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EMMA (CAMPBELL) GROVES LITERARY BOOK COLLECTION

The Emma Campbell Groves Literary Collection was first established June 25, 1989 to highlight the culture and accomplishments of African Americans in a positive, wholesome manner.  

This Collection was named after Emma, the oldest daughter of Morris Canal Captain, 

James Campbell. She had the unique distinction of being the only resident of Washington, 

New Jersey who was born (June 19, 1881) and reared there, until her death in 1986 at 

the age of 105.  


Emma was a faithful Church worker and also served her community well as a midwife and high school supporter. This initial collection of 105 books represent each year of her life and 

primarily focuses on literature appropriate for elementary aged children. 


Books were and are selected yearly by the following criteria:


  • Authenticity
  • Written primarily by African American authors
  • Historically correct information
  • Positive and/or realistic illustrations
  • Variety of genres 
  • Positive role models
  • Black heritage and ethnicity


*The original 105 books have been updated. The following stories represent the current list to date.

Emma (Campbell) Groves as an older woman

CHILDREN'S BOOKS

1. I Am Somebody, I Am Me: A Black Child’s Credo - Washington, Vivian E.


2. From Afar to Zula: A Dictionary of African Cultures - Haskins, James


3. The Civil Rights Movement and its Legacy - Kosof, Anna


4. Because They Marched: The People’s Campaign for Voting Rights that Changed America - Freedman, Russell


5. If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad - Levine, Ellen


6. Remember: The Journey to School Integration - Morrison, Toni


7. Tales of an Ashanti Father - Appiah, Peggy


8. Turtle Knows Your Name - Bryan, Ashley


9. King of the Cats: A Ghost Story - Galdone, Paul


10. More Tales of Uncle Remus: Further Adventures of Brer Rabbit, His Friends, Enemies, and Others - Lester, Julius


11. Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa - Aardema, Verna


12. John Henry, Steel-driving Man - Naden, Corinne J.


13. The Knee-high Man, and Other Tales - Lester, Julius


14. Children of Promise: African-American Literature and Art for Young People - Sullivan, Charles, (Editor)


15. Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing - Johnson, James Weldon


16. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball - Nelson, Kadir


17. Jesse Owens, Olympic Hero - Sabin, Francene


18. The Best of The Brownies’ Book - Johnson-Feelings, Dianne, (Editor)


19. Poetry for Wee Folks - Hill, Charlotte M.


20. Ashley Bryan’s Puppets: Making Something from Everything - Bryan, Ashley


21. Spin a Soft Black Song: Poems for Children - Giovanni, Nikki


22. Vacation Time: Poems for Children - Giovanni, Nikki


23. For the Love of the Game: Michael Jordan and Me - Greenfield, Eloise


24. Honey, I Love, and Other Love Poems - Greenfield, Eloise


25. Under the Sunday Tree: Poems - Greenfield, Eloise


26. The Dream Keeper and Other Poems - Hughes, Langston


27. Children of Long Ago: Poems - Little, Lessie Jones 


28. Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse - Myers, Walter Dean


29. Wonders: The Best Children’s Poems of Effie Lee Newsome - Newsome, Effie Lee


30. How Sweet the Sound: African-American Songs for Children - Hudson, Wade & Cheryl


31. In the Hollow of Your Hand: Slave Lullabies - McGill, Alice


32. Make a Joyful Sound: Poems for Children by African-American poets 


33. My Black Me: A Beginning Book of Black Poetry - Adoff, Arnold


34. Black Heroes of the American Revolution - Davis, Burke


35. Two Tickets to Freedom: The Story of Ellen and William Craft, Fugitive Slaves - 

Freedman, Florence B.


36. One More River to Cross - Haskins, James


37. Take a Walk in Their Shoes  - Turner, Glennette Tilley


38. Harlem Hellfighters - Lewis, J. Patrick


39. A Zulu Family - McKenna, Nancy Durrell


40. Oh, Freedom!: Kids Talk about the Civil Rights Movement with the People Who Made it Happen - King, Casey


41. Reflections of a Black Cowboy: Pioneers - Miller, Robert H. 


42. Space Challenger: The Story of Guion Bluford: An Authorized Biography - Haskins, James


43. Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of “Brave Bessie” Coleman - Lindbergh, Reeve


44. Big Mama’s - Crews, Donald


45. Young Frederick Douglass: Fight for Freedom - Santrey, Laurence 


46. Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Poet to Remember - McKissack, Pat


47. Savion!: My Life in Tap - Glover, Savion


48. Langston Hughes - Rummel, Jack


49. Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes - Cooper, Floyd


50. Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord!: The Life of Mahalia Jackson, Queen of Gospel Singers - Jackson, Jesse


51. Li’l Sis and Uncle Willie: A Story Based on the Life and Paintings of William H. Johnson - Everett, Gwen


52. Barbara Jordan, the Great Lady from Texas - Roberts, Naurice


53. Young Martin’s Promise - Myers, Walter Dean


54. Nelson and Winnie Mandela - Vail, John J.


55. Shoes for Everyone: A Story About Jan Matzeliger - Mitchell, Barbara


56. Walking the Log: Memories of a Southern Childhood - Nickens, Bessie


57. A. Philip Randolph - Hanley, Sally


58. Paul Robeson, Hero Before His Time - Larsen, Rebecca


59. Jackie Robinson - Scott, Richard


60. Shaka: King of the Zulus - Stanley, Diane


61. Deep Blues: Bill Taylor, Self-taught Artist - Lyons, Mary E.


62. Sojourner Truth - Krass, Peter


63. Sojourner Truth - Leebrick, Kristal


64. Brown Girl Dreaming - Woodson, Jacqueline


65. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale - Aardema, Verna


66. Flamboyan - Adoff, Arnold


67. Delphine - Bang, Molly


68. How Many Days to America? - Bunting, Eve


69. Chilly Stomach - Caines, Jeannette Franklin


70. Just Us Women - Caines, Jeanette Franklin


71. Window Wishing - Caines, Jeanette Franklin


72. The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring - Clifton, Lucille


73. Everett Anderson’s Goodbye - Clifton, Lucille


74. Everett Anderson’s Nine Month Long - Clifton, Lucille


75. Jimmy Lee Did It - Cummings, Pat


76. Not So Fast, Songololo - Daly, Niki


77. Princess Ava and Prince Kali - Deaderick, Diane


78. A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream - Dempsey, Kristy


79. Half a Moon and One Whole Star - Dragonwagon, Crescent


80. The Patchwork Quilt - Flournoy, Valerie


81. Rise and Shine! - French, Fiona


82. Beyond the Ridge - Globe, Paul


83. Will I Ever be Older? - Grant, Eva H.


84. Grandpa’s Face - Greenfield, Eloise


85. Jamaica Tag-along - Havill, Juanita


86. Jamaica’s Find - Havill, Juanita


87. Eat up, Gemma - Hayes, Sarah


88. Happy Christmas, Gemma - Hayes, Sarah


89. Amazing Grace - Hoffman, Mary


90. The Train to Lulu’s - Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald


91. The River that Gave Gifts: An Afro American story - Humphrey, Margo


92. When I was Little - Igus, Toyomi


93. All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom - Johnson, Angela 


94. Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream - Jordan, Roslyn


95. A Letter to Amy - Keats, Ezra Jack


96. Jafta - Lewin, Hugh


97. The Hundred Penny Box - Mathis, Sharon Bell


98. Anasi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti - McDermott, Gerald


99. Nettie Jo’s Friends - McKissack, Pat


100. Flossie & the Fox - McKissack, Pat


101. The Black Snowman - Mendez, Phil


102. Family - Monk, Isabell


103. The Sunday Outing - Pinkney, Gloria Jean


104. Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children - Pickney, Sandra L.


105. Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend: A Civil Rights Story - Ramsey, Calvin A.


106. Ruth and the Green Book - Ramsey, Calvin A.


107. The Legend of Africania - Robinson, Dorothy W.


108. Irene and the Big, Fine Nickel - Smalls-Hector, Irene


109. Girls Hold Up This World - Smith, Jada Pinkett


110. Auntie Edna - Smothers, Ethel Footman 


111. Stevie - Steptoe, John


112. Where are You Going Manyoni - Stock, Catherine


113. Janine and the New Baby - Thomas, Iolette


114. Maebelle’s Suitcase - Tusa, Tricia


115. What Mary Jo shared - Udry, Janice May


116. My Mama Needs Me - Walter, Mildred Pitts


117. Cherries and Cherry Pits - Williams, Vera B.


118. Follow the Drinking Gourd - Winter, Jeanette


119. Cornrows - Yarbrough, Camille


120. What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors - 

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem


121. Lonesome Boy - Bontemps, Arna Wendell


122. Breadsticks and Blessing Places - Boyd, Candy Dawson


123. Julian’s Glorious Summer - Cameron, Ann


124. Julian, Secret Agent - Cameron, Ann


125. The Stories Julian Tells - Cameron, Ann


126. Who is Carrie? - Collier, James. Lincoln


127. Elijah of Buxton - Curtis, Christopher Paul


128. Get Out of Here, Philip Hall - Greene, Bette


129. Sister - Greenfield, Eloise


130. Out from This Place - Hansen, Joyce


131. Which Way freedom? - Hansen, Joyce


132. Yellow Bird and Me - Hansen, Joyce


133. When Daylight Comes - Howard, Ellen


134. A Girl called Boy - Hurmence, Belinda


135. I Be Somebody - Irwin, Hadley


136. Now Let Me Fly: The Story of a Slave Family - Johnson, Delores


137. John Hawk: White Man, Black Man, Indian Chief - Levin, Beatrice


138. Stitchin’ and Pullin’: A Gee’s Bend Quilt - McKissack, Pat


139. The Glory Field - Myers, Walter Dean


140. The Friendship - Taylor, Mildred D.


141. The Gold Cadillac - Taylor, Mildred D.


142. The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond - Wood, Brenda

Little boy and girl reading a book together

ADULT BOOKS

On June 22, 1997, another compilation of 105 books were dedicated for High School to Adult readers using the same criteria. The event focused on the selected literature as well as highlighted the “Legacy of Service” given by African Americans in the Washington, N.J. Warren County area.  


World War I Servicemen:

Sergeant James Anderson

John H. Broadhead

Rochester Furman

Sergeant Alexander J. Groves (son of Emma Campbell Groves)

James Haines

George McClary

John McClary

Theodore McGinnis

Charles N. Steele

George S. White   


African American Area Churches & Initial Clergy:

Mt. Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church - Pastor Silas Woods

Hillcrest Seventh-day Adventist Church - Pastor Jethro Lester

First Baptist Church of Anderson - Pastor Charles Broadnax


Occupations:

Charles Boyer - Trucking Business

Pearl Boyer Bray - Midwife

James Campbell - Morris Canal Boatman

Emma (Campbell) Groves - Midwife

James Groves - Steam Engine & Boiler Engineer (Gold Seal Licensed) and Thomas Edison Chauffeur (Edison Cement Plant)

Samuel Hughes - Farmer and Community Spokesman

Lela Robinson - Restaurant Owner

Joseph Steele - Barber


*The original 105 books have been updated. The following items represent the current list to date.


1. Acts of Faith - Vanzant, Iyanla


2. A Communion of Spirits: African-American Quilters, Preservers, and Their Stories - 

Freeman, Rolan L.


3. The African Americans - Franklin, John Hope


4. African American Genealogical Sourcebook - Byers, Paula K., (Editor)


5. African American Historic Places by National Park Service


6. African-American Medical Pioneers - Epps, Charles H., Jr., Dr.  


7. African Americans: Voices of Triumph - Leadership


8. African Majesty - Adler, Peter  


9. A Hard Road To Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete  (3 Volumes) - Ashe, Arthur

                                                  

10. An African Prayer Book - Tutu, Desmond  


11. An Easy Burden - Young, Andrew


12. A Way Out of No Way - Young, Andrew  


13. Before the Mayflower - Bennett, Lerone, Jr.


14. Black Achievers in American Journalism - Wolseley, Roland E.          


15. Black American Women in Olympic Track & Field  - Davis, Michael D. 


16. Black College Football - 1892-1992 - Hurd, Michael  


17. Black Cop, The Real Deal - Lewis, Richard  


18. Black Jacks - Bolster, Jeffrey W.


19. Black Heritage Sites - Curtis, Nancy C., Ph.D 


20. Black Olympian Medalists - Page, James A. 


21. Black Profiles in Courage - Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem  


22. Blues All Around Me: The Autobiography of B.B. King - King, B.B.  


23. Chappie - Phelps, Alfred J. 


24. Children of Promise - Sullivan, Charles, (Editor)  


25. Classic African (Cookbook)  


26. The Color of Water - McBride, James 


27. Confronting Authority - Bell, Derrick 


28. Conversations With God - Washington, James Melvin  


29. The Cross Burns Brightly - Blount, Mel  


30. Crusade For Justice - Wells, Ada B. (Editor); Duster, Alfreda M.  


31. Deadly Consequences - Prothrow-Smith, Deborah  


32. Don’t Block the Blessings: Revelations of a Lifetime - LaBelle, Patti; Randolph, Laura B.

  

33. The Dream Keeper - Hughes, Langston  


34. The Dreamkeepers - Ladson-Billings, Gloria 


35. Encyclopedia of African American Religions - Murphy, Larry G., (Editor)  


36. The Family of Black America - Cotton, Michael H.; Willis, Deborah  


37. The Family Reunion Planner - Beasley, Donna 


38. The Glory Field - Myers, Walter Dean  


39. Glorying in Tribulation  - Stetson, Erlene 


40. The Golden Thirteen - Stillwell, Paul, (Editor)


41. Granny Midwives and Black Women Writers - Lee, Valerie, Dr.  


42. Guide My Feet - Edelman, Marian Wright 


43. Hard Questions, Heart Answers - King, Bernice A. 


44. Healing - Ali, Muhammad; Hauser, Thomas  


45. His Promised Land - The Autobiography of John P. Parker - Parker, John P.; 

Sprague, Stuart Seely, (Editor) 


46. Holyfield, The Humble Warrior - Holyfield, Evander; Holyfield, Bernard 


47. Honoring African American Elders - Wimberly, Anne Streaty, (Editor)  


48. In Goode Faith - Goode, W. Wilson  


49. I Never Had It Made - Robinson, Jackie 


50. In Praise of Our Fathers And Our Mothers - Hudson, Wade; Hudson, Cheryl Willis

 

51. In The Trenches - White, Reggie 


52. I, Too, Sing America- Woods, Paula L.


53. It’s Not Over Until You Win! - Brown, Les 


54. I’ve Been To The Mountaintop - King, Martin Luther, Jr., Dr. 


55. Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait - Robinson, Rachel; Daniels, Lee 


56. Jumping The Broom - Cole, Harriette


57. Just Let Me Play - Sifford, Charlie


58. Lay My Burden Down - Botkin, B.A., (Editor) 


59. The Life and Works of Paul Laurence Dunbar - Dunbar, Paul Laurence 


60. Lift Every Voice - Turnbull, Walter, Dr. 


61. Long Time Coming - Cobbs, Elizabeth H. 


62. Long Walk To Freedom - Mandela, Nelson 


63. Make A Difference - Foster, Henry W., M


64. Mama Knows Best - Coleman, Chrisena 


65. Mandela: An Illustrated Autobiography - Mandela, Nelson 


66. Marsalis On Music - Marsalis, Wynton 


67. The Middle Passage - Feelings, Tom 


68. Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It - Garrow, David J., (Editor)

 

69. mountain, get out of my way: Life Lessons and Learned Truths - Williams, Montel; 

Paisner, Daniel 


70. My Lord, What a Morning - Anderson, Marian  


71. My Mother Had A Dream - Nikuradse, Tamara 


72. Negro Baseball Leagues - Dixon, Phil; Hannigan, Patrick J. 


73. Night Riders in Black Folk History - Fry, Gladys-Marie


74. North Pole Legacy: Black, White, and Eskimo - Counter, S. Allen  


75. Nothing But the Blues - Cohn, Lawrence  


76. Oh Freedom! - King, Casey; Osborne, Linda Barrett  


77. On Board the USS Mason - Dunn, James, Jr. 


78. The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. - Carson, Claiborne, (Editor) 


79. Paul R. Williams, Architect - Hudson, Karen 


80. Power of a Dream - Phipps, Wintley  


81. Proud Sisters - Johnson, Diane J., (Editor) 


82. Queen Bess - Rich, Doris L. 


83. The Road That Led To Somewhere - Walls, Bryan E. 


84. Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans - Armstrong, Louis 


85. The Shaping of Black America - Bennett, Lerone, Jr. 


86. Simple Wisdom for Rich Living - McCarty, Oseola 


87. Sister Power - Reid-Merritt, Patricia  


88. Slaying The Dragon - Johnson, Michael 


89. The Spirit Of African Design - Algottson, Sharne; Davis, Denys 


90. Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol - Painter, Nell Irvin 


91. Songs of Zion: AME - Campbell, James T. 


92. Step It Down - Jones, Bessie; Hawes, Bess Lomax 


93. The Substance of Things Hoped For - Proctor, Samuel DeWitt 


94. The Teachings - Robinson, Aminah Brenda Lynn


95. This Child’s Gonna Live - Wright, Sarah E. 


96. Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings - Gordon-Reed, Annette


97. The Timetables of African-American History - Harley, Sharon 


98. To Serve My Country, To Serve My Race - Moore, Brenda L. 


99. Training A Tiger - Woods, Earl 


100. The Tuskegee Airmen - Francis, Charles E. 


101. Values - Collins, Marva 


102. Victory - Green, A.C. 


103. Voices From the Great Black Baseball Leagues - Holway, John 


104. W.E.B. DuBois, Biography Of A Race - Lewis, David Levering


105. Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions - Reagan, Bernice Johnson


106. Warriors Don’t Cry - Beals, Melba Patillo 


107. The Wisdom of the Word: Love; Great African-American Sermons - Ponder, Rhinold; 

Tuck-Ponder, Michele 


108. You Can Make It Happen - Graham, Stedma


109. The Young Paul Robeson - Brown, Lloyd L.  

Stack of books with an open book on top showing open pages
  • ABOUT US
  • CAPTAIN JAMES CAMPBELL
  • MORRIS CANAL
  • 1900 CENSUS
  • BOOK COLLECTIONS
  • GALLERY
  • DONATE
  • EVENTS
  • CONTACT

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