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.

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

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.