Social Justice books for Kids

Updated November 25, 2024
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The undefeated
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal A 2020 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time...
A is for activist
Nagara, Innosanto
Paper Book
A is for Activist is an ABC board book written and illustrated for the next generation of progressives: families who want their kids to grow up in a space that is unapologetic about activism, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights and everything else that activists believe in and fight...
All are welcome
Penfold, Alexandra
Paper Book
Join the call for a better world with this New York Times bestselling picture book about a school where diversity and inclusion are celebrated. The perfect back-to-school read for every kid, family and classroom! In our classroom safe and sound. Fears are lost and...
The breaking news
Reul, Sarah Lynne
Paper Book
When devastating news rattles a young girl's community, her normally attentive parents and neighbors are suddenly exhausted and distracted. At school, her teacher tells the class to look for the helpers--the good people working to make things better in big and small ways. She wants more than...
Sulwe
Nyong'o, Lupita
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! Featured in its own episode in the Netflix original show Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices! Recipient of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award Recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children's...
The rabbit listened
Doerrfeld, Cori
Paper Book
A moving and universal picture book about empathy and kindness, sure to soothe heartaches big and small--now a New York Times bestseller and a perfect gift for any special occasion When something sad happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they...
What's the difference?
Richards, Doyin
Paper Book
What's the difference if she has light skin and yours is a little darker? All that matters is the artwork you create together is as colorful as possible . . . As he did in I Wonder, Upworthy.com and Today Show parenting expert parenting...
I walk with Vanessa : a story about a simple act of kindness
Kerascoët
Paper Book
This simple yet powerful picture book--from a New York Times bestselling husband-and-wife team--tells the story of one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. The perfect back-to-school read for every kid, family and classroom! Don't miss the companion book,...
Be kind
Miller, Pat Zietlow
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! "These days, it seems more important than ever for books to show young people how to act with thoughtfulness, civility, and kindness." --The New York Times Book Review When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her...
The very last castle
Jonker, Travis
Paper Book
A curious little girl watches the man who guards the last castle in town. Every time she passes by him, she tries to catch his eye. While the other townspeople fear what may be locked up inside the mysterious castle, the girl finally gets up the courage to knock on the door and find out what's...
All kinds of people
Rotner, Shelley
Paper Book
Perfect for the youngest readers, this board book adaptation of the acclaimed Shades of People celebrates the diversity of everyday life. Cocoa, tan, rose, and almond--people come in lots of shades, even in the same family. Skin color is one of our most noticeable physical...
I am enough
Byers, Grace
Paper Book
A #1 New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Awards picture book winner! This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation. This gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another comes from Empire...
Let the children march
Clark-Robinson, Monica
Paper Book
This powerful picture book introduces young readers to a key event in the struggle for Civil Rights. Winner, Coretta Scott King Honor Award. In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King...
The big umbrella
Bates, Amy June
Paper Book
"A subtle, deceptively simple book about inclusion, hospitality, and welcoming the 'other.'" --Kirkus Reviews "A boundlessly inclusive spirit...This open-ended picture book creates a natural springboard for discussion." --Booklist "This sweet extended...
Child of the civil rights movement
Shelton, Paula Young.
Paper Book
In this Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year, Paula Young Shelton, daughter of Civil Rights activist Andrew Young, brings a child's unique perspective to an important chapter in America's history. Paula grew up in the deep south, in a world where whites had and blacks...
Equality's call : the story of voting rights in America
Diesen, Deborah
Paper Book
Learn all about the history of voting rights in the United States--from our nation's founding to the present day--in this powerful picture book from the New York Times bestselling author of The Pout-Pout Fish. A right isn't right till it's granted to...
We rise, we resist, we raise our voices
Hudson, Wade
Paper Book
Fifty of the foremost diverse children's authors and illustrators--including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander--share answers to the question, "In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?" in this beautiful, full-color keepsake collection, published in...
Kid activists : true tales of childhood from champions of change
Stevenson, Robin
Paper Book
Moving, relatable, and totally true childhood biographies of MartinLuther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller, Malala Yousafzai,and 12 other inspiring activists. Every activist started out as a kid-and in some cases they were kidswhen their activism began! But even the world...
Dictionary for a better world : poems, quotes, and anecdotes from A to Z
Latham, Irene
Paper Book
How can we make the world a better place? This inspiring resource for middle-grade readers is organized as a dictionary; each entry presents a word related to creating a better world, such as ally, empathy, or respect. For each word, there is a poem, a quote from an inspiring person, a personal...
Not my idea : a book about whiteness
Higginbotham, Anastasia
Paper Book
An honest explanation about how power and privilege factor into the lives of white children, at the expense of other groups, and how they can help seek justice. --THE NEW YORK TIMES ONE OF HUFFPOST'S RECOMMENDED "ANTI-RACIST BOOKS FOR KIDS AND TEENS" **A WHITE RAVEN 2019 SELECTION**...
We are power : how nonviolent activism changes the world
Hasak-Lowy, Todd
Paper Book
A stirring look at nonviolent activism, from American suffragists to Civil Rights to the Climate Change Movement We Are Power brings to light the incredible individuals who have used nonviolent activism to change the world. The book explores questions such as what is nonviolent resistance and how...
A good kind of trouble
Ramée, Lisa Moore
Paper Book
From debut author Lisa Moore Ramée comes this funny and big-hearted debut middle grade novel about friendship, family, and standing up for what's right, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and the novels of Renée Watson and Jason Reynolds. Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic...
Blended
Draper, Sharon M.
Paper Book
Eleven-year-old Isabella's blended family is more divided than ever in this thoughtful story about divorce and racial identity from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Out of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper. Eleven-year-old Isabella's parents are...
One crazy summer
Williams-Garcia, Rita.
Paper Book
In this Newbery Honor novel, New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. A strong option for summer reading--take this book along on a family road trip or enjoy...
New kid
Craft, Jerry
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature!  Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle...
Courage
Binns, B. A.
Paper Book
For fans of Jason Reynolds and Kwame Alexander, a poignant and timely novel about race, class, and second chances. Ever since T'Shawn's dad died, his mother has been struggling to keep the family afloat. So when he's offered a spot on a prestigious diving team at the local...

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