African American children's literature has a potentially powerful role to play in increasing reading engagement for African American boys. Unfortunately, this body of literature is not always used effectively in schools. Many teachers use African American books as an add-on to pre-exisiting curriculum rather than fully exploring the topics, themes, and images that characterize the literature and that speak in powerful ways to issues of relevance in the lives of African American boys. A close examination of nine picture book biographies and one historical fiction account of famous African American men reveals the rich potential of this literature for making a difference in children's lives.