinating portrait of a Christian prophet and the most brilliant orator of his age, the central message of whose life and ministry was that Americans would never be fully free until they accepted that black and white Americans must be equal.
Amazing Grace
by Mary HoffmanGrace loves to act out stories. Sometimes she plays the leading part, sometimes she is 'a cast of thousands.'When her school decides to perform Peter Pan , Grace is longing to play Peter, but her classmates say that Peter was a boy, and besides, he wasn't black...But Grace's Ma and Nana tell her she can be anything she wants if she puts her mind to it...
Amazing Grace (PDF)
by Mary HoffmanGrace loves to act out stories. Sometimes she plays the leading part, sometimes she is 'a cast of thousands.'When her school decides to perform Peter Pan , Grace is longing to play Peter, but her classmates say that Peter was a boy, and besides, he wasn't black...But Grace's Ma and Nana tell her she can be anything she wants if she puts her mind to it...
NELSON Mandela
by Nansubuga Nagadya IsdahlTrue life stories of the most amazing people EVER! Meet NELSON MANDELA, the world's most famous freedom fighter, who went from wanted terrorist to international hero and President of South Africa, thanks to 27 years in jail! Find out: why he didn't use a toothbrush until he was 21; why he was arrested for travelling on a tram; and why one of his prison cells came with a servant and a pool! Get to know NELSON on First Name terms.
Martin Luther King, Jr
by Kitson Jazynka and National Geographic KidsNational Geographic Primary Readers is a high-interest series of beginning reading books that have been developed in consultation with education experts. The books pair magnificent National Geographic photographs with lively text by skilled children’s book authors across four reading levels. In this title, readers will learn about the fascinating life and legacy civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Level 4: Independent reader: Perfect for kids who are reading on their own with ease and are ready for more challenging vocabulary with varied sentence structures. They are ideal for readers of White and Lime books.
Rosa Parks
by Kitson Jazynka and National Geographic KidsNational Geographic Primary Readers is a high-interest series of beginning reading books that have been developed in consultation with education experts. The books pair magnificent National Geographic photographs with lively text by skilled children’s book authors across four reading levels. Find out about the life of Rosa Parks and how her actions in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 helped end racial segregation in America. Level 3: Becoming independent: Best suited to kids who are ready for complex sentences and more challenging vocabulary, but still draw on occasional support from adults. They are ideal for readers of Purple and Gold books.
The Extraordinary Life of Rosa Parks
by Dr Sheila KananiRosa Parks, the woman known for refusing to give up her seat on the bus, triggered a great shift in the fight for civil rights. Raised in Alabama, Rosa Parks knew all about the racism of her society from an early age. Discover how she became the brilliant activist we know today, in this beautifully illustrated book with real-life stories, timelines and facts to bring her nextraordinary story to life.