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Lexile/Reading Level
AD850L

Genre/Category
Picture Book

Topic
African | Culture and Traditions
Geographic Region
Africa | Cameroon
Main Character
Girl(s)
Award-Winning Book
Caldecott | Caldecott Honor
Format
Audiobook | Book

Village of Round and Square Houses

Author: Grifalconi, Ann

A story of life in an isolated Cameroonian village.
The village of Tos is like no other village in the world, for in this village the women live in round houses and the men live in square ones. The story of how this came to be is told from the point of view of a young girl who grew up there.

Ann Grifalconi’s bold, dynamic art and rhythmic storytelling recreate this world and make The Village of Round and Square Houses a perfect book for reading aloud.

Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
AD720L

Genre/Category
Fairy Tales | Fiction | Picture Book

Topic
African | Character
Geographic Region
Africa
Main Character
Girl(s)
Award-Winning Book
Caldecott | Caldecott Honor | Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator | Other Awards
Format
Book | Ebook

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale

Author: Steptoe, John

A Caldecott Honor and Reading Rainbow book, this memorable retelling of Cinderella is perfect for introducing children to the fairy tale as well as the history, culture, and geography of the African nation of Zimbabwe.

Inspired by a traditional African folktale, this is the story of Mufaro, who is proud of his two beautiful daughters. Nyasha is kind and considerate, but everyone—except Mufaro—knows that Manyara is selfish and bad-tempered. When the Great King decides to take a wife and invites the most worthy and beautiful daughters in the land to appear before him, Mufaro brings both of his daughters—but only one can be queen. Who will the king choose?

Award-winning artist John Steptoe’s rich cultural imagery of Africa earned him the Coretta Scott King Award for Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. The book also went on to win the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. This stunning story is a timeless treasure that readers will enjoy for generations.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for grades 7-12

Genre/Category
Adventure | Fiction | Historical | Nonfiction

Historical Time Period
Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
African | Boer War | Zulu War
Geographic Region
Africa
Main Character
Man/Men
Format
Book | Ebook | Free Ebook

Young Colonists: A Story of the Zulu and Boer Wars

Author: Henty, G. A.

PREFACE: “As a rule the minor wars in which this country has been from time to time engaged, have been remarkable both for the admirable way in which they were conducted and for the success that attended them. The two campaigns in South Africa, however, that followed each other with but a brief interval, were notable exceptions. In the Zulu war the blunder, made by the General in command, of dividing his army and marching away with the greater portion without troubling himself to keep up communication with the force left behind, brought about a serious disaster at Isandula.”

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 6-9 Grade

Genre/Category
Biographies | Geography | History | Nonfiction

Historical Time Period
Early Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
African | Christian | David Livingstone | Exploration
Geographic Region
Africa | South Africa
Main Character
Man/Men
Format
Book | Ebook

Missionary Travels And Researches In South Africa

Author: Livingstone, David

David Livingstone (1813-1873) was a Scottish missionary and explorer in Africa. Missionary Travels in South Africa is his account of his second expedition, in 1853. His purpose was to abolish the slave trade by opening the continent to Christian commerce and missionaries. Livingstone walked over 4,000 miles, from Cape Town, South Africa through the Kalahari Desert and west to the coastal town of Loanda. He then turned east, followed the Zambesi River, and ended his travels in Mozambique. He reached the east coast at Quelimane, in Portuguese East Africa (now Mozambique), in 1856. Livingstone was a keen observer with wide-ranging interests. He was fascinated, for instance, upon seeing his first ostrich: “When the ostrich is feeding his pace is from twenty to twenty-two inches; when walking, but not feeding, it is twenty-six inches; and when terrified . it is from eleven and a half to thirteen and even fourteen feet in length. Generally one’s eye can no more follow the legs than it can the spokes of a carriage-wheel in rapid motion.” Occasionally, his interaction with wildlife was not so benign, as when he was attacked by a lion. “Growling horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The shock . caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though [I was] quite conscious of all that was happening. It was like what patients partially under the influence of chloroform describe, who see all the operation, but feel not the knife.” The slave trade was widespread among the Boers, the Portuguese, and even the natives themselves. In one village he was summoned at night by the head man. “When I came he presented me with a slave girl about ten years old; he said he had always been in the habit of presenting his visitors with a child. On my thanking him, and saying that I thought it wrong to take away children from their parents … he thought I was dissatisfied with her size, and sent for one a head taller.” Unlike most of the other Africa explorers of the time, Livingstone was motivated much less by ego or self-aggrandizement than by true altruism and an insatiable curiosity. In 1873 Livingstone died in the village of Chief Chitambo. His African followers carried his body to the coast, from where it was sent to England and buried in Westminster Abbey. This edition contains both volumes of the original.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 6-9 Grade

Genre/Category
Biographies | Geography | History | Nonfiction

Historical Time Period
Early Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
African | Exploration | Science
Geographic Region
Africa
Main Character
Man/Men
Format
Book | Ebook

Story of David Livingstone (Yesterday’s Classics) (The Children’s Heroes)

Author: Golding, VautierPart of a Series: Children's Heroes | Yesterday's Classics

A clear, simple account of Livingstone’s pioneer work in Africa as explorer, medical missionary, and suppressor of the slave trade. Describes the horrors of the slave trade and Livingstone’s efforts to thwart the slave traders in Africa and to bring awareness of the dire situation to the people in England and around the world. Emphasizes his indomitable courage and persistence in the face of countless difficulties to achieve his lifelong goal of doing as much good as he could for those most in need of it. A volume in the highly-acclaimed Children’s Heroes series, edited by John Lang.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 9-12 Grade & Adult

Genre/Category
Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
African | Culture and Traditions | Military and Wars
Geographic Region
Africa | Sudan
Main Character
Boy(s)
Format
Book | Ebook | Free Ebook

Dash for Khartoum : A Tale of the Nile Expedition. Also includes Camp life in Abyssinia

Author: Henty, G. A.

Khartoum is the capital of Sudan. It is located at the point where the White Nile meets the Blue Nile. This area is known as The Mogran. From here the Nile flows to the Mediterranean Sea. Muhammad Ali, the ruler of Egypt, founded the city in 1821. It quickly left the status of outpost becoming the center of trade and especially the slave trade. When the city was besieged by troops loyal to the Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad in 1884, the British defenders were led by General Gordon. Henty used his cast knowledge of this area in writing this story in which two boys accompany the expedition to rescue General Gordon from the besieged city.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 7-10 Grade

Genre/Category
Adventure | Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
Early Modern
Date
1700s
Topic
African | Falsely Accused | Kaffir War | Military and Wars
Geographic Region
Africa | England | Europe | South Africa
Main Character
Man/Men
Format
Audiobook | Book | Ebook | Free Audiobook | Free Ebook

Curse of Carne’s Hold

Author: Henty, G. A.

Falsely accused of the murder of a relation in Devonshire, Ronald Mervyn emigrates to South Africa and participates in a Kaffir war. He rescues a family from death in Africa, who subsequently return to England and work to establish his innocence.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 9-12 Grade & Adult

Genre/Category
Biographies | Nonfiction

Historical Time Period
Modern
Date
1990s
Topic
Abduction | Abuse | African | Biography | Escapes | Slavery | Survival
Geographic Region
Africa | Sudan
Main Character
Woman/Women
Format
Audiobook | Book | Ebook

Slave: My True Story (Slave/Freedom #1)

Author: Nazer, MendePart of a Series: Slave/Freedom

Mende Nazer lost her childhood at age twelve, when she was sold into slavery. It all began one horrific night in 1993, when Arab raiders swept through her Nuba village, murdering the adults and rounding up thirty-one children, including Mende.

Mende was sold to a wealthy Arab family who lived in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum. So began her dark years of enslavement. Her Arab owners called her “Yebit,” or “black slave.” She called them “master.” She was subjected to appalling physical, sexual, and mental abuse. She slept in a shed and ate the family leftovers like a dog. She had no rights, no freedom, and no life of her own.

Normally, Mende’s story never would have come to light. But seven years after she was seized and sold into slavery, she was sent to work for another master—a diplomat working in the United Kingdom. In London, she managed to make contact with other Sudanese, who took pity on her. In September 2000, she made a dramatic break for freedom.

Slave is a story almost beyond belief. It depicts the strength and dignity of the Nuba tribe. It recounts the savage way in which the Nuba and their ancient culture are being destroyed by a secret modern-day trade in slaves. Most of all, it is a remarkable testimony to one young woman’s unbreakable spirit and tremendous courage.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 9-12 Grade & Adult

Genre/Category
Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
Abolitionist | African | American History | Slavery
Geographic Region
Africa | Canada | Nova Scotia | South Carolina | United States - America
Main Character
Woman/Women
Award-Winning Book
Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award | Other Awards | Scotiabank Giller Prize Nominee
Format
Audiobook | Book | Ebook

Someone Knows My Name: A Novel

Author: Hill, Lawrence

Abducted from Africa as a child and enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata Diallo thinks only of freedom―and of the knowledge she needs to get home. Sold to an indigo trader who recognizes her intelligence, Aminata is torn from her husband and child and thrown into the chaos of the Revolutionary War. In Manhattan, Aminata helps pen the Book of Negroes, a list of blacks rewarded for service to the king with safe passage to Nova Scotia. There Aminata finds a life of hardship and stinging prejudice. When the British abolitionists come looking for “adventurers” to create a new colony in Sierra Leone, Aminata assists in moving 1,200 Nova Scotians to Africa and aiding the abolitionist cause by revealing the realities of slavery to the British public. This captivating story of one woman’s remarkable experience spans six decades and three continents and brings to life a crucial chapter in world history.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 9-12 Grade

Genre/Category
Biographies | Nonfiction | Religion

Historical Time Period
Modern
Date
1900s
Topic
African | Biography | Christian
Geographic Region
Africa
Main Character
Man/Men
Format
Book | Ebook

Festo Kivengere (Bitesize Biographies)

Author: Retief, FrankPart of a Series: Birchbark House

Bishop Frank Retief has done the Christian world a signal favour in bringing forth this challenging, readable and fascinating biography of Bishop Festo Kivengere, one the greatest African Christian leaders and evangelists of the twentieth century.Here, in brief compass, is an important legacy statement note only for all interested in Christian mission in Africa but also for all Anglicans everywhere, as well as for friends and supports of African Enterprise.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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What is my Child’s Lexile Measure?

GRADELEXILE
1st0-300L
2nd140-500L
3rd330-700L
4th445-810L
5th565-910L
6th665-1000L
7th735-1065L
8th805-1100L
9th855-1165L
10th905-1195L
11th/12th940-1210L
College+1210+

Find out more about Lexile Measures.

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