An Anti-Racist Reading List for Children and Adults

An Anti-Racist Reading List for Children and Adults

A return to school this fall will be far different from other back-to-school seasons of the past. In the midst of a global pandemic, and the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and many others, the systemic inequities that face BIPOC (Black and Indigenous and People of Color) individuals daily are being pushed to the forefront in many conversations among non-BIPOC parents, teachers, co-workers and neighbors.

If you are like me and want resources to keep this conversation going with students and adults, we created an anti-racist reading list for children in grades preK-12, as well as for adults, that can help us all become more kind, caring, and empathetic. The list will be updated as we learn about and read more texts. Do you have additional recommendations for our anti-racist reading list? Please let us know in the comments below.

Something Happened in Our Town

By Marianne Celano, PhD, ABPP, Marietta Collins, PhD, and Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP
Ages 4-8

Two families, one Black and one White, discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their neighborhood. This story aims to answer many questions that children have about traumatic events and racial injustice.

Sulwe

By Lupita Nyong'o (author) and Vashti Harrison (illustrator)
Ages 4-8

This picture book is a story about a Black girl who learns to love herself despite having darker skin than the rest of her family.

Hair Love

By Matthew A. Cherry (author) and Vashti Harrison (illustrator)
Ages 4-8

This book is a celebration of natural, Black hair.

Under My Hijab

By Hena Khan (author) and Aaliya Jaleel (illustrator)
Ages 4-8

As a young girl observes six very different women in her life who each wear the hijab in a unique way, she also dreams of the rich possibilities of her own future, and how she will express her own personality through her hijab.

Race Cars

By Jenny Devenny
Ages 4-8

A story of 2 best friends, a white car and a black car, that have different experiences and face different rules while entering the same race.

Little Leaders: Bold Black Women in History

By Vashti Harrison
Ages 8-12

The biographies of 40 Black women are brought to life in this text that not only educates, but also inspires.

Garvey’s Choice

By Nikki Grimes
Ages 8-12

This story is about a boy, Garvey, who is bullied until he finds a passion that helps him learn to accept himself.

Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness

By Anastasia Higginbotham
Ages 8-12

This book offers an honest and open explanation about how White privilege factors into the lives of White children.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

By Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Ages 12+

This book about race helps students learn about how racist ideas have permeated the American culture, and what they can do to become anti-racist.

All American Boys

By Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Ages 12+

This novel, written in two parts by two authors—one Black and one White—explores the repercussions of a violent act on a racially divided town.

I’m Not Dying With You Tonight

By Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones
Ages 12+

When violence erupts at a football game, two girls from different racial backgrounds only have each other to rely on to survive.

The Hate U Give

By Angie Thomas
Ages 12+

The uneasy balance between Starr’s school world and home world is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. 

Dear Martin

By Nic Stone
Ages 12+

The story of an Ivy League-bound African-American student named Justyce who becomes a victim of racial profiling. He struggles to reconcile the fact that he's a "good kid" with suddenly being in police handcuffs

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Do you have more resources or ideas for our anti-racist reading list? Please comment below.

• Learn: Race and Racism Lesson Plans and Resources
• Explore: Lesson Plans and Resources on American Slavery
• Read: Why Teaching Black Lives Matter Matters
• Watch: Using the 1619 Project to Engage Students
• Discover: More resources for summer reading and summer professional learning webinars