Two brilliant books on British Black History for kids
10 Children Who Changed the World by Paterson Joseph
Discover the lives and experiences of children who grew up in a time when slavery was legal in most of the world. From the goddaughter of Queen Victoria to one of the greatest stage actors of his time, uncover their stories in a series of letters in their own words.
Critical fabulation is a combination of historical research and fictional narrative (this term was new to me too!). And that’s what this book does brilliantly. It uses letters and diary accounts of ten children to bring their feelings and experiences to life. Some are enslaved, some are the children of former slaves and all went on to create an impact in their own lives. From Billy Sancho, who was the son of Black Georgian Charles Ignatius Sancho, to Mary Prince whose life story was a key account that swayed hearts and minds in the abolitionist movement, they’re engaging and entertaining but don’t shy away from the difficulties and struggles they face too. It’s a unique and powerful way to bring the past to life for readers of all ages.
For ages 9+
Part of a History that Started Before Me: Poems About Black British History chosen by George the Poet
This is a collection of poetry from a Who’s Who of Black British voices from the past few decades, all chosen by George the Poet. It covers Black British history from the Romans to cultural moments and commentary on the present day. Most poems are accompanied by a note from the poet on the events or history that inspired their work. The beauty of a poetry anthology is that you will always find something that hits home for you and there is a wonderful breadth and depth of styles, structures and topics within this collection.
I particularly loved the poems that reflected the more distant past - Theresa Lola’s ‘John Blanke Talks to his Trumpet’ and Joseph Coelho’s ‘A Native of Norwich’ about Pablo Fanque. But I also enjoyed more contemporary-feeling poems like "Being Black and 6teen" by Abi Simms. Each part is contextualised brilliantly by Dr Christienna Frayer who talks about the history and figures explored in each set of poems. It’s a wonderfully creative way of exploring race, identity and black history.
Ages 10+