In the midst of the holiday frenzy, I work hard to keep our home environment peaceful and focused on the “reason for the season.” Rather than shun gifts, we encourage our children to be thoughtful in their choices and to see gift-gifting as a way to bless others as we’re reminded of the Ultimate Gift. But here’s the thing: I LOVE giving gifts. And with a house full of kids, things can quickly become overwhelming when I don’t have a plan.

As a homeschooling family, I learned early on to integrate books from our ever-growing wish lists into my children’s Christmas morning delights. That plan has led to years of book-themed fun, and I’m excited to share similar ideas with you today. Have fun scrolling through, and don’t forget to share the inspiration with Grandma!

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George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver was an African American botanist, agricultural scientist, environmentalist, and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was the most prominent black scientist of the early 20th century. On his grave was written, “He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.” Enjoy this collection of books about his life, gifts inspired by his work, and related books to tie it all together.

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was an African American mathematician and scientist whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. She became a household name before her death in February 2020 when the movie, Hidden Figures, became a box office success. Pair a book or two about her life with a Katherine Johnson doll or space-inspired activities for a perfect gift.

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald was an African American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. These books about her life, novels about girls who sing, and music-related gifts are a perfect combination.

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks was an was an African American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. Parks boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus for home after a long day’s work at a Montgomery department store where she worked as a seamstress. This unique combination of books, a Rosa Parks Barbie, paper dolls, and sewing sets in celebration of Parks’ time as a seamstress are fun ways to celebrate the beauty of her life. Books honoring others who have shouldered the burden of change are nice additions for this theme.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent. At a Sotheby’s auction in May 2017, Untitled, a 1982 painting by Basquiat sold for $110.5 million, becoming one of the most expensive paintings ever purchased. It also set a new record high for an American artist at auction. A Basquiat-inspired doll, books honoring his life and work, art supplies, and graphic novels (for older kids) go together well for this themed gift idea.

Ann Cole Lowe

Ann Cole Lowe was the first African American to become a noted fashion designer. Lowe’s one-of-a-kind designs were a favorite among high society matrons from the 1920s to the 1960s. She was best known for designing the ivory silk taffeta wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Bouvier when she married John F. Kennedy in 1953. This gift theme celebrates her contributions to fashion with books, supplies, and more.

Pura Belpré

Pura Belpré was a writer, collector of folktales, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature. Through Belpré’s work, the 115th Street branch became an important cultural center for the Latino residents of New York. After the death of her husband, African-American composer and violinist, Clarence Cameron White, she continued her groundbreaking work that continues to bless children to this day. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

John Henry

John Henry is an African American folk hero. He is said to have worked as a “steel-driving man”—a man tasked with hammering a steel drill into rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock in constructing a railroad tunnel. The story of John Henry is told in a classic folk song, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of numerous stories, plays, books, and novels. My kids have read these books more times that I can count, and the pair so well with kits that encourage children to dig, whittle, pound, and survive.

Ezra Jack Keats

Ezra Jack Keats, born in New York as the child of Polish-Jewish immigrants, was the author of The Snowy Day, which received the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book for children in 1963. The story follows a very young boy named Peter as he spends a day playing in the snow. Peter is African-American, although his race is never mentioned. Peter was inspired by a Life magazine clipping from 1940. Keats wrote, “Then began an experience that turned my life around — working on a book with a black kid as hero. None of the manuscripts I’d been illustrating featured any black kids — except for token blacks in the background. My book would have him there simply because he should have been there all along.” That has always moved me.

Madam C.J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove) is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records. Walker made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair care products for black women through the business she founded, Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company. She also became known for her philanthropy and activism. Villa Lewaro, Walker’s lavish estate in Irvington, New York, served as a social gathering place for the African-American community. 

Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman was was an early American civil aviator. She was the first African-American woman, and also the first Native-American, to hold a pilot license. She was also the first black person to earn an international pilot’s license. Sadly, Coleman died in a plane crash in 1926 while testing a new aircraft, but her pioneering role was an inspiration to early pilots and to the African-American and Native-American communities.

Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland is an African American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. In 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT’s 75-year history. She has been an inspiration for one of my daughters and so many other little girls dreaming of life as a ballerina.

Scientists and Inventors

Learning about the lives of scientists and inventors helps children recognize that there are no limits to who belongs in a lab or in space. This is just a sampling of the many books available that inspire children to follow in the footsteps of those who have achieved great personal and career achievements in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and more!

Christian Heroes

I’m always on the lookout for books about Black missionaries, and in my search I ran across Heroes in Black History: True Stories From the Lives of Christian Heroes. This unique book covers 14 people from the well-known (Harriet Tubman, MLK Jr., George Washington Carver) to the virtually unknown (Amanda Smith, William Seymour, Eliza Davis George). It includes a short biography and three true stories with a focus on Christian character qualities for each hero, and it has been one that my family returns to time and again. If you like this category, be sure to check out the post I wrote about tween devotionals and Christian novels you can trust.

Fiction & Fun Sets

These are smaller groupings of diverse fiction paired with items to help make a literary gift even sweeter. This is one of my favorite categories, so I’ll likely continue to add to it over time. Be sure to check back for the latest additions!

I hope you were able to find plenty of inspiration for diverse book-inspired holiday gifts for the special kiddos in your life. You can find me on Instagram @heritagemomblog. Happy Holidays!