Social Justice

Intimidation frustration. With this diverse collection, help kids wrap their minds around the dynamics involved when the powerful and vulnerable collide. Ages 4 – 8.

These books do a wonderful job of telling stories from real life during the days of American segregation, showcasing the courageous steps so many people took to help secure equal rights for those denied them. Some realistic fiction, some biographical. Ages 4 — 10.

Fairness is something that is not always talked about; the books here can help families and classrooms do so. These books demonstrate ways to speak up if we are experiencing unfairness and tell stories about children finding clever ways to create fairness — and adults helping by being available to go to for help. Ages 4 — 8.

These books focus on the important topic of immigration, a controversial issue currently in both American and worldwide political discourse. One selection is specifically about Iraqi refugees, another about Mexican. The others are about the feelings and experiences anyone might have when leaving home and starting a new life far away from what is familiar. Ages 4 — 8.

These five books about voting rights in the United States include true stories of the fight for women’s suffrage and for equal voting rights during the era of segregation. They are told with honesty in an interesting and child-friendly way. Ages 5 — 10.

War is a topic that children will at least hear about in passing, while others will be directly affected. These thoughtful books use characters children can relate to — to give glimpses into a life affected by war while keeping the concepts age-appropriate. A Child’s Garden: A Story of Hope shows a boy finding a way to grow a garden and nurture life in an effort to connect to others amidst chaos and rubble. My Grandfather’s War specifically speaks to PTSD with a story about a grandfather sharing his experiences with his young granddaughter and explaining how his experiences sometimes affect his behavior today. Ages 4 — 9.

Beautifully and thoughtfully done, these five books shine a light on a dark part of U.S. history that is important to teach by telling stories based on real life — showcasing powerful characters who brought hope to many and found a means to help others to freedom. Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad is a wordless book, and in its own way allows a deeper understanding. May these selections help inspire questions from and conversation with your little one. Ages 4 — 8.

The books in this curation are good for educating children about segregation in 1950’s and 1960’s America, an important part of American history that has been overlooked in the past. The authors here have done a good job of bringing characters to life so that children can relate. Ages 6 — 11.

Such a difficult topic to sit with, let alone bring to our children. These thoughtful and honest books about the Holocaust are age-appropriate and approach the subject with sensitivity, many times through the eyes of a child. Ages 6 — 11.

There are so many powerful and high quality books on this subject that we had to fill a second curation with them. Some of these books are more lighthearted than others, but all point out the importance of inclusion. All depict actual events in American history. Ages 4 — 8.

Stories of people making a difference in the world are so important, and just as important to see how a small act from one person can have a big impact. From giving a village access to hospitals, to children having warm mittens in winter, we sometimes can’t see the eventual ripple effects when we choose to do our part. Ages 3 — 10+, a variety of age ranges included here.

From the Tuskegee Airmen to life in a Japanese Intenment Camp, to experiences of battle during childhood, these poignant, honest and beautiful stories help keep history alive in a creative, age-appropriate way. These can also be a great way for children to connect with grandparents who may have similar wartime memories. Ages 5 — 11.

These five choices are great quality books with wonderful illustrations that tell important but little-known stories. These female pioneers range from astronomers to environmentalists, and all made a huge mark on the world. Ages 4 — 10.

There are enough great books about World Wars that we are able to present two curations. This group of books revisits the subject of Japanese internment camps, this time with a sweet healing ritual that helps a family move forward. Patricia Polacco uses her talents to bring us Tucky Jo and Little Heart, a story of kindness about a WWII American soldier who befriends a little girl. Plenty of great choices to help children learn about an important part of our shared history, or to help them to connect to an older relative who has memories from this time. Ages 4 — 11.

With such an abundance of great picture books on the theme of immigration, we are grateful to have narrowed down another grouping that we’d like to share on this very relevant topic. There are so many perspectives and so many personal stories to be told. Ages 5 — 11.

Homelessness is not necessarily something that comes up often in conversations with our children. These thoughtful books bring compassion and insight, and offer a way to either help children understand something they’ve seen or heard of (or even experienced), or even to expand their awareness of different people’s experiences in the world. Ages 4 — 10.

We’ve found five more wonderful books that show the issues and experiences that surround immigration. Such a relevant topic, especially with our current political climate. We are grateful for the many talented authors and illustrators that have given us such quality, age-appropriate books on the subject! Ages 5 — 10.

These talented authors and illustrators have stepped up to capture the history of the Holocaust and the spirit behind the survivors and heroes — and put them in a format that is accessible to children. These picks are honest without being overly dramatic, and may help spark some meaningful conversation between you when your little ones are ready to hear these important stories. Ages 6 — 11.

These books for younger children portray families with parents of the same sex. The authors take a lighthearted look at a families — families that may be different from the reader’s, or may validate their own — by showing loving examples of all different types of family compositions. Ages 3 — 7.

Some of these books point out that the parents are the same sex, others simply tell the tale of what happens in a family, and we can see that the parents are the same sex but it’s not pointed out as anything unusual. All are demonstrating happy, healthy, loving families. Ages 4 — 8.

There are enough great books featuring same sex parents that we were compelled to create a second curation. In Donovan’s Big Day, the main character (a young boy) acts as ring bearer for a family wedding. Real Sisters Pretend is about two adopted sisters bonding, and the girls have same-sex parents. Any of the choices here are great additions to a family library. Ages 3 — 7.