Written by Kia Mackey
With so many great children’s books out there right now with powerful messages, it can be hard to choose which books to introduce to your kids. So, we did the hard work and gathered five books that are awesome for inspiring kids to be advocates for equity! Keep scrolling and check them out!
1. Child of the Civil Rights Movement
By Paula Young Shelton and Illustrated by Raul Colón
This story of the civil rights movement is particularly attuned to kids, as it is told through the perspective of a young girl named Paula whose family is very active in the movement. I love how this book paints a well rounded image of the civil rights movement, from the effect that the Jim Crow Laws had on the black and brown community that led up to the movement, to the sense of family that came from uniting to fight for equal rights. The end of the book is my favorite part, as it leaves the reader with a sense of the good that came from the fight for civil rights, and reminds us that the next generation is ready to take the baton and continue the fight for equity.
2. Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
By: Duncan Tonatiuh
Separate is Never Equal takes you along the journey of the Mendez family in their fight for desegregating public schools in Orange County, California. This is an emotional story where you will be frustrated by the blatant acts of discrimination on one page and your heart will be warmed by people coming together to fight it on the next. Told through the eyes of young girl Sylvia Mendez, this book tells a story of how justice and equity triumphed over hate and inspires kids, no matter their age, to stand up against discrimination.
3. Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcom X
By: Ilyasah Shabazz and Illustrated by AG Ford
Malcolm X was an important leader whose words would energize and motivate others in the civil rights movement. Malcolm Little tells the story of what shaped this activist and led him to advocate for racial equity. Ilyasah Shabazz does a great job of portraying Malcolm as a playful and energetic kid so that children reading the story can relate to him and see themselves in his journey. Additionally, this book focuses on the lessons Malcolm’s mother taught him and the support he had that pushed him to become a leader in the civil rights movement. As kids listen to how Malcolm overcame hardships and people who doubted his success, they learn to be true to themselves and keep pushing for what they believe in no matter what barriers are put in their way.
4. Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock
By: Aslan Tudor and Kelly Tudor
Have you heard of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the protests surrounding it? Well, no matter if you answered yes or no, Young Water Protectors is a great, accessible way for your kids to learn about this important issue that is still extremely relevant today. Told through the eyes of a young girl, Young Water Protectors provides a great background on the subject so that kids can understand why activists, young and old, have fought and continue to fight to prevent the water of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe from being polluted by the Dakota Access Pipeline. After reading this book you can even check the current progress of the legal battle over this issue with your kids! This book allows young children to see others their age standing up and fighting for what they believe in, and might just inspire them to do the same.
5. One Vote, Two Vote, I Vote, You Vote
By: Bonnie Worth, Illustrated by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu
I absolutely adore this book. If you have been energized in the democratic process this election season like many others across the US, this is a great book to bring your kids into that excitement with you! This book explains the voting process, provides a history on when certain communities were allowed to vote, and explains why it's important to vote. My favorite part is how this book talks about ways that kids right now can exercise their right to vote, for example in school elections or by simply voting on where the class should go on a field trip. This book brings together the issues and movements brought up in the previous books and shows kids that one way they can stand up for what they believe in is by using their voices and voting!
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