To accompany the exhibit "African American Military Portraits From the American Civil War", LAPL created this children's book list for young readers interested in learning more about African Americans and their role in the American Civil War.
African Americans in the Civil War
Grades 5-8. Relates the experiences of Black soldiers who fought in the Union Army as well as of those who fought with the Confederate forces during the Civil War.
African-American soldiers in the Civil War : fighting for freedom
Grades 4-6. After a concise introduction to slavery and the Civil War, author Carin T. Ford paints a vivid picture of black soldiers on and off the battlefield—the obstacles they faced, the determination with which they fought, and their status in the aftermath of the war.
Black, blue & gray : African Americans in the Civil War
Grades 5-8. An historical account of the role of African-American soldiers in the Civil War.
From slave to soldier : based on a true civil war story
K – Grade 3. A boy who hates being a slave joins the Union Army to fight for freedom, and proves himself brave and capable of handling a mule team when the need arises.
The girls of Gettysburg
Grades 4-6. Pickett's Charge, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, is the climax of this Civil War adventure, told from the perspective of three girls: a Union loyalist, a free Black, and a girl from Virginia who disguised herself as a boy to fight in the Confederate Army -- Provided by publisher.
Hope's gift
K – Grade 3. A runaway slave during the Civil War, Hope's father returns after the Emancipation Proclamation as a member of the U.S. Colored Troops.
I survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863
Grades 2-5. It's 1863, and Thomas and his little sister, Birdie, have fled the farm where they were born and raised as slaves. Following the North Star, looking for freedom, they soon cross paths with a Union soldier. Thomas and Birdie are brought back to his regiment, and suddenly it feels like they've found a new home. But then, the men are called to battle in Pennsylvania.--Publisher.
I thought my soul would rise and fly : the diary of Patsy, a freed girl
Grades 3-6. Twelve-year-old Patsy keeps a diary of the ripe but confusing time following the end of the Civil War and the granting of freedom to former slaves.
Li'l Dan, the drummer boy : a Civil War story
K – Grade 4. When a company of black Union soldiers tells L'il Dan that he is no longer a slave, he follows them, and uses his beloved drum to save them from attack.
Pink and Say
K – Grade 3. Say Curtis describes his meeting with Pinkus Aylee, a black soldier, during the Civil War, and their capture by Southern troops. Based on a true story about the author's great-great-grandfather.
Silent thunder : a Civil War story
Grades 4-7. In 1862 eleven-year-old Summer and her thirteen-year-old brother Rosco take turns describing how life on the quiet Virginia plantation where they are slaves is affected by the Civil War.
Slaves to soldiers : African-American fighting men in the Civil War
Grades 4-6. Explores the circumstances of African-Americans who fought in the Civil War, including slaves, free southerners, and northerners.