Anti-Racism Juvenile Books

Jacqueline Woodson
2014
ISBN: 9780399252518

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child's soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson's poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

Available on E-book and E-audiobook from the Alaska Digital Library

Taylor Kitchings
2015
ISBN: 9780553507539

Twelve-year-old Trip Westbrook lives in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1964 and discovers the underlying racism in his family and neighborhood when he invites his maid's son Dee to play football in the yard.

Ebook available on Alaska Digital Library

by Jewell Parker Rhodes
2020
ISBN: 9780316493802

Suspended unjustly from elite Middlefield Prep, Donte Ellison studies fencing with a former champion, hoping to put the racist fencing team captain in his place.

Lisa Moore Ramée
2019
ISBN: 9780062836687

After attending a powerful protest, Shayla starts wearing an armband to school to support the Black Lives Matter movement, but when the school gives her an ultimatum, she is forced to choose between her education and her identity.

Linda Williams Jackson
2017
ISBN: 9780544785106

Rose Lee Carter, a thirteen-year-old African-American girl, dreams of life beyond the Mississippi cotton fields during the summer of 1955, but when Emmett Till is murdered and his killers are unjustly acquitted, Rose is torn between seeking her destiny outside of Mississippi or staying and being a part of an important movement.

Ebook available on Hoopla

Rebecca Petruck
2018
ISBN: 9781419721410

To defuse a situation between his best friend and a new student, Nolan eats a live stink bug, gaining popularity and a class project idea but, perhaps, losing a friend.

Ebook available on Hoopla

written and illustrated by Anastasia Higginbotham
2018
ISBN: 9781948340007

"A white child sees a news report of a white police officer shooting and killing a person with brown skin who had their hands up. "We don't see color," the child's mother says, but the child senses a deeper truth. An afternoon in the library uncovers the reality of white supremacy in America. The child connects to the opportunity and their responsibility to dismantle white supremacy-for the sake of their own liberation out of ignorance and injustice"--Provided by author's website.

Ebook available on Hoopla

by Tiffany Jewell ; illustrated by Aurélia Durand
2020
ISBN: 9780711245211

"Learn about identities, true histories, and anti-racism work ... This book is written so young people will feel empowered to stand up to the adults in their lives. This book will give them the language and ability to understand racism and a drive to undo it"-- Cover.

Ebook available on Hoopla

by Jewell Parker Rhodes
2018
ISBN: 9780316262286

"After seventh-grader Jerome is shot by a white police officer, he observes the aftermath of his death and meets the ghosts of other fallen black boys including historical figure Emmett Till"-- Provided by publisher.

by Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell
2019
ISBN: 9781620148396

Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government signs a bill into law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight -- even though she was given a number by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that counted her as Indian, even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations. With no good jobs available in Oregon, Regina's father signs the family up for the Indian Relocation program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends. Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights Era. The family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together. Drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian? Is she American? And will she and her family ever be okay?

by Ilyasah Shabazz ; with Renée Watson
2018
ISBN: 9780374306106

Raised by her aunt until she is six, Betty, who will later marry Malcolm X, joins her mother and stepfamily in 1940s Detroit, where she learns about the civil rights movement.

E-audiobook available on Hoopla

Sharon M. Draper
2018
ISBN: 9781442495005

Piano-prodigy Isabella, eleven, whose black father and white mother struggle to share custody, never feels whole, especially as racial tensions affect her school, her parents both become engaged, and she and her stepbrother are stopped by police.

Ebook and E-audiobook available on Alaska Digital Library

Nic Stone ; [illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile]
2020
ISBN: 9781984892973

"For the life of him, William "Scoob" Lamar can't seem to stay out of trouble--and now the run-ins at school have led to lockdown at home. So when G'ma, Scoob's favorite person on Earth, asks him to go on an impromptu road trip, he's in the RV faster than he can say FREEDOM. With G'ma's old maps and a strange pamphlet called the 'Travelers' Green Book' at their side, the pair takes off on a journey down G'ma's memory lane. But adventure quickly turns to uncertainty: G'ma keeps changing the license plate, dodging Scoob's questions, and refusing to check Dad's voice mails. And the farther they go, the more Scoob realizes that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--G'ma included."--Jacket flap.

Torrey Maldonado
2020
ISBN: 9780525518433

Biracial sixth-grader Stephen questions the limitations society puts on him after he notices the way strangers treat him when he hangs out with his white friends and learns about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Jerry Craft ; with color by Jim Callahan
2019
ISBN: 9780062691194

"Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds--and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?" Provided by publisher.

Ebook and e-audiobook available on Hoopla; e-audiobook available on Alaska Digital Library

Let it shine : stories of Black women freedom fighters

Andrea Davis Pinkney ; illustrated by Stephen Alcorn
2000
ISBN: 9780152010058

Tells the stories of ten African-American women freedom fighters.

Separate is never equal : Sylvia Mendez & her family's fight for desegregation

Duncan Tonatiuh
2014
ISBN: 9781419710544

Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a "Whites only" school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.

My family divided : one girl's journey of home, loss, and hope

Diane Guerrero with Erica Moroz
2018
ISBN: 9781250134868

"The star of Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, Diane Guerrero presents her personal story in this middle grade memoir about her parents' deportation and the nightmarish struggles of undocumented immigrants and their American children"-- Provided by publisher.

Little leaders : bold women in black history

Vashti Harrison
2017
ISBN: 9780316475112

Based on her popular Instagram posts, debut author/illustrator Vashti Harrison shares the stories of 40 bold African American women who shaped history.

E-audiobook available on Alaska Digital Library

Carole Boston Weatherford ; illustrated by Eric Velasquez
2017
ISBN: 9780763680466

Where is our historian to give us our side? Arturo asked. Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an Afro-Puerto Rican named Arturo Schomburg. This law clerk's life's passion was to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora and bring to light the achievements of people of African descent through the ages. When Schomburg's collection became so big it began to overflow his house (and his wife threatened to mutiny), he turned to the New York Public Library, where he created and curated a collection that was the cornerstone of a new Negro Division. A century later, his groundbreaking collection, known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, has become a beacon to scholars all over the world.

E-audiobook available on Hoopla

Calvin Alexander Ramsey with Gwen Strauss ; illustrations by Floyd Cooper
2010
ISBN: 9780761352556

When Ruth and her parents take a motor trip from Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandma, they rely on a pamphlet called "The Negro Motorist Green Book" to find places that will serve them. Includes facts about "The Green Book."

E-book available on Hoopla

Gordon Parks : how the photographer captured black and white America

Carole Boston Weatherford ; illustrations by Jamey Christoph
2015
ISBN: 9780807530177

"Gordon Parks is most famous for being the first black director in Hollywood. But before he made movies and wrote books, he was a poor African American looking for work. When he bought a camera, his life changed forever. He taught himself how to take pictures and before long, people noticed"-- Book jacket.

Ebook available on Hoopla

poetry by Ntozake Shange ; paintings by Kadir Nelson
2009
ISBN: 9780061253645

This extraordinary union of poetry and monumental artwork captures the movement for civil rights in the United States, and honors it's most elegant inspiration, Coretta Scott.

E-audiobook available on Hoopla

Frederick Douglass : the lion who wrote history

by Walter Dean Myers ; illustrated by Floyd Cooper
2017
ISBN: 9780060277093

Frederick Douglass was a self-educated slave in the South who grew up to become an icon. He was a leader of the abolitionist movement, a celebrated writer, an esteemed speaker, and a social reformer, proving that, as he said, "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

Susan Vaught
2016
ISBN: 9781481422796

"Sooner or later, we're all gonna be okay." That's what Dani's Grandma Beans used to say. But that was before she got Alzheimer's. Lately, Dani isn't so sure Grandma Beans was right. In fact, she isn't sure of a lot of things, like why Mac Richardson suddenly doesn't want to be her friend, and why Grandma Beans and Avadelle Richardson haven't spoken in decades. Lately, Grandma Beans doesn't make a lot of sense. But when she tells Dani to find a secret key and envelope that she's hidden, Dani can't ignore her. So she investigates, with the help of her friend, Indri, and her not-friend, Mac. Their investigation takes them deep into the history of Oxford, Mississippi, and the riots surrounding the desegregation of Ole Miss. The deeper they dig, the more secrets they uncover. Were Grandma Beans and Avadelle at Ole Miss the night of the Meredith Riot? And why would they keep it a secret? The more Dani learns about her grandma's past, the more she learns about herself and her own friendships -- and it's not all good news. History and present day collide in this mystery that explores how echoes of the past can have profound consequences.

Augusta Scattergood
2012
ISBN: 9780545331807

In the summer of 1964 as she is about to turn twelve, Glory's town of Hanging Moss, Mississippi, is beset by racial tension when town leaders close her beloved public pool rather than desegregating it.

E-audiobook available on Hoopla

Shannon Hitchcock
2016
ISBN: 9780545782302

When a formerly segregated North Carolina town hires its first African-American teacher in 1969, two girls--one black, one white--confront the prejudice that challenges their friendship.

Ebook available on Alaska Digital Library

Winifred Conkling
2013
ISBN: 9781582463452

At the start of World War II, Japanese-American third-grader Aki and her family are sent to an internment camp in Poston, Arizona, while Mexican-American third-grader Sylvia's family leases their Orange County, California, farm and begins a fight to stop school segregation.

Ronald Kidd
2015
ISBN: 9780807570241

"When thirteen-year-old Billie Sims learns that the Freedom Riders, a civil rights group protesting segregation on buses in the summer of 1961, will be traveling through Anniston, Alabama, she thinks change could be coming to her stubborn town. But what starts as angry grumbles soon turns to brutality, and Billie is forced to reconsider her own views"-- Provided by publisher.

Ebook available on Hoopla

Sharon M. Draper
2015
ISBN: 9781442494978

When a burning cross set by the Klan causes panic and fear in 1932 Bumblebee, North Carolina, fifth-grader Stella must face prejudice and find the strength to demand change in her segregated town.

E-audiobook available on Hoopla; ebook and e-audiobook available on Alaska Digital Library

Nevertheless, we persisted : 48 voices of defiance, strength, and courage

foreword by Senator Amy Klobuchar
2018
ISBN: 9781524771973

A powerful collection of essays from actors, activists, athletes, politicians, musicians, writers, and teens, each writing about a time in their youth when they were held back because of their race, gender, or sexual identity-- but persisted. Among others: actress Alia Shawkat was told she was too "ethnic" for parts. Former NFL player Wade Davis bullied other gay classmates in an attempt to hide his own sexuality. Holocaust survivor Fanny Starr tells of her harrowing time in Auschwitz, where she watched her family disappear, one by one. They tell how they rose through the hate, overcoming the obstacles of their childhood to the hard-won lives they live today.

Remy Lai
2019
ISBN: 9781250314093

Knowing very little English, eleven-year-old Jingwen feels like an alien when his family immigrates to Australia, but copes with loneliness and the loss of his father by baking elaborate cakes.

a novel by Grace Lin
2008
ISBN: 9780316114264

In the Chinese Year of the Rat, a young Taiwanese American girl faces many challenges: her best friend moves to California and a new boy comes to her school, she must find the courage to forge ahead with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and she must learn to find the beauty in change.

Linda Sue Park
2020
ISBN: 9781328781505

This is a multilayered book about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father's shop, and making at least one friend. Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America's heartland, in 1880. Hanna's adjustment to her new surroundings, which primarily means negotiating the townspeople's almost unanimous prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story. Narrated by Hanna, the novel has poignant moments yet sparkles with humor, introducing a captivating heroine whose wry, observant voice will resonate with readers. Includes author's note.

Kelly Yang
2018
ISBN: 9781338157796

"Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?"--Page 2 of cover.

Augusta Scattergood
2016
ISBN: 9780545924252

In 1952 eleven-year-old Azalea is sent to Paris Junction, Arkansas, to help out her grandmother who has injured her foot, but does not really seem to want her help; Billy Wong is a Chinese-American boy whose uncle owns the local grocery store, in town to attend the "white" school, since the Chinese mission school has closed, but frustrated by the overt prejudice of the local children--and over the summer the two begin to forge a friendship.

The dragon's child : a story of Angel Island

Laurence Yep ; with Kathleen S. Yep
2008
ISBN: 9780060276928

In 1922, ten-year-old Gim Lew reluctantly leaves his village in China to accompany his father to America, but before they go he must prepare for a grueling test that he must pass--without stuttering--at California's Angel Island, where strict officials strive to keep out unwanted immigrants. Includes facts about immigration from China and the experiences of the author's family.

Russell Freedman ; Chinese poems translated by Evans Chan
2013
ISBN: 9780547903781

A middle-grade history of the "other Ellis Island" traces how Angel Island served as an entry point for one million Asian immigrants to the United States in the early 20th century, drawing on memoirs, diaries, letters and "wall poems" discovered at the facility long after it closed to describe the center's screening process, immigration policies and eventual renaissance as a historic site.

E.L. Shen
2021
ISBN: 9780374313791

Twelve-year-old Maxine Chen dreams of being a figure skating champion, but a remarkably talented new girl at the arena and a racist classmate at school test her resolve.-- Provided by Publisher.

Bethany C. Morrow
2020
ISBN: 9781250315328

In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers. Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school's junior year. But, everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible moment. Soon, nothing in Portland, Oregon, seems safe. To save themselves from drowning, it's only Tavia and Effie's unbreakable sisterhood that proves to be the strongest magic of all.

Gene Luen Yang ; color by Lark Pien
2009
ISBN: 9780312384487

Alternates three interrelated stories about the problems of young Chinese Americans trying to participate in the popular culture. Presented in comic book format.

Cilla Lee-Jenkins : future author extraordinaire

by Susan Tan ; illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
2017
ISBN: 9781626725515

"A half-Chinese, half-Caucasian girl's 'memoir' about a new sibling, being biracial, and her path to literary greatness"-- Provided by publisher.

Gennifer Choldenko
2015
ISBN: 9780385742535

Thirteen-year-old Lizzie and her secret friend Noah, who is hiding in her house, plan to rescue Noah's father from the quarantined Chinatown, and save everyone they love from contracting the plague that is spreading in 1900 San Francisco.

Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang
2020
ISBN: 9781338037760

Sixth-graders Lauren and Tara have always done everything together so it is only natural that they both try out for their middle school musical play, about an "all-American" girl in 1958; Tara gets the lead role, as usual, because in the teacher's mind Lauren, half-Jewish and half-Chinese, does not fit the image of all-American girl--Lauren is hurt but resolved to support her friend, but her two grandmothers are furious and they intend to do something about it.

The traitor : Golden Mountain chronicles, 1885

Laurence Yep
2003
ISBN: 9780060275228

In 1885, a lonely illegitimate American boy and a lonely Chinese American boy develop an unlikely friendship in the midst of prejudices and racial tension in their coal mining town of Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Jessica Kim
2020
ISBN: 9780525554974

When eleven-year-old Yumi Chung stumbles into a kids' comedy camp she is mistaken for another student, so she decides to play the part.

Erin Yun
2020
ISBN: 9781944020262

Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself by following the "Rules of Cool." At Lakeview, Pippa juggles old and new friends, an unrequited crush, and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and her family's laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media, her carefully built persona is threatened. As things begin to spiral out of control, Pippa discovers the real reason she was admitted to Lakeview and wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.-- Publisher's description.

The talk : conversations about race, love & truth

edited by Wade Hudson & Cheryl Willis Hudson
2020
ISBN: 9780593121610

"Thirty diverse and award-winning authors and illustrators capture frank discussions about racism, identity, and self-esteem"-- Provided by publisher.

Farhana Zia
2013
ISBN: 9781561456987

The arrival of new student Marwa, a fellow sixth-grader who is a strict Muslim, helps Aliya come to terms with her own lukewarm practice of the faith and her embarrassment over others' reactions to their beliefs.

This promise of change : one girl's story in the fight for school equality

by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy
2019
ISBN: 9781681198521

"In 1956, one year before federal troops escorted the Little Rock 9 into Central High School, fourteen year old Jo Ann Allen was one of twelve African-American students who broke the color barrier and integrated Clinton High School in Tennessee. At first things went smoothly for the Clinton 12, but then outside agitators interfered, pitting the townspeople against one another. Uneasiness turned into anger, and even the Clinton Twelve themselves wondered if the easier thing to do would be to go back to their old school. Jo Ann--clear-eyed, practical, tolerant, and popular among both black and white students--found herself called on as the spokesperson of the group. But what about just being a regular teen? This is the heartbreaking and relatable story of her four months thrust into the national spotlight and as a trailblazer in history. Based on original research and interviews and featuring backmatter with archival materials and notes from the authors on the co-writing process"-- Provided by publisher.

Can I touch your hair? : poems of race, mistakes, and friendship

Irene Latham & Charles Waters ; illustrated by Sean Qualls & Selina Alko
2018
ISBN: 9781512404425

Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, present paired poems about topics including family dinners, sports, recess, and much more. This relatable collection explores different experiences of race in America.

Hena Khan
2017
ISBN: 9781481492065

"A Pakistani-American Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family's vibrant culture while simultaneously blending in at school after tragedy strikes her community"-- Provided by publisher.

Awesome Asian Americans : 20 stars who made America amazing

by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin ; illustrated by Juan Calle
2020
ISBN: 9781597021500

"This is an illustrated children's anthology of noteworthy Asian Americans: 20 groundbreaking men and women from diverse backgrounds and vocations"-- Provided by publisher

Uprooted : the Japanese American experience during World War II

Albert Marrin
2016
ISBN: 9780553509366

Just seventy-five years ago, the American government did something that most would consider unthinkable today: it rounded up over 100,000 of its own citizens based on nothing more than their ancestry and, suspicious of their loyalty, kept them in concentration camps for the better part of four years. How could this have happened? Uprooted takes a close look at the history of racism in America and follows the treacherous path that led one of our nation's most beloved presidents to make this decision. Meanwhile, it illuminates the history of Japan and its own struggles with racism and xenophobia, which led to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, ultimately tying the two countries together.

Mindy Kim and the yummy seaweed business

by Lyla Lee ; illustrated by Dung Ho
2020
ISBN: 9781534440074

"Mindy Kim wants to fit in at her new school, but her favorite lunch leads to scorn, then a thriving business, and finally big trouble." -- Provided by Publisher.

by Rebecca Balcárcel
2019
ISBN: 9781452169989

Twelve-year-old Quijana is a biracial girl, desperately trying to understand the changes that are going on in her life; her mother rarely gets home before bedtime, her father suddenly seems to be trying to get in touch with his Guatemalan roots (even though he never bothered to teach Quijana Spanish), she is about to start seventh grade in the Texas town where they live and she is worried about fitting in--and Quijana suspects that her parents are keeping secrets, because she is sure there is something wrong with her little brother, Memito, who is becoming increasingly hard to reach.-- Provided by Publisher.

by Uma Krishnaswami
2017
ISBN: 9781600602610

"Nine-year-old Maria Singh learns to play softball just like her heroes in the All-American Girls' League, while her parents and neighbors are struggling through World War II, working for India's independence, and trying to stay on their farmland"-- Provided by publisher.

Supriya Kelkar
2020
ISBN: 9781534439382

When a racist incident rocks her small Michigan town, eleven-year-old Lekha must decide whether to speak up or stay silent, even as she struggles to navigate her life at home, where she can be herself, and at school, where she is teased about her culture.

Kerry O'Malley Cerra
2016
ISBN: 9781510712348

"Jake and Sam are best friends, but after the attacks on September 11, their friendship is in danger of crumbling as Sam and his family succumb to hatred for being Muslim American"-- Provided by publisher.