People who speak up, care for community, and change what they can.
This hub is for the child who already knows something is unfair and wants words for it. People who speak up, care for community, and change what they can. Language for unfairness, without a TED-talk ending.
We look for activism a kid can feel in their body: stairs, water, a motel desk, a notebook. We skip books that believe in yourself instead of doing something. We skip titles that end on a speech and call it a victory.
All the Way to the Top is the Capitol Crawl, and it also lives on the disability hub. We Are Water Protectors is also Indigenous. Front Desk is also immigration and middle grade. Tags are finding aids. Lives are not one chip.
Match the book to the hour. Some of these are not lights-out books the first time. Stay in the room. The after the last page guide is for the quiet after.
We will not pretend one picture book is a civics curriculum. We will not put a discussion packet in your hands and call it curation. If you are a teacher, use these as read-alouds that tell the truth, then do the actual work of your classroom.
Related guides: Picture Books About Disability for Kids · After the Last Page: Talking With Kids About Identity
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Ages 8–12
Stamped (for Kids)Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
This chapter book edition of the groundbreaking #1 New York Times bestseller by luminaries Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds is an essential introduction to the history of racism and antiracism in America RACE.
Ages 8–12
Front DeskKelly Yang
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year.
Ages 8–12
A Good Kind of TroubleLisa Moore Ramée
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 ...
Ages 8–12
Ghost BoysJewell Parker Rhodes
Ghost Boys, the New York Times bestselling novel about a Black boy killed by a white police officer from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes, is brought to a new audience in this heartbreaking and powerful graphic novel with striking ...
