Bullying
Words Are Not For Hurting by Elizabeth Verdick
Encourages preschoolers to think before they speak, and teaches them to recognize how words can hurt other people. Includes helpful messages for adults as well. E 177.2 VER (Ages 2–5)  
Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
His label says he’s red, but everything he draws is blue. Will other crayons ever understand him? Featuring digitally combined crayon and cutpaper art. E HAL (Ages 3+)
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
When Chloe is given some advice about how small kindnesses can make a difference, she regrets a missed opportunity for friendship. With evocative watercolor illustrations. (Ages 5–8)
Children’s Rights
Malala, a Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy from Pakistan: Two Stories of Bravery by Jeanette Winter
The biographies of two Pakistani children’s rights activists, Malala Yousafzai and Iqbal Masih, join together in one to create a radiant whole. Featuring flat, child-centric illustrations. J 305.23 WIN (Ages 6–9)
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel
Newly arrived in New York City as an immigrant, Clara Lemlich went from overworked factory seamstress to pioneering labor leader. With mixed-media illustrations and references. J-B LEMLICH (Ages 7–9)
Kid Blink Beats the World by Don Brown
Kid Blink unites the children who sell newspapers for pennies to demand better pay and treatment from powerful mogul Joseph Pulitzer. J 331.3 BRO (Ages 7–10)
Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade against Child Labor by Russell Freedman
Lewis Hine uses the art of photography to expose the brutality of child labor and advocate for children’s rights. J 331.3 FRE (Ages 12–16)
Climate Change
Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm
Simple text and bright, stunning illustrations explain carbon and fossil fuels, and the connection between sunlight and all life on earth. E 333.8 BAN (Ages 5–8)
A Warmer World: From Polar Bears to Butterflies, How Climate Change Affects Wildlife by Caroline Arnold
Describes how climate change has affected ecosystems around the world and how animals within these ecosystems have adapted, including polar bears, butterflies, tree frogs, and coral. J 363.738 ARN (Ages 7-9)
How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming by Lynne Cherry
When the weather changes daily, how do we really know that Earth's climate is changing? Here is the science behind the headlines, told in an age-appropriate manner. J 363.738 CHE (Ages 10-14)
First Light by Rebecca Stead
Peter, transplanted to Greenland for the sake of his father’s research, stumbles upon Thea, whose hidden, secret world under the ice is being threatened by climate change. (Ages 11–15)
Democratic Process
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
When Duck becomes dissatisfied with the farm, he aspires to change his job, and, after several elections and many recounts, is elected president. E CRO (Ages 5–8)
Grace for President by Kelly Dipucchio.
Shocked to learn that a woman has never been president of the United States, Grace decides to run for president of her school. When the electoral votes are counted, will she triumph? E DIP (Ages 6–9)
If I Ran for President by Catherine Stier
Details the process of running for president, from primaries and conventions to debates and being sworn in. J 324.6 STI (Ages 6–9)
See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House by Susan E. Goodman
Tells the history of democracy, complete with funny stories, witty illustrations, and solid information. J 324.973 GOO (Ages 8–12)
The Art of the Possible: An Everyday Guide to Politics by Edward Keenan
An accessible but thorough exploration of Western politics and democracy. Delves into polarization, checks and balances, activism, and the ideology behind practice. J 320 KEE (Ages 11–15)
Disability
King for a Day by Rukhsana Khan
Stationed in his wheelchair on a rooftop in Lahore, Malik celebrates the Festival of Basant, expertly bringing down competitors’ kites with his small, speedy kite. Featuring colorful mixed‐media collages. E-HOLIDAY KHA (Ages 6–10)
Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth
Jarrett’s life is jarred when a new baby and her older brother show up as foster children. Forced to share a room, Jarrett and Kevon instantly distrust each other; their relationship grows and falters over the course of summer. J BOO (Ages 11–14)
Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell
Yearning for life in a cloistered scriptorium, 13-year-old Princess Matilda, whose lame foot brings fear of the evil eye, escapes her scheming cousin Ivo and joins her servant Judith and an old friend, Parz, in hunting dragons and writing about them. (Ages 11–14)
The Real Boy by Anne Ursu
Eleven-year old Oscar, an orphan, struggles to understand and express himself while working as an apothecary’s assistant in a town experiencing strange illnesses. (Ages 11–14)
English/Spanish Bilingual
How Do You Say?/¿Cómo Se Dice? by Angela Dominguez
Two giraffes meet, become friends, and party, exchanging simple words in Spanish and English. J LLC 468 DOM (Ages 2–5)
Mango, Abuela and Me/Mango, Abuela Y Yo by Meg Medina
When Mia’s Abuela comes to live with Mia and her family, Mia helps Abuela learn English while Mia learns Spanish, both with the help of a parrot named Mango. E MED (Ages 5–8)
Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood
Ada grows up hopeless in a garbage-dump town until she learns how to play a violin made of debris and joins an orchestra. Featuring mixed-media illustrations. J 784.206 HOO (Ages 6–8)
Salsa: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem by Jorge Argueta
A young girl and her family make red salsa and musically celebrate their culture and ancestry. Featuring flat, stylistic illustrations. Spanish and English text. J LLC 468 ARG (Ages 5–10)
Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales
Artist Frida Kahlo, manifested both as a puppet and as an acrylic-painted figure, sees, plays, dreams, creates, and lives. With vivid, powerful colors and dynamic spreads. E MOR (Ages 6–10)
History
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Playing baseball makes life less grim for a boy who, like all Japanese Americans during World War II, has been sent to an internment camp. Later, lessons learned from baseball help him deal with prejudice. J-HF MOC (Ages 7–11)
1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O’Neill Grace
Tells the story and reveals the actual events during the three days that Wampanoag people and European colonists came together in what is often termed “the first Thanksgiving.” J 974.4 GRA (Ages 8–12)
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963. J-HF CUR (Ages 9-11)
Chasing Secrets by Jennifer Choldenko
Thirteen-year-old Lizzie and her secret friend Noah, who is hiding in her house, plan to rescue Noah's father from the quarantined Chinatown, and save everyone they love from contracting the plague that is spreading in 1900 San Francisco. J-HF CHO (Ages 9-12)
Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson
Dual narratives tell the stories of the real John Henry and how a researcher searched until he uncovered the truth about the man who beat a steam drill. J-B HENRY (Ages 10+)
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression. J-HF HES (Ages 10-14)
Immigrants/Immigration
Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice and Hope in a New Land by John Coy
Explores the experience of immigrants who came to America in the twenty-first century, celebrating the diversity of the country and hope for the future. J 325.73 COY (Ages 5-9)
I’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’Brien
Three children, immigrants from different lands, face the challenge of adjusting to school in the United States. Featuring digitally enhanced watercolor illustrations. E OBR (Ages 6–8)
Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote:A Migrant’s Tale by Duncan Tonatiuh
Pancho Rabbit, guided by a coyote, sets out to find Papa, who has been away working in the fields of El Norte far too long. Flat, Mixtec codex-inspired artwork sets an ominous mood. E TON (Ages 6–10)
Mamá the Alien/Mamá la extraterrestre by René Colato Laínez
A young girl discovers her mother is an alien—or is she? Featuring acrylic and collage illustrations. J LLC 468 COL (Ages 8–10)
Islam
Layla’s Head Scarf by Miriam Cohen
Shy Layla, a first grader at a new school, navigates hurtful comments from classmates about her head scarf, with the help of some new friends. E COH (Ages 4–7)
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan
Not accustomed to celebrating birthdays, Rubina is excited to attend her first party, but her mother, Ami, insists that she bring her little sister along. E KHA (Ages 5–9)
The Garden of My Imaan by Farhana Zia
The arrival of new student Marwa, a fellow sixth-grader who is a strict Muslim, helps Aliya come to terms with her own lukewarm practice of the faith and her embarrassment over others' reactions to their beliefs. J ZIA (Ages 8-12)
LGBTQ+
Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian
Worm and worm are in love and plan to get married. But does it matter which worm will be the bride and which will be the groom? Featuring whimsical pencil and Photoshop illustrations. E AUS (Ages 4–6)
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
A transgender girl tells the story of how she realized she was a girl, in spite of having male body parts, and how she taught her family and friends who she was. E-B JENNINGS (Ages 5–8)
Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff
When Annabelle learns that her father shares something big--and surprising--in common with her new nonbinary friend, she begins to see herself, and her family, in a whole new light. J LUK (Ages 10-14)
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
Welcomes readers to a Pride parade. Back matter serves as a primer on LGBTQ history and culture and explains the references made in the story. E PIT (Ages 3–7)
Protest and Activism
We March by Shane W. Evans
A mother, father, and their two children get up early to join the historic 1963 March on Washington and hear Martin Luther King Jr. give his famous speech. Featuring watercolor and pencil illustrations. E EVA (Ages 5–7)
Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation by Andrea David Pinkney
A guitar-playing hound sings of the Montgomery bus boycott. With creativity, heart, and style, the Pinkneys capture the feel of the time, culminating in the crucial court decision. GOLDSTAR PIN (Ages 5-8)
The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson
Presents the life of nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks who became the youngest known child to be arrested for picketing against Birmingham segregation practices in 1963. E-B HENDRICKS (Ages 5-10)
We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song by Debbie Levy
Traces the history of the inspiring anthem and explains how it has come to represent the right for equality and freedom around the world. J 782.42 LEB (Ages 6-10)
Sí Se Puede/Yes We Can: Janitor Strike in L.A. by Diana Cohn
Carlitos, whose mother is on strike due to bad conditions and unfairly low wages, helps support the strikers by organizing with his classmates to paint signs and join the rally. J LLC 468 COH (Ages 6–9)
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
Cesar Chavez grows from a shy, quiet boy who is bullied at school to a civil rights hero who leads the historic march for “La Causa” and founds the National Farm Workers Association. J-B CHAVEZ (Ages 6–10)
Kids On Strike! by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Newsies, bobbin girls, and coal workers say “No!” to inhumane and unfair working conditions and pay. The movement culminates in Mother Jones’ 125-mile march for children’s rights. J 331.3 BAR (Ages 10+)
Racism/Injustice
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson
A young girl asks her kókom a series of questions and learns what her childhood was like at home; at the boarding school she went to; and, when she and her classmates managed to escape from their captors for a few minutes at a time, during which they remembered, and briefly relived, happy times. J ROB (Ages 6–9)
Teammates by Peter Golenbock
While many of Jackie Robinson’s white teammates tormented him, and Dodgers’ fans harassed him, Pee Wee Reese supported him with the simple act of putting an arm around his shoulders. J 796.357 GOL (Ages 6–10)
Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
Sylvia Mendez was sent to a segregated school for Mexicans instead of her local public school, but her family fought back, and won, seven years before the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case. Featuring hand-drawn, digitally colored and collaged illustrations and extensive back matter. J 323.1 TON (Ages 7–10)
The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan E. Goodman
In 1847 in Boston, an African American family challenges the law that prevents young Sarah Roberts from attending her neighborhood school. With soft-toned watercolor and gouache illustrations and extensive back matter. J 344.74 GOO (Ages 8–10)
Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle
During the 1800s, a young Choctaw girl helps an African American family escape from slavery on a Mississippi plantation to freedom in the Choctaw nation. GOLDSTAR TIN (Ages 8–12)
Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike Jung
Chloe thinks she owes everything—her musical talent and her good grades—to the fact that she is the only Korean American person in her school. But life gets stranger. J JUN (Ages 9–11)
Refugees
Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs
A picture book told in stones, in which a young girl and her family are forced to flee their village to escape Syria’s civil war and make their way toward freedom in Europe. GOLDSTAR RUU (Ages 4-8)
The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren
In Denmark during World War II, young Annet, her parents, and their neighbors help a Jewish family hide from Nazi soldiers until it is safe for them to leave Annet’s basement. GOLD STAR ELV (Ages 5–8)
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Ha and her family find new battles to fight in Alabama when they flee South Vietnam in 1975. J-HF LAI (Ages 9–12)
Sexual Harassment/Sexual Assault
Your Body Belongs To You by Cornelia Maude Spelman
Teaches children what to do and say if someone touches a body part that would be covered by a bathing suit. Also includes helpful language for adults to use with children. PC 362.76 SPE (Ages 3–7)
Sex Is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and You by Cory Silverberg
A nonfiction comic book that includes information on bodies, gender, and sexuality. Features children and families of all makeups, orientations, and gender identities. J 612.6 SIL (Ages 8+)
Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian
Worm and worm are in love and plan to get married. But does it matter which worm will be the bride and which will be the groom? Featuring whimsical pencil and Photoshop illustrations. E AUS (Ages 4–6)
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
A transgender girl tells the story of how she realized she was a girl, in spite of having male body parts, and how she taught her family and friends who she was. E-B JENNINGS (Ages 5–8)
George by Alex Gino
When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s a girl. George thinks she’ll have to keep this secret forever, but when her class puts on a play of Charlotte’s Web, George comes up with a plan so that everyone can know who she is. J GIN (Ages 8–11)
Voting Rights
Vote! by Eileen Christelow
Explains the U.S. voting process, from campaigns to recounts, in colorful illustrations and accessible text. E 324.9 CHR (Ages 7–11)
Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth Be Told by Walter Dean Myers
Tells the story of how Ida B. Wells, born into slavery, became a writer, speaker, activist, and educator spoke out for the rights of Black people and women, and against injustice, in particular the horrors of lynching. J-B WELLS-BARNETT (Ages 8–12)
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford
Born into extreme poverty in Mississippi in 1917, African American activist Fannie Lou Hamer fought tirelessly for voting rights and social justice. Told in free verse with vibrant collages. J-B HAMER (10–13)
Marching For Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary by Elizabeth Partridge
The story of the three-month protest that took place before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s march from Selma to Montgomery to promote equal rights and help blacks earn the right to vote. J 323.1 PAR (Ages 10+)
Women in Leadership
Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx/La juez que crecio en el Bronx by Jonah Winter
Sonia Sotomayor’s mother instills a sense of pride and a love of learning in her, so that by the time she turns eight, she knows she wants to be a judge. J LLC 468 WIN (Ages 5–8)
Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Cullerton Johnson
A biography of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner and environmentalist Wangari Maathai, a female scientist who made a stand in the face of opposition to women's rights and her own Greenbelt Movement, an effort to restore Kenya's ecosystem by planting millions of trees J-B MAATHAI (Ages 6–10)
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
A grandmother relates the history of African Americans up to the present day. Accompanied by brilliant oil paintings. J 973.0496 NEL (Ages 9–13) |
