SOUL SCHOOL:
Taking Kids on a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture
By Amber O’Neal Johnston
A must-have addition to the shelf for any parent hoping to introduce more inclusive books into the home, with 100+ essential titles for early readers through high school.
Brimming with the history and culture of Black America, this one-of-a-kind resource is delivered in a package that all children find irresistible: stories. Education expert Amber O’Neal Johnston—who homeschools her four children—offers masterfully curated booklists, sorted by age, for diving into the fullness of the African American cultural experience.
Soul School books are must-have mirrors for Black children and priceless windows for others, but first and foremost, they’re captivating stories. And while they’re sure to hold a special place in the hearts of Black families, they are unequivocally and without hesitation for all children.
In addition to the booklists, Johnston artfully weaves together chapters covering knowledge of the past and awareness of the present by examining cultural values, historical highlights, and the power of storytelling while teaching families what to look for and how to enjoy prose, verse, and illustrations that celebrate Black American culture.
Covering toddlers to teens and everyone in between, Soul School offers over one hundred of the best children’s, middle grade, and young adult books available today, each accompanied by discussion questions, activities, and related resource recommendations. This revolutionary contribution to the literary lives of children is long overdue and sorely needed in homes and classrooms everywhere.
Includes 100+
books and activities for toddlers to teens
“As a writer who has for decades written to fill the holes in the literature of my childhood, I am so deeply grateful that Soul School is finally in the world. Here is the literary Bible for every parent, teacher, student, Auntie – my list can go on and on – who wants a deeper understanding of why our books matter. Timely and timeless.”
Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming
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About the Author
Amber O’Neal Johnston
Amber O’Neal Johnston is a home education expert and mother of four who speaks and writes about including diverse voices in traditional curricula and infusing ethnic and family culture into the home environment. She is the author of A Place to Belong: Raising Kids to Celebrate Their Heritage, Community, and the World and passionately shares Black books, art, music, poetry, people, things, and ideas at HeritageMom.com. She regularly speaks at education, homeschooling, and parenting conferences around the country and lives in Georgia, nestled among pine trees, hammocks, and zip lines with her family.
“Far-ranging and inclusive, Soul School is an invaluable contribution to a necessary, ongoing conversation about Black books, Black life, and the joy of reading.”
Jabari Asim, author of Yonder
Media Requests
For press inquiries regarding Soul School please contact
Casey Maloney at Penguin Random House.