Social Justice books for Kids

These are a few of the many books on social justice, racism, and making a difference. Print, audio, and ebooks are included when you "check our catalog." Want more stories to inspire? Ask a librarian for suggestions.

Updated December 18, 2024
C
CU Catalog Champaign Children's Team
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A is for activist
Nagara, Innosanto
Paper Book
One of NPR's Top 100 Book for Young Readers "Reading it is almost like reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, but for two-year olds-full of pictures and rhymes and a little cat to find on every page that will delight the curious toddler and parents alike."-...
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...
Momma, did you hear the news?
Gragg, Sanya Whittaker
Paper Book
Little Avery becomes concerned after seeing another police shooting of an unarmed man. His parents decide it is time to have "The Talk". They teach him and his brother a catchy chant to help remember what to do if approached by an officer, while also emphasizing that all policemen are not bad. A to...
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...
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
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A moving and universal picture book about the power of listening to show empathy and kindness, sure to soothe heartaches big and small. ONE OF THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, The Wall...
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
Author Travis Jonker and illustrator Mark Pett's The Very Last Castle is "a lovely story about courage and community with a darling protagonist" (Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review). A curious little girl watches the man who guards the last castle in...
Happy in our skin
Manushkin, Fran
Paper Book
Is there anything more splendid than a baby's skin? For families of all stripes comes a sweet celebration of what makes us unique--and what holds us together. Look at you! You look so cute in your brand-new birthday suit. Just savor...
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...
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...
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 the fight for women's rights to the civil rights and climate change movements. This inspiring 320-page book is a resource for exploration and learning for middle grade and YA readers. It includes endnotes, a bibliography,...
A fair deal : shopping for social justice
Jones, Kari
Paper Book
"Jones catches the beauty of fair trade in the way it strengthens morale and human dignity for all those engaged."--Kirkus Reviews Fair trade is not about spending more money or buying more stuff. It's about helping producers in developing countries get a fair price for their goods. A Fair...
Marley Dias gets it done : and so can you!
Dias, Marley
Paper Book
Marley Dias, the powerhouse girl-wonder who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign, speaks to kids about her passion for making our world a better place, and how to make their dreams come true!Marley Dias, the powerhouse girl-wonder who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign, speaks to kids...
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...
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...
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...
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 private swim...
Night on fire
Kidd, Ronald
Paper Book
2016-2017 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Master List 2016 Best Children's Book of the Year--Historical Fiction List, Bank Street College 2016 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People Grades 4-6 2017-2018 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award Master List...

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