50 Books in this collection
Social Activism Collection
The Social Activism Collection was created to showcase our new 2017-2018 Social Activism Diverse Reading list. Discover characters and historical figures who stand up for peace, equity, and justice for gender, socioeconomic status, race, or the environment. These mentor texts suggest ways that students can enact change in their own communities.
Check out the Social Activism Diverse Reading List as a downloadable PDF here and a blog post about the list with additional resources here.
Please note that pricing, availability and books in the Social Activism Diverse Reading List are subject to change.
Themes & Categories
- African / African American / Black
- Asian / Asian American / AAPI
- Bilingual
- Biography / Memoir
- Biracial / Multiracial
- Breaking Gender Barriers
- Civil Rights Movement
- Conflict resolution
- Courage
- Cultural Diversity
- Discrimination
- Diversity
- Dreams & Aspirations
- Dual Language
- Economics / Finance
- Education
- Empathy / Compassion
- Environment / Nature
- Fiction
- Heroism
- History & Civics
- Human Impact On Environment / Environmental Sustainability
- Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence
- Indigenous / First Nations / Native American
- Informational / Expository Nonfiction
- Inventors / Inventions
- Kindness / Caring
- Latinx / Latino / Hispanic
- Mentors
- Middle Grade
- Multiple Ethnicities Represented
- Muslim
- Nature / Science
- Nonfiction
- Occupations
- Optimism / Enthusiasm
- Overcoming Obstacles
- Peace
- Persistence / Grit
- Photographic Illustrations
- Pride
- Protest
- Respect / Citizenship
- Responsibility
- Sharing & Giving
- Social Justice & Activism
- Tolerance / Acceptance
- United States History
- War
- Women's History
- YA interest
- English
- Spanish
Books in This Collection
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A Place Where Sunflowers Grow
By Amy Lee-Tai, Felicia HoshinoPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageA Place Where Sunflowers Grow
By Amy Lee-Tai, Felicia HoshinoView DetailsBilingual English/Japanese. A young girl finds things to be joyful about in the Topaz Internment Camp.
Aani and the Tree Huggers
By Jeannine Atkins, Venantius PintoPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageAani and the Tree Huggers
By Jeannine Atkins, Venantius PintoAhimsa
By Supriya KelkarAhimsa
By Supriya KelkarView DetailsIn this historical middle-grade novel, Gandhi asks for one member of each family to join the fight for independence from the British, and when Anjali's mother is jailed for doing so, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother's work.
All the Stars Denied
By Guadalupe García McCall, Susan L. RothAll the Stars Denied
By Guadalupe García McCall, Susan L. RothView DetailsIn a companion novel to her critically acclaimed Shame the Stars, Pura Belpré Award Winner Guadalupe García McCall tackles the hidden history of the United States and its first mass deportation that swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression.
Allie's Basketball Dream
By Barbara Barber, Darryl LigasanAllie's Basketball Dream
By Barbara Barber, Darryl LigasanView DetailsAllie's story of self-determination is one that young athletes, both boys and girls, will recognize. Perfect for anyone who has experienced the ups and downs of practicing and playing hard, Allie's Basketball Dream is a spirited tribute to perseverance.
Baseball Saved Us: 25th Anniversary Edition
By Ken Mochizuki, Dom LeeBaseball Saved Us: 25th Anniversary Edition
By Ken Mochizuki, Dom LeeView DetailsTwenty-five years ago, Baseball Saved Us changed the picture-book landscape with its honest story of a Japanese American boy in an internment camp during World War II. This anniversary edition will introduce new readers to this modern-day classic.
Brothers in Hope
The Story of the Lost Boys of the SudanBy Mary Williams, R. Gregory ChristieHardcover: $20.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageBrothers in Hope
The Story of the Lost Boys of the SudanBy Mary Williams, R. Gregory ChristieView DetailsBased on heartbreaking yet inspirational true events in the lives of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Brothers in Hope is a story of remarkable courage, and an amazing testament to the unyielding power of the human spirit.
Butterfly for a King
Saving Hawaiʻi’s Kamehameha ButterfliesBy Cindy Trumbore, Susan L. RothView DetailsThe fascinating true story of a beautiful native Hawaiian butterfly, a great Hawaiian warrior king, and current-day efforts by scientists and citizens to restore the butterfly's declining population.
Catching the Moon
The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball DreamBy Crystal Hubbard, Randy DuburkeView DetailsThe spirited story of Marcenia Lyle, the African American girl who grew up to become "Toni Stone," the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team.
Dear Mrs. Parks
A Dialogue with Today's YouthBy Rosa ParksView DetailsOn a December day in 1955, Rosa Parks changed the course of history when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus.
Destiny's Gift
By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, Adjoa J. BurrowesPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageDestiny's Gift
By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, Adjoa J. BurrowesView DetailsDestiny loves words, and her favorite place in the world is Mrs. Wade's bookstore, where words abound.
Drum, Chavi, Drum! / ¡Toca, Chavi, Toca!
By Mayra Lazara Dole, TonelDrum, Chavi, Drum! / ¡Toca, Chavi, Toca!
By Mayra Lazara Dole, TonelView DetailsWho says girls can't play drums? The beat of Chavi's congas livens up her entire neighborhood. When she's not picked to drum in Miami's Calle Ocho festival, she decides to do something about it!
Etched in Clay
The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and PoetBy Andrea ChengPaperback: $13.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageEtched in Clay
The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and PoetBy Andrea ChengView DetailsThe acclaimed biography-in-verse about the life and times of Dave, an enslaved potter who inscribed his works with short poems during the years leading up to the Civil War.
Friends from the Other Side / Amigos del otro lado
By Gloria Anzaldúa, Consuelo MendezFriends from the Other Side / Amigos del otro lado
By Gloria Anzaldúa, Consuelo MendezView DetailsHaving crossed the Rio Grande into Texas with his mother in search of a new life, Joaquín receives help and friendship from Prietita a brave young Mexican American girl.
Game, Set, Match Champion Arthur Ashe
By Crystal Hubbard, Kevin BelfordGame, Set, Match Champion Arthur Ashe
By Crystal Hubbard, Kevin BelfordView DetailsA picture book biography of tennis player Arthur Ashe, who began his career playing tennis as a child on the segregated courts as a child in Virginia and went on to become the top tennis player in the world.
Growing Peace
A Story of Farming, Music, and Religious HarmonyBy Richard SobolView DetailsThis stunning photo-essay for children is a story of coexistence, focusing on Jewish, Muslim, and Christian families in a Ugandan village who created a Fair Trade Coffee Cooperative and learned to live and work together peacefully.
Hammering for Freedom
The William Lewis StoryBy Rita Lorraine Hubbard, John HolyfieldView DetailsThe inspirational story of William "Bill" Lewis, a hardworking blacksmith who slowly saved his money and bought the freedom of each and every member of his enslaved family.
How We Are Smart
By William Nikola, Sean QuallsPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageHow We Are Smart
By William Nikola, Sean QuallsView DetailsMusician Tito Puente. Ballerina Maria Tallchief. Explorer Matthew Henson. Congresswoman Patsy Mink. These are some of the people profiled in this book. They are well known for different reasons, but they also have something in common. They were all smart!
I Am Alfonso Jones
By Tony Medina, John Jennings, Stacey RobinsonI Am Alfonso Jones
By Tony Medina, John Jennings, Stacey RobinsonView DetailsThe Hate U Give meets The Lovely Bones in this unflinching graphic novel about the afterlife of a young man killed by an off-duty police officer, co-illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist John Jennings.
In Her Hands
The Story of Sculptor Augusta SavageBy Alan Schroeder, JaeMe BerealView DetailsA recreation of events from the childhood and early career of Augusta Savage, a pioneering female sculptor and major figure of the Harlem Renaissance.
Ira's Shakespeare Dream
By Glenda Armand, Floyd CooperIra's Shakespeare Dream
By Glenda Armand, Floyd CooperView DetailsThe inspiring biography of Ira Aldridge, a Black actor who overcame racism to become one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the nineteenth century.
John Lewis in the Lead
A Story of the Civil Rights MovementBy Jim Haskins, Kathleen Benson, Benny AndrewsJohn Lewis in the Lead
A Story of the Civil Rights MovementBy Jim Haskins, Kathleen Benson, Benny AndrewsView DetailsA biography of John Lewis, one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders of the 1960s, focusing on his involvement in Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, and the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel
By Anthony D. Robles, Carl AngelLakas and the Makibaka Hotel
By Anthony D. Robles, Carl AngelView DetailsIn this bilingual English-Tagalog story set in the US, Lakas, an all-American boy of Filipino descent, helps his new friends fight eviction from their home .
Louis Sockalexis
Native American Baseball PioneerBy William Wise, Bill FarnsworthPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageLouis Sockalexis
Native American Baseball PioneerBy William Wise, Bill FarnsworthView DetailsA biography of Louis Sockalexis, Penobscot Indian and the first Native American to play professional baseball, focusing on his formative years and culminating in an historic game at New York's Polo Grounds in 1897.
Malala Yousafzai
Warrior with WordsBy Karen Leggett Abouraya, Susan L. RothView DetailsThe inspiring true story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who has become an international activist for universal education, with beautiful collage illustrations by award-winning artist Susan L. Roth.
Martí's Song for Freedom
Martí y sus versos por la libertadBy Emma Otheguy, Beatriz VidalView DetailsA bilingual biography of José Martí, who dedicated his life to the promotion of liberty-abolishment of slavery, political independence for Cuba, and intellectual independence from colonialism for all Latinos. Written in verse with excerpts from Martí's seminal work, Versos sencillos.
Midnight Teacher
Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret SchoolBy Janet Halfmann, London LaddView DetailsThis historical fiction picture book reveals the unknown story of Lilly Ann Granderson, an African-American teacher who risked her life to teach others during slavery.
Parrots Over Puerto Rico
By Susan L. Roth, Cindy TrumboreParrots Over Puerto Rico
By Susan L. Roth, Cindy TrumboreView DetailsA nonfiction picture book about the history of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican parrot, which was brought back from the brink of extinction. Also available in Spanish.
Purchase from your local independent bookstore or the online retailers listed below:
Passage to Freedom
The Sugihara StoryBy Ken Mochizuki, Dom LeeView DetailsThe true story of Chiune Sugihara, the "Japanese Schindler," who, with his family's encouragement, saved thousands of Jews in Lithuania during World War II.
Paul Robeson
By Eloise Greenfield, George FordPaul Robeson
By Eloise Greenfield, George FordView DetailsAn updated and redesigned edition of an award-winning biography of Paul Robeson, who overcame racial discrimination to become an international entertainer and civil rights activist. Includes a new introduction and afterword by the author, focusing on Robeson's legacy.
Quiet Hero
The Ira Hayes StoryBy S. D. NelsonView DetailsA biography of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six soldiers to raise the United States flag on Iwo Jima during World War II, an event immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.
Rainbow Weaver / Tejedora del arcoíris
By Linda Elovitz Marshall, Elisa ChavarriRainbow Weaver / Tejedora del arcoíris
By Linda Elovitz Marshall, Elisa ChavarriView DetailsBilingual English/Spanish. A young Mayan girl isn't allowed to use her mother's thread to weave, so with a little ingenuity she discovers how to repurpose plastic bags to create colorful weavings. Based on an actual recycling movement in Guatemala.
Seven Miles to Freedom
The Robert Smalls StoryBy Janet Halfmann, Duane SmithView DetailsThe true story of Robert Smalls, a slave steamboat wheelman who commandeered a Confederate ship during the Civil War and escaped with his family and crew to freedom.
Sharuko
El arqueólogo peruano Julio C. Tello / Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. TelloBy Monica Brown, Elisa ChavarriSharuko
El arqueólogo peruano Julio C. Tello / Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. TelloBy Monica Brown, Elisa ChavarriView DetailsA fascinating bilingual picture book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello, who unearthed Peru's ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country's Indigenous history.
She Was the First!
The Trailblazing Life of Shirley ChisholmBy Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric VelasquezShe Was the First!
The Trailblazing Life of Shirley ChisholmBy Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric VelasquezView DetailsA timely, inspiring picture book biography of the dynamic twentieth-century educator, activist, and politician Shirley Chisholm.
Silent Star
The Story of Deaf Major Leaguer William HoyBy William Wise, Adam GustavsonView DetailsThe biography of William Ellsworth Hoy, the first deaf player to have a successful career in professional and Major League baseball.
Sparkle Boy
By Lesléa Newman, Maria MolaSparkle Boy
By Lesléa Newman, Maria MolaView DetailsYoung Casey loves sparkly things, just like his older sister, who does not approve until an encounter with teasing bullies helps her learn to accept and respect Casey for who he is.
Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh
By Uma Krishnaswami, Nidhi ChananiStep Up to the Plate, Maria Singh
By Uma Krishnaswami, Nidhi ChananiView DetailsNine-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.
Super Cilantro Girl / La superniña del cilantro
By Juan Felipe Herrera, Honorio Robledo TapiaSuper Cilantro Girl / La superniña del cilantro
By Juan Felipe Herrera, Honorio Robledo TapiaView DetailsAn empowering story by former US poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera about a young girl who uses her newfound superpowers to rescue her mamá from the United States-Mexico border.
Surfer of the Century
The Life of Duke KahanamokuBy Ellen Crowe, Richard WaldrepView DetailsThe true story of Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, six-time Olympic swimming champion and legendary surfer who popularized surfing around the world.
The Mangrove Tree
Planting Trees to Feed FamiliesBy Susan L. Roth, Cindy TrumboreView DetailsThe fascinating story of Dr. Gordon Sato, who helped a small African village become self-sustaining by planting a forest of mangrove trees to reshape the community's ecosystem.
The People Shall Continue
By Simon J. Ortiz, Sharol GravesThe People Shall Continue
By Simon J. Ortiz, Sharol GravesView DetailsRepublished for its fortieth anniversary, this powerful story by renowned Acoma Pueblo poet and storyteller Simon J. Ortiz traces the history of Native / Indigenous people of North America from the time of creation to the present.
The Protest (Confetti Kids #10)
(Dive Into Reading)By Samantha Thornhill, Shirley Ng-BenitezView DetailsIn this new book in the popular Confetti Kids series, Lily and her friends organize a protest in order to save their neighborhood public garden from being demolished.
The School the Aztec Eagles Built
By Dorinda NicholsonThe School the Aztec Eagles Built
By Dorinda NicholsonView DetailsA photo-illustrated book about the Aztec Eagles, Mexico's World War II Air Force squadron interwoven with the story of Sergeant Angel Bocanegra, whose service was rewarded with the building of a school in his village.
The Story of Civil War Hero Robert Smalls
By Janet Halfmann, Duane SmithThe Story of Civil War Hero Robert Smalls
By Janet Halfmann, Duane SmithView DetailsThis exciting entry in the "Story of" line of chapter-book biographies introduces readers to Robert Smalls, an enslaved steamboat wheelman who commandeered a Confederate ship during the Civil War and escaped with his family and crew to freedom.
The Story of Movie Star Anna May Wong
By Paula Yoo, Lin WangThe Story of Movie Star Anna May Wong
By Paula Yoo, Lin WangView DetailsThis entry in the innovative "Story" line of chapter-book biographies focuses on Anna May Wong, whose trail-blazing career in Hollywood broke new ground for future generations of Asian American actors.
The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos
By Lucia Gonzalez, Lulu DelacreThe Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos
By Lucia Gonzalez, Lulu DelacreView DetailsBilingual English/Spanish. A bilingual biography of Pura Belpré, New York City's first Latina librarian.
Tiny Stitches
The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien ThomasBy Gwendolyn Hooks, Colin BootmanView DetailsThe life story of Vivien Thomas, an African American surgical technician who developed the first procedure used to perform open-heart surgery on children.
Twenty-two Cents
Muhammad Yunus and the Village BankBy Paula Yoo, Jamel AkibView DetailsA biography of 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who revolutionized global antipoverty efforts by developing the innovative economic concept of micro-lending.
Xochitl and the Flowers / Xóchitl, la Niña de las Flores
By Jorge Argueta, Carl AngelPaperback: $11.95 This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageXochitl and the Flowers / Xóchitl, la Niña de las Flores
By Jorge Argueta, Carl AngelView DetailsBilingual English/Spanish. Miles away from their home in El Salvador, Xochitl (SOH-cheel) and her family make a new home in the United States, but nothing is the same.
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