Human Rights

Books for children and teens that show peoples' differences and the importance of respecting human rights.

Updated April 8, 2024
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I will dance
Flood, Bo
Paper Book
This poetic and uplifting picture book illustrated by the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines follows a young girl born with cerebral palsy as she pursues her dream of becoming a dancer. Like many young girls, Eva longs...
The oldest student : how Mary Walker learned to read
Hubbard, Rita L.
Paper Book
Imagine learning to read at the age of 116! Discover the true story of Mary Walker, the nation's oldest student who did just that, in this picture book from a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator and a rising star author. In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she...
The Witness Blanket : truth, art and reconciliation
Newman, Carey
Paper Book
For more than 150 years, thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families and sent to residential schools across Canada. Artist Carey Newman created the Witness Blanket to make sure that history is never forgotten. The Blanket is a living work of art--a collection of...
Canadian author.
We are water protectors
Lindstrom, Carole
Paper Book
Water is the first medicine.It affects and connects us all.Water is sacred. My people talk of a black snake that will destroy the land, Spoil the water, wreck everything in its path.They foretold that it wouldn't come for many, many years.Now the black snake is here.Told from the perspective of a...
Also available in eBook format.
Stand up! Speak up! : a story inspired by the Climate Change Revolution
Joyner, Andrew (Illustrator)
Paper Book
Awarded as a 2021 Malka Penn Award Honor Book, here is a timely picture book about a young girl's mission to inspire others to help the planet. The meaningful message of climate change activism is perfect for Earth Day and every day! Celebrate young climate change activists in...
Nous sommes les protecteurs de l'eau
Lindstrom, Carole
Paper Book
Water is the first medicine.It affects and connects us all.Water is sacred. My people talk of a black snake that will destroy the land, Spoil the water, wreck everything in its path.They foretold that it wouldn't come for many, many years.Now the black snake is here.Told from the perspective of a...
Your name is a song
Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah
Paper Book
Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their...
The rainbow parade
Neilson, Emily
Audiobook

Also available in eBook format.

The antiracist kid : a book about identity, justice, and activism
Jewell, Tiffany
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Book Is Anti-Racist, Tiffany Jewell, with art by Eisner-nominated illustrator Nicole Miles, The Antiracist Kid is the essential illustrated guide to antiracism for empowering the young readers in your life! What is racism? What is...
The disability experience : working toward belonging
Leavitt, Hannalora
Paper Book
People with disabilities (PWDs) have the same aspirations for their lives as you do for yours. The difference is that PWDs don't have the same access to education, employment, housing, transportation and healthcare in order to achieve their goals. In The Disability Experienceyou'll meet...

Canadian author.

Also available in eBook format.

Fresh air, clean water : our right to a healthy environment
Clendenan, Megan
Paper Book
Everyone depends on clean air to breathe, safe water to drink and healthy soil for growing food. But what if your drinking water is dangerous, your air is polluted and your soil is toxic? What can you do about that? Do you have the right to demand change? Fresh Air, Clean Water:...

Canadian author.

Child of the dream : a memoir of 1963
Robinson, Sharon
Ebook
Martin Luther King Jr.
Sánchez Vegara, Ma Isabel
Paper Book
In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Martin Luther King Jr., the inspiring minister and civil rights activist. Little Martin grew up in a family of preachers: his dad was a...

Little Martin grew up in a family of preachers: his dad was a preacher, his uncle was a preacher, his grandfather was a preacher…so maybe he’d become a great preacher too. One day, a friend invited him to play at his house. Martin was shocked when his mother wouldn’t let him in because he was black. That day he realized there was something terribly unfair going on. Martin believed that no one should remain silent and accept something if it's wrong. And he promised himself that—when he grew up—he’d fight injustice with the most powerful weapon of all: words.

I have the right to culture
Serres, Alain
Paper Book
From the author and illustrator duo who created the award-winning I Have the Right to Be a Child and I Have the Right to Save My Planet comes this beautifully illustrated third book in the series.  I Have the Right to Culture explores a child's right to be curious and to experience...
Troublemaker
Cho, John
Paper Book
An instant New York Times bestseller! An Indiebound bestseller! An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book! Troublemaker follows the events of the LA Riots through the eyes of 12-year-old Jordan...
Amal unbound
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
"Saeed's timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude. Life is quiet and...
Punching the air
Zoboi, Ibi Aanu
Paper Book
New York Times and USA Today bestseller * Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor * Walter Award Winner * Goodreads Finalist for Best Teen Book of the Year * Time Magazine Best Book of the Year * Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year * Shelf Awareness Best Book of...
Also available in eBook format.
When stars are scattered
Jamieson, Victoria
Paper Book
A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab,...
Also available in eBook format.
Le courage d'Amal
Saeed, Aisha.
Paper Book
"Saeed's timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude. Life is quiet and...

Amal, 12 ans, reve de devenir institutrice. Mais dans son village du Pakistan, tout le monde s'y oppose, surtout les hommes. Le combat d'une jeune fille pour son emancipation et la reconnaissance de ses desirs.

Aussi disponible en format numerique.

Stealing home
Torres, J.
Paper Book
Sandy Saito is a happy boy who reads comic books and is obsessed with baseball - especially the Asahi team, the pride of his Japanese Canadian community. But when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, his life, like that of every other North American of Japanese descent, changes forever. In this...
Canadian author.
Small town pride
Stamper, Phil
Paper Book
From acclaimed author Phil Stamper (The Gravity of Us and As Far as You'll Take Me) comes a poignant coming-of-age, contemporary middle grade debut novel about finding your place, using your voice, and the true meaning of pride. Perfect for fans of Rick by Alex Gino and The...
Also available in eBook format.
Anne Frank's diary : the graphic adaptation
Folman, Ari
Paper Book
A timeless story rediscovered by each new generation, The Diary of a Young Girl stands without peer. This graphic edition remains faithful to the original, while the stunning illustrations interpret and add layers of visual meaning and immediacy to this classic work of Holocaust...
Also available in eBook format.
As long as the lemon trees grow
Katouh, Zoulfa
Paper Book
A love letter to Syria and its people, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a speculative novel set amid the Syrian Revolution, burning with the fires of hope, love, and possibility. Perfect for fans of The Book Thief and Salt to the Sea.
Also available in eBook format.
Punching the Air
Ibi Zoboi
Paper Book
New York Times and USA Today bestseller * Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor * Walter Award Winner * Goodreads Finalist for Best Teen Book of the Year * Time Magazine Best Book of the Year * Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year * Shelf Awareness Best Book of...

L'existence d'Amal, lyceen afro-americain passionne d'art, est bouleversee le jour ou une simple bagarre entre garcons le conduit en prison pour un crime qu'il n'a pas commis, l'affaire de la joggeuse de Central Park.

Aussi disponible en format numerique.

When they call you a terrorist : a Black Lives Matter memoir
Khan-Cullors, Patrisse
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. New York Times Editor's Pick. Library Journal Best Books of 2019. TIME Magazine's "Best Memoirs of 2018 So Far." O, Oprah's Magazine's "10 Titles to Pick Up Now." Politics &...

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