We asked teachers about their favorite racial justice books for kids, and they had plenty to share. No matter which state you teach in, these books can foster invaluable discussion and build students’—and teachers’—knowledge base.
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Racial Justice Reading List
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Racial Justice Picture Books
Racial Justice Chapter Books
Teacher-Recommended Racial Justice Picture Books for Kids
Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
Two children hear about a police shooting of a local Black man and talk about it with their families. Jennifer D., a K-12 special education teacher and former pre-K teacher, says this title is “a great way to introduce racial injustice. I usually teach the problem and have my students think of a solution. Then we’ll read about people making a change.”
Buy it: Something Happened in Our Town
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
This picture-book version of an adult bestseller tells the story of four African American women who were influential mathematicians at NASA. Johanna L., a year 6 teacher in the United Kingdom, which is equivalent to around 5th grade in the United States, likes to show her class the movie alongside this book. “My class is mostly Nigerian, and seeing what it was like in America [in this time period] really resonates with them.”
Buy it: Hidden Figures
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
This title explores segregation in a Southern town through the connection between an African American girl and her Caucasian friend. Former elementary teacher Challa F. loves this book to spark discussions about “difficult historical realities of racial segregation in our country, while also emphasizing that if we lean into kindness, care, and respect for others, we can … form genuine connections with those who may be different than us.”
Buy it: The Other Side
Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack
This is a moving story that both introduces students to the 1950s Jim Crow South in a relatable way and celebrates libraries. School librarian Marjie P. says, “I have read this book with grades 3-6 many times, especially during Black History Month. It is such a simple way to teach an important part of our history.”
Buy it: Goin’ Someplace Special
Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
This nonfiction picture book tells the true story of Sylvia Mendez. She and her family won the right to attend a “whites only” public school in California nearly a decade before Brown vs. Board of Education. Elementary teachers appreciate how this book can expand students’ knowledge about the history of school segregation.
Buy it: Separate Is Never Equal
We March by Shane W. Evans
Folk art illustrations depict one of the most memorable moments of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. This historic march started at the Washington Monument and ended at the Lincoln Memorial. Share this book to give students context for Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Buy it: We March
Pies From Nowhere by Dee Romito
Students can learn so much from the stories of hidden figures in history. Georgia Gilmore was a key driver in the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, using her baking talents to secretly fundraise for gas and cars. Read this title aloud to spark class discussions about how one person really can make a difference.
Buy it: Pies From Nowhere
Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
This is the story of how a slave named Henry “Box” Brown made the daring and dangerous decision to box himself in a packing crate to escape to the North. Teachers like to offer students some background information about the Underground Railroad prior to reading so they can better appreciate this tale of bravery. Be sure to plan for enough time to linger over the dramatic and gorgeous illustrations too.
Buy it: Through My Eyes
Teacher-Recommended Racial Justice Chapter Books
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
This award-winning autobiographical collection of free verse poetry tops many middle school teachers’ lists of favorite racial justice books for kids. Grades 6-8 Intervention and ESL teacher Maike B. says, “My students connected to the main characters.” The poems detail the author’s childhood experiences in both Brooklyn and South Carolina. They can help students’ construct a better understanding of life in both places in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as inspire them to write poetry about their own life experiences.
Buy it: Brown Girl Dreaming
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
This autobiography of an iconic lifelong civil rights activist includes historic photos. Kathy B., a former 2nd grade teacher, shared this book with her students each year. “We would discuss how we would feel if we were Ruby. Since they were 1st graders the previous year, it wasn’t hard for them to relate to Ruby as a 1st grader. Then, the students would write letters to Ruby.”
Buy it: Through My Eyes
Freedom Walkers by Russell Freedman
Kelsey C., a 6th grade reading teacher, says, “This book covers the big ideas of the Civil Rights Movement in short, concise chapters that focus on different people or events in each. It breaks down the struggle in a relatable way.” She appreciates that the level of detail builds understanding without being “grisly.” After reading, she says her students “watch [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s] ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in its entirety. The kids then all take a section and illustrate it. We hang it in the hallway for the entire school to see.”
Buy it: Freedom Walkers
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
In 1930s Mississippi, the Logan family fights to keep their land in this Newbery Medal–winning novel. Many teachers use it to launch a broader study of racial injustice. Teacher Ches J. appreciates how the book “tells a story about racism through a child’s eyes.” Sally S., a 6th grade teacher, says, “Children love to read about injustice and how characters overcome it. [This book] creates curiosity about historical events and leads to more reading.”
Buy it: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj
When Chris and Karina experience a racially motivated hate crime, they use social media to inform and elicit support from their community at large. The hashtags they create, #WeBelong, #IamAmerican, and #HateHasNoHomeHere,” start trending online. This contemporary look at racism in America can hook tweens and get them talking about injustice and activism.
Buy it: Count Me In
Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell
Everything changes for Regina when her Umpqua tribe is legally terminated. She has to move from her reservation in Oregon to Los Angeles, and has to grapple with what it means to be “Indian no more.” Teachers and students love this book as a class read-aloud in the middle grades to offer another perspective on the Civil Rights era.
Buy it: Indian No More
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
School librarian Emily A. describes this novel as “a middle grade mystery that deals with issues of racial injustice in the 1950s as well as today.” It tells the story of Candice, who finds an old letter in her grandmother’s attic that leads her on a cryptic journey to learn about her family’s past. With many opportunities for compelling discussion, this title works well for book groups to dive into together.
Buy it: The Parker Inheritance
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
An old oak tree witnesses how a neighborhood learns about acceptance. Teacher Neil L. says, “It presents a rather heavy subject like racism in a manner that translates to my 3rd grade students. The story prompts some excellent questions from students and discussions that are thought-provoking and potentially life-changing.” We love this title as a class read-aloud.
Buy it: Wishtree
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
A 12-year-old boy wrongfully shot by local law enforcement meets other “ghost boys” in the afterlife. Police brutality also cut their lives short. This novel works well as a book group title or as a whole-class read for early middle school. As a culminating project, students could write letters or create art with their own calls to action for positive social or political change.
Buy it: Ghost Boys
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Justyce McAllister, a Black teen at an elite prep school, writes letters in his journal to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while trying to grapple with the real-life systemic racism he experiences. This impactful title is the first in a trilogy. Justyce’s letters naturally invite students’ own journaling or letter-writing about their experiences with and reflections on privilege and injustice.
Buy it: Dear Martin
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
This moving YA novel follows two teenage boys: Rashad, who’s accused of shoplifting at a neighborhood bodega and becomes a victim of police brutality, and Quinn, who witnesses the event. Jess C., a 7th grade ELA teacher, says, “This book allows deep conversations about issues and themes that are present in our students’ lives, specifically systematic racism in America.” This title easily lends itself to response tasks related to exploring how two characters can experience the same event—and its repercussions—differently.
Buy it: All American Boys
This Is My America by Kim Johnson
A Black teenager has less than a year to find a way to get her father released from Death Row. All this as her older brother also suddenly finds himself accused of a crime he didn’t commit. This title, with its female protagonist, pairs well with other present-day titles that explore racial injustice from a male teen perspective.
Buy it: This Is My America
This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How To Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell
Racial oppression—and what tweens and teens can do to rise against it—are explored in a series of real-life profiles. These everyday heroes chose to battle injustice in a life-changing way. The short sections of this book are ideal for unpacking and discussing as a class or in small groups.
Buy it: This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How To Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
When we asked teachers about their favorite books for teaching racial justice, this title was the most frequently recommended class novel. As retired high school teacher Trish E. says of Harper Lee, “she had something so important to say.” Atticus Finch’s defense of a Black man falsely accused of a crime in the segregated South is a time-honored example of both the courage of an individual and pervasive prejudice in society.
Buy it: To Kill a Mockingbird
The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcom X, Alex Haley, and Attallah Shabazz
Introduce students to a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement, in his own words. Lee C., 8th grade social studies and ELA/ELD teacher, says, “This book can show students how many possibilities there are in a person’s life, as Malcolm experiences multiple transformations after being exposed to new information. Malcolm is a model of being willing to admit when we are wrong and to change in response.”
Buy it: The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley
