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Resources

Social Justice Children's Literature

Teaching about Race
​

A Resource List of Children’s Literature Ages 3-12
  • All the Colors We Are by: Katie Kissinger
  • Happy in Our Skin by: Fran Manushkin
  • I Love My Hair by: Natasha Tarpley
  • Let’s Talk About Race by: Julius Lester
  • My Nose, Your Nose by: Melanie Walsh
  • Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
  • Skin Again by: bell hooks
  • Shades of People by: Shelley Rotner & Sheila M. Kelly
  • The Sneetches and Other Stories  by: Dr. Seuss
  • This Is the Rope: A Story From the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson
  • Chocolate Me! By Taye Diggs
  • Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
  • Grandpa, Is Everything Black Bad? By Sandy Lynne Holeman
  • Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack
  • Busing Brewster by Richard Michelson
  • Mr. Lincoln’s Way by Patricia Polacco
  • Desmond and the Very Mean Word by Archbishop Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams
  • The Other Side by Jaceuqline Woodson
  • Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue
  • The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson
  • Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
  • The Colors of Us by: Karen Katz
  • The Skin You Live In by: Michael Tyler
  • We Are All Alike… We Are All Different by: Cheltenham Elementary Kindergartners
  • The Shades of People by: Shelley Rotner & Shelia M. Kelly
  • Freedom Over Me by: Ashley Bryan
  • Thunder Boy Junior by Sherman Alexie
  • Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote by Duncan Tonatiuh
  • A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts
  • The Colors of Us by: Karen Katz
  • City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
  • Suitcase by Mildred Pitts Walter
  • The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
  • The Jacket by Andrew Clements
  • Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
  • The Dream Keeper and other poems by Langston Hughes
  • The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
  • The Cay by Theodore Taylor
  • The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
  • American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
  • One Crazy Summer by Rita-Williams-Garcia
  • The Year of the Dog and the Year of the Rat by Grace Lin
  • Ghost by Jason Reynolds
  • The Thing about Luck by Cynthia Kadohata
  • Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
  • Ambassador by William Alexander
  • Bronx Masquerade by Nicki Grimes
  • Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
  • Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
  • Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper
 
The Civil Rights Movement
  • Child of the Civil Rights Movement by: Paula Young Shelton
  • Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights by: Jim Haskins
  • Freedom Summer by: Deborah Wiles
  • Goin’ Someplace Special by: Patricia C. McKissack
  • New Shoes by: Susan Lynn Meyer
  • Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story by: Ruby Bridges
  • Separate is Never Equal by: Duncan Tonatiuh
  • The Other Side by: Jacqueline Woodson
  • The Story of Ruby Bridges by: Robert Coles
  • This is the Dream by: Diane Z. Shore & Jessica Alexander
  • White Socks Only by: Evelyn Coleman
  • Back of the Bus by Aaron Renyolds
  • White Socks Only by Evelyn Coleman
  • White Water by Michael Bandy and Eric Stein
 
Taking Action: Protests, Boycotts, Marches
  • A Sweet Smell of Roses by: Angela Johnson
  • Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins by: Carole Boston Weatherford
  • Ron’s Big Mission by: Rose Blue
  • Rosa by: Nikki Giovanni
  • Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by: Andrea Davis Pinkney
  • The Youngest Marcher by: Cynthia Levinson
  • We March by: Shane Evans
  • Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
  • Grace for President by Kelly Dipucchio
  • Harvesting for Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
  • A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
  • Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Social Class, Poverty & Privilege
  • The Relatives Came by: Cynthia Rylant
  • Tight Times by: Barbara Shook Hazen
  • Something Beautiful  by: Sharon Dennis Wyeth
  • Those Shoes by: Meredith Boelts
  • A Castle on Viola Street by: Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan
  • A Chair for My Mother  by: Vera B. Williams
  • Amelia’s Road by: Linda Jacobs Altman
  • Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBriar
  • Get Set! Swim! By Jeannine Atkins
  • Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by: Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan
  • Gettin’ Through Thursday  by: Melrose Cooper
  • Fly Away Home  by: Eve Bunting
  • My Rows and Piles of Coins by: Tololwa Mollel
  • Sam and the Lucky Money by: Karen Chinn
  • The Rag Coat by: Lauren Mills
  • The Family Under the Bridge
  • Brave Irene  by: William Steig
  • Going Home  by: Eve Bunting
  • Esperanza Rising by: Pam Munoz Ryan
  • Out of the Dust (The Great Depression)
  • Finding a Job for Daddy  by: Evelyn Hughes Masiac
  • Gregory Cool  by: Caroline Binch
  • Listen to the Wind, The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & Susan Roth
  • Rich Cat, Poor Cat  by: Bernhard Waber
  • Somebody’s New Pajamas by: Isaac Jackson
  • The Sneetches by: Dr. Seuss
  • Tomas and the Library Card by: Pat Mora
  • Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss

Gender/LGBT
  • Players in Pigtails by: Shana Corey
  • Amazing Grace by: Mary Hoffman
  • Oliver Button Is a Sissy by: Tomie dePaola
  • William’s Doll by: Charlotte Zolotow
  • Max the Stubborn Little Wolf by: Marie-Odile Judes
  • Piggybook by: Anthony Browne
  • The Gingerbread Girl by: Lisa Campbell Ernst
  • And Tango Makes Three by: Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
  • The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein
  • The Different Dragon by Jennifer Bryan
  • It’s Okay to Be Different by: Todd Parr
  • Spoon by: Amy Krouse Rosenthal
  • We Are All Alike...We Are All Different by: Sheltenham Elementary

Differences/Acceptance of Others who are Different from Us
  • S – Crazy Lady
  • O – The Hundred Dresses
  • Creativity by E.B. Lewis
  • The Story of Ferdiand by: Munro Leaf
  • Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg
  • The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater
  • Tacky the Penguin series by Helen Lester and Lynn M. Munsinger
  • I Like Me! By Nancy Carlson

Ability/Disability
  • Freak the Mighty by: Rodman Philbrick
  • Yolanda’s Genius
  • The View from Saturday by: E.L. Konigsburg
  • The Summer of the Swans

Families
  • The Wednesday Surprise by: Eve Bunting
  • I Love Saturdays y Domingos by: Alma Flor Ada
  • Two Mrs. Gibsons by: Toyomi Igus
  • Visiting Day by: Jacqueline Woodson
  • The Family Book by: Todd Parr

Immigrant Experience
  • In the Small, Small Night by Jane Kurtz
  • My Diary from Here to There by Amada Irma Perez
  • My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits
  • Hannah is My Name by Belle Yang
  • The Color of Home by Mary Hoffman
  • The Have a Good Day Cafe by Frances Park
  • One Green Apple by: Eve Bunting
  • Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
  • The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
  • A Gift for Sadia by Marie Perry
  • America, My New Home by: Monica Gunning (poems)
  • Cooper’s Lesson by Sun Yung Shin
  • Fishing Sunday by Tony Johnston
  • In English, Of Course by Josephine Nobisso
  • Just Like Home by: Elizabeth Miller
  • Lakas and the Manilatown Fish by Kuwento Robles
  • Music for Alice by Allen Say
  • My Name is Bilal by: Asama Mobin-Uddin
  • Sofie and the City by Karima Grant
  • Sumi’s First Day of School Ever by Soyung Pak
  • The Dream on Blanca’s Wall by: Jane Medina
  • Waiting for Papa by Rene Colato Lainez

War/Peace
  • 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy
  • Number the Stars
  • No Pretty Pictures
  • What Does Peace Feel Like? By: V. Radunsky
  • Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss
  • Peace Crane by Sheila Hamanaka
  • The Big Book for Peace by Lloyd Alexander
  • The Peace Book by Todd Parr
  • Click here for a Peace Studies Text Set compiled for ESJ by Karime Calle Diaz.

Bullying
  • The Meanest Thing to Say by: Bill Cosby
  • The Sandwich Swap by: Queen Rania, Al Abdullah, Kelly DiPucchio
  • Chrysanthemum by: Kevin Henkes
  • Hooway for Wodney Wat by: Helen Lester
  • Yoko by: Rosemary Wells
  • The Name Jar by: Yangsook Choi
  • Dork in Disguise
  • Stargirl by: Jerry Spinelli
  • Each Kindness by: Jacqueline Woodson
  • Say Something by: Peggy Moss

For many more social justice-oriented children’s booklists: www.socialjusticebooks.org

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  • About Us
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
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  • Resources
    • Lesson Plans
    • Educator Grant
    • Teaching to Disrupt White Supremacy
    • Restorative Justice Children's Books
    • Children's Literature
    • Peace Studies
    • Writing for & by Educators
    • Connecting with Social Justice Organizations
    • Academic Journals
    • Developing your Social Justice Education Library
    • Institutes, Think Tanks & Research Centers
  • Community
    • Committees
    • Racial Equity Curriculum Partnership
    • Book Club
  • Donate