Children’s Books dealing with Racial Justice
Shades of People by Shelley Rotner
Cocoa, tan, rose, and almond—people come in lots of shades, even in the same family.
A celebration of the diversity of everyday life, this exploration of one of our most noticeable physical traits pairs simple text with vibrant photographs. At school, at the beach, and in the city, diverse groups of children invite young readers both to take notice and to look beyond the obvious. Combining lively action shots and candid portraits, Shelley Rotner's photographs showcase a wide variety of kids and families—many shades, and many bright smiles.
Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
Emma and Josh heard that something happened in their town. A Black man was shot by the police.
A Little Free Library Action Book Club Selection; National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA)
What's the Difference? – Being Different is Amazing by Doyin Richards
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 . . .
Parenting expert and guru Doyin Richards tackles a timely and universal subject―diversity and acceptance―and distills it for the youngest readers. Because what matters most is not our differences, but what we do together as friends, as families, as colleagues, as citizens. Perfect for sharing as a family or in the classroom, What's the Difference? should find a place in homes and in hearts.
All the Colors We Are by Katie Kissinger
Celebrate the essence of one way we are all special and different from one another—our skin color! This bilingual (English/Spanish) book offers children a simple, scientifically accurate explanation about how our skin color is determined by our ancestors, the sun, and melanin. It’s also filled with colorful photographs that capture the beautiful variety of skin tones. Reading this book frees children from the myths and stereotypes associated with skin color and helps them build positive identities as they accept, understand, and value our rich and diverse world. Unique activity ideas are included to help you extend the conversation with children.
Katie Kissinger, MA, is an author, activist, educator for social justice, and an early childhood education college instructor. She is founder and a board member of Threads of Justice Collective, an informal group of educators who work together to promote social and cultural justice for all children and families. Katie lives near Portland, Oregon.
These Hands by Margaret H. Mason
Joseph’s grandpa could do almost anything with his hands. He could play the piano, throw a curveball, and tie a triple bowline knot in three seconds flat. But in the 1950s and 60s, he could not bake bread at the Wonder Bread factory. Factory bosses said white people would not want to eat bread touched by the hands of the African Americans who worked there.
In this powerful intergenerational story, Joseph learns that people joined their hands together to fight discrimination so that one day, their hands—Joseph’s hands—could do anything at all in this whole wide world.
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham
This picture book invites white children and parents to become curious about racism, accept that it's real, and cultivate justice.
“Quite frankly, the first book I’ve seen that provides an honest explanation for kids about the state of race in America today.” ―Elizabeth Bird, librarian
NAMED ONE OF SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL'S BEST BOOKS OF 2018
“A much-needed title that provides a strong foundation for critical discussions of white people and racism, particularly for young audiences. Recommended for all collections.” ―SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
On the Playground: Our First Talk About Prejudice (The World Around Us) by Dr. Jillian Roberts
On the Playground: Our First Talk About Prejudice focuses on introducing children to the complex topic of prejudice. Crafted around a narrative between a grade-school-aged child and an adult, this inquiry-focused book will help children shape their understanding of diversity so they are better prepared to understand, and question, prejudice witnessed around them in their day-to-day lives and in the media. Dr. Jillian Roberts discusses types of discrimination children notice, what prejudice means, why it's not okay, how to stand up against it and how kids can spread a message of inclusion and acceptance in the world around them.
The World Around Us series introduces children to complex cultural, social and environmental issues that they may encounter outside their homes, in an accessible way. Sidebars offer further reading for older children or care providers who have bigger questions. For younger children just starting to make these observations, the simple question-and-answer format of the main text will provide a foundation of knowledge on the subject matter.
Around Our Way On Neighbor’s Day by Tameka Fryer Brown/Charlotte Riley-Webb
A rhythmic tale that celebrates the diversity of a close-knit community, Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day will excite readers and prompt them to discover the magic of their own special surroundings.
Fishing Day by Andrea Davis Pinkney/Shane W. Evans
Set in the Jim Crow South, this is a moving story about two children crossing boundaries of race, class, and gender, and about small acts that make a big difference.
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson
The Newbery Award-winning author of THE CROSSOVER pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time Caldecott Honoree.
Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.
Children’s Books about Institutional Racism
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker
The bold story of Katherine Johnson, an African-American mathematician who worked for NASA during the space race and was depicted in the film Hidden Figures.
You've likely heard of the historic Apollo 13 moon landing. But do you know about the mathematical genius who made sure that Apollo 13 returned safely home?
As a child, Katherine Johnson loved to count. She counted the steps on the road, the number of dishes and spoons she washed in the kitchen sink, everything! Boundless, curious, and excited by calculations, young Katherine longed to know as much as she could about math, about the universe.
From Katherine's early beginnings as a gifted student to her heroic accomplishments as a prominent mathematician at NASA, Counting on Katherine is the story of a groundbreaking American woman who not only calculated the course of moon landings but, in turn, saved lives and made enormous contributions to history.
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
A beautiful picture book for sharing, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts!
When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering. She wanted to be an astronaut. Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”
Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.
Astronaut Mae Jemison (STEM Trailblazer Bios) by Allison Lassieur
While watching Star Trek on television as a child, Mae Jemison was certain she would one day visit space. As an adult, she made this dream a reality when she became the first black female NASA astronaut.
Jemison became a medical doctor before applying for NASA's Space Shuttle program. Then, in 1992, she blasted off on the shuttle Endeavour and conducted scientific experiments to test the effects of space on human bone cells. Jemison has dedicated her life to science education and to finding ways to use technology to help communities around the world. Find out how Jemison's passion for science led to her many impressive achievements.
Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil deGrasse Tyson by Kathleen Krull
A picture-book biography on science superstar Neil deGrasse Tyson, the groundbreaking American astrophysicist whose work has inspired a generation of young scientists and astronomers to reach for the stars! Perfect for STEM curricula and readers of all ages.
Young Neil deGrasse Tyson was starstruck when he first visited the sky theater at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He couldn't believe the crowded, glittering night sky at the planetarium was real--until a visit to the country years later revealed the impossible.
That discovery was like rocket fuel for Neil's passion about space. His quest for knowledge took him from the roof of his apartment building to a science expedition in northwest Africa, to a summer astronomy camp beneath a desert sky, and finally back home to become the director of the Hayden Planetarium, where it all began. Before long, Neil became America's favorite guide to the cosmos.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly/Laura Freeman
Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award–nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrator Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.
They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.
In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.
Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Gwen Strauss/Floyd Cooper
Ruth and her family set out in the family’s new car to drive from Chicago to her grandma’s house in Alabama. Along the way, they encounter Jim Crow laws that keep them out of many restaurants and hotels.
Finally, a friendly attendant at a gas station showed Ruth's family The Green Book. It listed all of the places that would welcome black travelers. With this guidebook―and the kindness of strangers―Ruth could finally make a safe journey with her family.
Ruth's story is fiction, but The Green Book and its role in helping a generation of African American travelers avoid some of the indignities of Jim Crow are historical fact. History is conveyed in a careful and intelligent way in this picture book.
Martin Luther King
Martin Rising: Requiem For a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney
In a rich embroidery of visions, musical cadence, and deep emotion, Andrea and Brian Pinkney convey the final months of Martin Luther King's life -- and of his assassination -- through metaphor, spirituality, and multilayers of meaning.
Andrea's stunning poetic requiem, illustrated with Brian's lyrical and colorful artwork, brings a fresh perspective to Martin Luther King, the Gandhi-like, peace-loving activist whose dream of equality -- and whose courage to make it happen -- changed the course of American history. And even in his death, he continues to transform and inspire all of us who share his dream.
Wonderful classroom plays of Martin Rising can be performed by using the "Now Is the Time" history and the 1968 timeline at the back of the book as narration -- and adding selected poems to tell the story!
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan
This historical fiction picture book presents the story of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson, who in 1968 witnessed the Memphis sanitation strike--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final stand for justice before his assassination--when her father, a sanitation worker, participated in the protest. A sadly beautiful story of the last days of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his ongoing, peaceful work to battle injustice.