BLOG
BLACK CULTURE, HOMESCHOOLING, TRAVEL (AND OTHER THINGS FROM MY SWEET, IMPERFECT LIFE)
Hey there!
I’m Amber
Follow me!
My name is Amber O’Neal Johnston, and I started this website to document and discuss the joys and trials of raising my kids to love themselves and others.
The Latest Posts
Viva Durant and the Mystery at the Masquerade Ball
Viva Durant is an ordinary teenager who becomes an amateur detective while visiting her grandmother in New Orleans. In the series opener, she...
Warrior on the Mound: A Pitch-Perfect Book Celebrating Negro Leagues Baseball
I'm excited to share Warrior on the Mound, a brand-new middle-grade novel! Today is just a regular day for most, but for the mom of a baseball fan,...
Children’s Books About Black Artists
A few years ago, I shared 17 Picture Books Featuring Black Artists, which are still some of my favorite children's books about Black artists. Since...
Library Book Sale Haul
I need more books like I need a hole in my head, yet... I continue to purchase them. Part of my excuse is that I'm homeschooling four children, and...
Black Verse Novels for Young People
I adore poetry, and in recent years, I've clung to Black verse novels for myself, my children, and the kiddos in my book club. Narrative poetry is...
HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience
Attending an HBCU changed my life, and the new book HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience reminded me of how profound the...
Get Good Stuff in Your Inbox
Sign up now and receive my newly expanded Family Bonds book list, a curated collection of stories tied together with the common cord of familial bonds. You’ll also receive occasional emails featuring my latest thoughts, book recommendations, and diverse educational goodies.
African American Historical Fiction: Stories of the 1800s
Of all the elements of our Black history studies, African American historical fiction is a runaway favorite for my children (and for me too!). These...
Black History Books: Nonfiction Covering the 1800s
These nonfiction Black history books covering the 1800s are part of our broader history plans for the time period. The selections shared below cover...
African American Biographies: Life in the 1800s
These African American biographies covering the lives of people from the 1800s are part of a series of posts on this time period. In my book, A...
Paul Laurence Dunbar Poetry Study
Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th...
Picture Books About Slavery and Freedom
I’ll be reading these picture books about slavery and freedom aloud to all of my children during our family morning time next school year, right...
Middle Grade Leisure Reading: An Insider’s View
I'm often asked about what my kids like to read in their free time, and it's always a bit difficult to say because each child prefers different...
A Place to Belong: New Book Announcement!
It is with great pleasure that I announce my new book, A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond. Since beginning...
Things to Do When Kids Are Bored
Every parent has experienced what happens when kids are bored, and my family is no exception. All of my children have been through the various...
Stories and Songs of Slave Resistance
As part of our Colonial American and Revolutionary War history studies this year, we've been reading through No More! Stories and Songs of Slave...
African American Picture Study: Faith Ringgold
Faith Ringgold (born October 8, 1930 in Harlem, New York City) is an American painter, writer, mixed media sculptor, and performance artist, best...
African American Christmas Books for Kids
It took several years, but we finally have a beautiful collection of African American Christmas books for kids that my entire family enjoys. Each...
20 Middle Grade Books: Black Girls Living Life
I've been very vocal about children needing literary mirrors and windows. I've also consistently shared that the books featuring Black people can't...
African American Picture Study: Artist Joshua Johnson
Artist Joshua Johnson (c. 1763—c. 1824) was an American painter of African and European ancestry from the Baltimore area, and he's known for...
Why I Talk About Black Books so Much
“Why do your kids only read books about Black people? Isn’t that just as bad as white kids never reading about other people?” I assume...
African American Picture Study: Prince Demah
Prince Demah (c. 1745—March 1778) was an African American painter who was formerly enslaved and active in Boston in the late 1700s. In April 1777,...
Black Composer: Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (December 25, 1745 – June 12, 1799) was a French classical composer, virtuoso violinist, a conductor of...