This weekend, the country will celebrate Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Although people have celebrated Juneteenth since 1865, Texas was the first state to make it a holiday in 1980. And it only became an official federal holiday in 2021.

If you’re looking for ways to teach your kids about Juneteenth, we’ve rounded up a list of books that explain why we celebrate the day in the most kid-appropriate way possible. And as you read with your little ones, you may learn a little something yourself.