Read the Revolution: Books for Social Justice Discourse

Amidst the current state of the world, many folks find themselves (once again) explaining race, systemic racism, and the fight for equity and social justice to children. The teacher in me will always, ALWAYS, recommend books to support any lesson and conversation. Keeping that same energy, here are some of our favorite books to engage children and adults in justice discourse. Let’s read the revolution! PreK – 3 Woke Baby by Mahogany L. Browne, illustrated by Theodore Taylor, III Day one. That’s where you start and that’s where this book begins. From that beautiful Black baby raising their fist in the air, to the abolishment of ceilings (glass or otherwise); this is a must read for every little revolutionary. A is for Activist written and illustrated by Innosanto Nagara

A is for Activist is packed with alliteration and consciousness. “Kings are fine for storytime/Knights are fun to play/But when people make decisions/we will choose the people’s way.” Don’t let the age recommendations fool you, everybody can get these lessons. Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

This book tackles exclusion and creating your own spaces when a boy and his elephant are kept from Pet Club and stumble upon a girl and her skunk who were also turned away. There’s conversation here about how when one group is marginalized, others are as well. These kids didn’t fight to be included, instead they made their own INCLUSIVE club. There’s something to be said about having a se…