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Celebrate a nation of diverse readers with these recommended books, authors, and teaching resources.
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Advice

Books to Celebrate Juneteenth

Help students learn about and appreciate the significance of Juneteenth with these recommended titles.
collage of covers of children's books about Juneteenth
By: National Education Association
Published: June 7, 2023

Juneteenth commemorates the announcement in Texas in 1865 of the abolition of slavery—two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation—and honors the day that Black Americans gained their freedom. Try these titles and learn more about the history and tradition.

Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens

What is Juneteenth? by Kirsti Jewel

A Flag for Juneteenth by Kim Taylor

cover of Free at Last

The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story by Glenda Armand

Juneteenth by Van G. Garrett

Juneteenth: Our Day of Freedom by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle

The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States by Alliah L. Agostini

cover of All Different Now

Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story Of The Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan

Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper

Juneteenth Jamboree by Carole Boston Weatherford

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson

Juneteenth by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Hope's Gift by Kelly Starling Lyons

Free at Last! Stories and Songs of Emancipation by Doreen Rappaport

Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation by Patrice Sherman

cover of Juneteenth for Mazie

Days of Jubilee: The End of Slavery in the United States by Pat McKissack

Freedom's Gifts: a Juneteenth Story by Valerie Wilson Wesley

Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty by Tonya Bolden

Want to check out a copy of one of these titles? Find them in this booklist through your local library on WorldCat.

Celebrate a nation of diverse readers with these recommended books, authors, and teaching resources.

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graphic of Juneteenth flag with star

Teaching Juneteenth and the Meaning of Freedom

Although Juneteenth is commemorated when most K-12 schools are on summer break, it remains a valuable part of our nation's history and an essential reminder of slavery's legacy in the United States. To help educators include it in their curricular materials, we've compiled background reading, lessons, and recommended book lists.
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The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.
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