Alabama Children’s Books
Heading on a trip to Alabama? Or doing a homeschool unit study on Alabama? Or just from Alabama and want to read some books about your home state? Check out these recommendations below!
Children’s Novels
Gone Crazy in Alabama, Rita Williams-Garcia (Audiobook) (Kindle)
Best for: Ages 8-12
Gone Crazy in Alabama is both a Newbery Honor book and Coretta Scott King award-winning novel!
From the Publisher:
Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern are off to Alabama to visit their grandmother Big Ma and her mother, Ma Charles. Across the way lives Ma Charles’s half-sister, Miss Trotter. The two half-sisters haven’t spoken in years. As Delphine hears about her family history, she uncovers the surprising truth that’s been keeping the sisters apart. But when tragedy strikes, Delphine discovers that the bonds of family run deeper than she ever knew possible.
Inside Out & Back Again, Thanhha Lai (Audiobook) (Kindle)
Best for: Ages 8-12
Inside Out & Back Again is a #1 New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award!
From the Publisher:
Inspired by the author’s childhood experience as a refugee—fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama—this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child’s-eye view of family and immigration.
For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family.
This moving story of one girl’s year of change, dreams, grief, and healing received four starred reviews, including one from Kirkus which proclaimed it “enlightening, poignant, and unexpectedly funny.” An author’s note explains how and why Thanhha Lai translated her personal experiences into Hà’s story.
The Watson’s Go to Birmingham 1963, Christopher Paul Curtis (Audiobook) (Kindle)
Best for: Ages 10-14
The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963 is a Newbery Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honoree.
From the Publisher:
Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There’s Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who’s thirteen and an “official juvenile delinquent.”
When Byron gets to be too much trouble, they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the one person who can shape him up. And they happen to be in Birmingham when Grandma’s church is blown up.
Children’s Nonfiction
Alabama Native Americans: A Kid’s Look at our State’s Chiefs, Tribes, Reservations, Powwows, Lore, and More from the Past and the Present, Carole Marsh
Y is Yellowhammer: An Alabama Alphabet, Carol Crane (Kindle)
What’s Great about Alabama?, Jamie Kalli (Kindle)
Notable Figures from Alabama
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) was a minister and activists who became the most visible spokesman and leader of the civil rights movement from 1954 until his assassination in 1968.
I am Martin Luther King, Jr., Brad Meltzer (Kindle)
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?, Bonnie Bader (Audiobook) (Kindle)
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr., David Adler
Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens (1913-1980), born in Oakville, Alabama, was a track and field athlete and four-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1936 Olympic games.
Who Was Jesse Owens?, James Buckley Jr. (Audiobook) (Kindle)
A Picture Book of Jesse Owens, David A. Adler
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks (1913- 2005), was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement, best known for her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. These children’s books tell Parks’ story in a way that the kiddos can both understand and appreciate.
I am Rosa Parks, Brad Meltzer (Kindle)
Who Was Rosa Parks?, Yona Zeldis McDonough (Audiobook) (Kindle)
A Picture Book of Rosa Parks, David A. Adler
Helen Keller
Helen Keller (1880-1968), was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1880. At the age of nineteen months, Helen Keller became blind and deaf as the result of a severe illness. With the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Keller overcame her obstacles and learned to read, write, and speak. Many books have been written about her life overcoming adversity, including her autobiography, The Story of My Life.
The Story of My Life, Helen Keller (Audiobook) (Kindle)
I am Helen Keller, Brad Meltzer (Kindle)
Who Was Helen Keller?, Gare Thompson (Audiobook) (Kindle)
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver (1860s – 1943), born in Tuskegee, Alabama, was a botanist and inventor who actively promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion.
Who Was George Washington Carver?, Jim Gigliotti (Audiobook) (Kindle)
I hope you enjoy these books and learning more about Alabama!
As always, we’re thrilled you’re here and happy adventuring!
