A book that makes me smile as I see how we can be helpers in our communities:
Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña
I love the beautiful way diversity is celebrated in this book. If you haven't seen the children's theater reading of this book that I linked in Google Classroom last week, you can watch it here.
A book that leaves students breathless every time I read it:
Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson
Told from the point of view of a girl who realizes too late that she has missed her opportunity to do the right thing. A great book for kids to talk about why it is important to be the one to stand up for what is right.
A book that shows us how children joined in during the Civil Rights Movement:
Let the Children March, by Monica Clark-Robinson
This fictionalized account of the Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 could introduce an opportunity to learn about the history of civil rights in our country.
Another book that tells a piece of the Civil Rights history -- right here in North Carolina:
Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins, by Carole Boston Weatherford
If you want to celebrate the strength of some of the important names (some you know, probably some you should but do not know yet) throughout black history:
The Undefeated, by Kwame Alexander
If you are looking for books for older children:
Other Words for Home, by Jasmine Warga
The Parker Inheritance, by Varian Johnson
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
Front Desk, by Kelly Yang
Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson
There are so many, many more that I could recommend. Reading is a powerful way to get a glimpse of the world through other's perspectives. It is important that our children see reflections of themselves in the books they read. It is also important that they see children who are different from them. Make a point to help your child do both. If you are seeking more resources, here are a few places to start:
