Special thanks to our librarians for helping compile this list: Dorinda Koelewyn and Julie Cardoza

Our librarians have put together a list of books they recommend for children to read, to engage with and educate ourselves on racism and prejudice.

Check out these statistics on racism in the US.
Want to get some help with talking to your kids about race? Check out Christianity Today’s article here. In the article, Dr. Michelle Reyes points out: “We can learn from the example of Christ and strive for forgiveness, reconciliation, and unity.”

These 10 books can be found in the CVCES library and offer up great discussion points for children when addressing racism in our country.

Elementary:

 

The Other Side (2001)

by Jacqueline Woodson

A young girl grows curious as to why she can’t communicate with a young white girl who lives beyond a fence that divides their homes. The innocent interaction of these girls together is heartwarming and a beautiful picture of what community should look like. The fence is a visible reminder of the presence of racism and prejudice, and what it might take for this barrier to be broken. Ages 4+

 

 

 

The Day You Begin (2018)

by Jacqueline Woodson

There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. This picture book inspires the reader to find courage to connect, even when you might feel alone. Even when we feel like an outsider, how brave it is to go forth anyways, and reach out and share our stories. Woodson addresses a child’s sense of being excluded, whether that is race, athletic ability, family dynamics etc., and reminds that differences are what make us unique and encourages us to embrace others for who they are. Ages 4+

 

 

 

 

I Am Enough (2018)

by Grace Byers

Through beautiful illustrations and rhymes, this picture book highlights an African American girl who celebrates who she is by perceiving ways she resembles beauty in the world around her, which includes people who look different.  Ages 4+

 

 

 

 

 

Brave Ballerina-The Story of Janet Collins (2019)by Michelle Meadows

With a lyrical text that matches the beauty of dance, this true story captures the struggles Janet Collins faces as she perseveres to become the first African American prima ballerina in the Metropolitan Opera during widespread racial segregation of the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Ages 6+

 

 

 

Baseball Saved Us (1993)
by Ken Mochizuki

 

A young boy and his family are sent to an internment camp in 1942 by fellow Americans because the family is of Japanese descent, and the government believed they could not be trusted. Readers will be cheering the family on as stereotypes are defeated, friendships are made, and challenges are overcome. Ages 6+

 

 

Separate is Never Equal (2014)
by Duncan Tonatiuh

In this nonfiction picture book for older readers, Sylvia Mendez, an American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, realizes that she is being given a second-class education with poorer facilities and unqualified educators. Sylvia and her family fight against the system and help to break down school segregation in California. The extent of racism that exists in the school system is depicted in a way that even young readers can understand. Ages 6+

 

 

 

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:9-10

Our High School librarian recommends these books by a variety of Black authors and other authors about the experiences of people of color and/or minorities.

The Crossover
The Rebound
both by Kwame Alexander

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does My Head Look Big in This?
by Randa Abdel-Fattah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iola Leroy
by Frances E.W. Harper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Circuit
by Francisco Jiménez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Kill A Mockingbird
by Harper Lee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day of Tears
by Julius Lester

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lions of Little Rock
by Tristin Levine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Crystal Stair
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loving vs. Virginia
by Patricia Hruby-Powell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boy in the Black Suit
by Jason Reynolds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Esperanza Rising
Becoming Naomi León
both by Pam Muñoz Ryan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
by Gary D. Schmidt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X
by Ilyasah Shabazz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When We Wuz Famous
by Grey Takoudes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Color Purple
by Alice Walker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emako Blue
by Brenda Woods