While these reading suggestions are to encourage an open dialogue about racism with children, the WBA encourages its members to ensure home libraries include books with Black people at the center of their stories and on book covers doing “everyday things,” as well as stories that celebrate Black joy, triumph, and innovation. Christine Taylor-Butler, the prolific children’s author and writer of The Lost Tribes Series, said that she was drawn to children’s literature because she wanted to see more stories of Black joy. “I want stories about kids in a pumpkin patch, and kids in an art museum,” she said. “Not only do we want our kids to read, but we want white kids to see — we’re not the people you’re afraid of.” As Christine Taylor-Butler (@ChristineTB on Twitter) tweeted: “I’m a parent, author, and a former college interviewer. Please hear me – in this time of stress people want to “flood” their kids with books about racism. Please provide 20 joyful books for every one book on racism. They also need to know POC kids are like every other kid.”
Sesame Street/CNN Town Hall on Race
Age Range: All
Teacher Vibes 101
Age Range: All
Examples of places to start:
* 5 ways to address social justice with children
* Let’s talk about the word “diverse”
* The dangers of the “I don’t see color mentality”
Black Lives Matter Library
Age Range: All
By clicking on each book listed, you’ll be taken to a video in which the book is read aloud + a link to purchase the book
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
Discussion Guide
Educator Guide
Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
Age Range: 12 and older
This is NOT a history book. This is a book about the here and now. A book to help us better understand why we are where we are. A book about race.
The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.
Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas–and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.
The Hate U Give
Educator & Discussion Guide
Angie Thomas
Age Range: 14 and older
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions
Chris Barton
Ages 7-10
A cool idea with a big splash. You know the Super Soaker. It’s one of top 20 toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to create a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners, impressive inventor Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for the iconic toy.
How High the Moon
Karyn Parsons
Age Range: 8-12
In the small town of Alcolu, South Carolina, in 1944, 12-year-old Ella spends her days fishing and running around with her best friend Henry and cousin Myrna. But life is not always so sunny for Ella, who gets bullied for her light skin tone and whose mother is away pursuing a jazz singer dream in Boston.
So Ella is ecstatic when her mother invites her to visit for Christmas. Little does she expect the truths she will discover about her mother, the father she never knew and her family’s most unlikely history.
And after a life-changing month, she returns South and is shocked by the news that her schoolmate George has been arrested for the murder of two local white girls.
Bittersweet and eye-opening, How High the Moon is a timeless novel about a girl finding herself in a world all but determined to hold her down.
One Crazy Summer
Rita Williams-Garcia
Age Range: 8-12
Eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She’s had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined.
While the girls hope to go to Disneyland and meet Tinker Bell, their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves during one truly crazy summer.
To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Age Range: 13 and older
To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression. The protagonist is Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch, an intelligent though unconventional girl who ages from six to nine years old during the course of the novel. She is raised with her brother, Jeremy Atticus (“Jem”), by their widowed father, Atticus Finch. He is a prominent lawyer who encourages his children to be empathetic and just. He notably tells them that it is “a sin to kill a mockingbird,” alluding to the fact that the birds are innocent and harmless.
When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community. At one point he faces a mob intent on lynching his client but refuses to abandon him. Scout unwittingly diffuses the situation. Although Atticus presents a defense that gives a more plausible interpretation of the evidence—that Mayella was attacked by her father, Bob Ewell—Tom is convicted, and he is later killed while trying to escape custody. A character compares his death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds.”
A Kid’s Book About Racism
Jelani Memory
Age Range: 5-8
The book has a clear description of what racism is, how it makes people feel when they experience it, and how to spot it when it happens. The book was written to be an introduction to kids on the topic.
Martin’s Big Words
Doreen Rappaport
Age Range: 6-8
Using some of MLK’s most famous quotes, along with illustrations, it takes you through his life as a young boy all the way up to his assassination.
I am Rosa Parks
Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos
Age Range: 5-8
From the “Ordinary People Change the World” series.
Mae Among the Stars
Roda Ahmed
Age Range: 4-8
Inspired by the true story of Mae Jemison, an engineer and physician who became the first African American woman to travel in space.
Little People, Big Dreams: Maya Angelou
Lisbeth Kaiser and Leire Salaberria
Age Range: 5-8
Tells the story of a little girl who, due to a traumatic childhood, was afraid to talk at all and how she became one of the most beloved speakers and writers of our time.
Henry’s Freedom Box
Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson
Age Range: 5-8
The true story about the underground railroad, which follows a slave from the South who shipped himself in a box to find his freedom in the North.
The Story of Ruby Bridges
Robert Coles
Age Range: 4-8
Ruby Bridges was only six-years-old when she became one of the faces of the civil rights movement.
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
Vashti Harrison
Age Range: 8-12
Illustrated book that focuses on change making black women.
Hidden Figures
Margot Lee Shetterly
Age Range: 4-8
Based on the true story of four African American Women who were hired by NASA to do the math that would one day send the US into space for the very first time.
20 Children’s Books with Diverse Main Characters
More Children’s Books with Diverse Main Characters
Age Range: all
List of books that use diverse characters in whatever story is being told to see diverse characters as supporting players and the heroes too.
Chocolate Me!
Taye Diggs
Age Range: 4-8
A timely book about how it feels to be teased and taunted, and how each of us is sweet and lovely and delicious on the inside, no matter how we look.
Diverse BookFinder
Age Range: all
The Diverse BookFinder is a comprehensive collection of children’s picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC). We’ve cataloged and analyzed trade picture books fitting this criteria, published since 2002.
13 Books to Help You Explain Racism to Kids
Age Range: all
These books are age appropriate for readers of all ages and levels to understand racism and tolerance.
The Brown Bookshelf
Age Range: all
The Brown Bookshelf is designed to push awareness of the myriad Black voices writing for young readers. Our flagship initiative is 28 Days Later, a month-long showcase of the best in Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult novels written and illustrated by Black creators.
The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences
Carolyn B. Helsel, Y. Joy Harris-Smith
Age Range: all
Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos
Social Justice Books
Age Range: all
The best selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, YA, and educators, including curated booklists.
Talking About Racism and Violence with Students: Resources for Educators
Age Range: all
The page contains a list of resources to help promote deeper understanding around the issues of racism and violence. They also can contribute to discussion of these topics with colleagues and students during this difficult time, even at a distance.
Firebird
Misty Copeland
Age Range: 5-8
In her debut picture book, Misty Copeland tells the story of a young girl—an every girl—whose confidence is fragile and who is questioning her own ability to reach the heights that Misty has reached. Misty encourages this young girl’s faith in herself and shows her exactly how, through hard work and dedication, she too can become Firebird.
NYT These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids
Age Range: 0-12+
List of books to start the conversation about race early and continuing having it.
30 books to help you talk to your kids about racism
Age Range: all
Today’s Parent list of books parents can use to start to talk to their children about racism.
26 Mini-Films for Exploring Race, Bias and Identity With Students
Age Range: all
26 short New York Times documentaries that range in time from 1 to 7 minutes and tackle issues of race, bias and identity.
Curious Parenting (Instagram)
Age Range: all
A community for caregivers of all kinds interested in raising resilient, liberated kids.
Understanding Cultures, Rrace, and Ethnicity + Becoming Anti-Racist Through Cooking
Age Range: Various
Book Riot’s list of the 12 best children’s cookbook and Delish’s list of 18 Best Cookbooks For Kids Who Like To Cook
Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk Series
Age Range: All
Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk is part anti-bias training, part book review. Each short segment explores anti-bias books for home and the classroom with the goal to strengthen parents’ and teachers’ anti-bias, anti-racism lens and their ability to critically analyze children’s media.
For the books listed, consider borrowing from your local library (and request your library purchase the book if it’s not available), or purchasing the book from a local BIPOC-owned independent bookseller.