We are having an exciting time, where people everywhere are becoming more interested in reading books to help us all develop a better sense of community. And of course, this includes younger readers too!
So, we are sharing suggestions from the School Library Journal. You can use them to help build your library’s collection, or add them to your personal reading collection for yourself and/or your younger readers at home.
You can read the entire article here.
“Learning to recognize and combat racism and other forms of injustice and move toward a more equitable world is a lifelong process—and one that must start as early as possible. Aimed at infants and toddlers through elementary school students, these titles introduce topics such as intersectionality and privilege, with explanations that are age-appropriate and honest.
Looking for more summer reading recommendations? SLJ is publishing lists all summer long—from family stories to mysteries to teen reads.
Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne & others. illus. by Theodore Taylor III. Roaring Brook. ISBN 9781250311207.
The team behind Woke Baby introduce concepts and explains issues that concern activists of all ages. These 24 poems celebrate diversity and individuality, touching on issues of gender, physical ability, race, immigration, and protest, as well as the complex web of discrimination and systemic oppression that impacts many marginalized people. The message is clear: We must fight against injustice, and our words can be our greatest source of power.
An ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Ewing. illus. by Paulina Morgan. Quarto/Frances Lincoln. ISBN 9781786037428.
Many people must consciously unlearn the system of beliefs imposed by parents, authority figures, and the overall dominant culture. Ewing’s colorful, sunny board book takes such nebulous ideas and packages them into an easily digestible vocabulary bank for young readers. Highly recommended for school and public libraries and can serve as an entry point into social justice literature.
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham. illus. by author. Dottir. ISBN 9781948340007.
In this call to action, a young white child catches news fragments of a police officer shooting an unarmed black man, then witness their family members’ discomfort and avoidance of the topic (“We don’t see color”). The child’s confusion leads them to the library for answers about the history of racism in the United States. Employing age-appropriate language and direct explanations, this is an essential text for young readers, and adults, unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the role of white people in dismantling racism.”
You can read the rest of this article here. Enjoy your reading!