46 Books in this collection
Trauma-Informed Collection
Many children experience trauma, or adverse childhood experiences, and go through times of extreme stress. Trauma has the ability to impact children's learning, social interactions and relationships, and overall well-being. Literature can be a safe space for young people to talk about characters' actions and situations and the ways that they navigated distressing scenarios. The following books showcase child protagonists who cope with trauma in a variety of ways and provide students the opportunity to discuss trauma through the lens of a relatable and engaging character.
Themes & Categories
- African / African American / Black
- Bilingual
- Biography / Memoir
- Biracial / Multiracial
- Bullying
- Childhood Experiences and Memories
- Collaboration
- Conflict resolution
- Coping with Death
- Courage
- Cultural Diversity
- Disabilities
- Discrimination
- Diversity
- Empathy / Compassion
- Families
- Fiction
- Friendship
- Grandparents
- Gratitude
- Heroism
- History & Civics
- Immigration
- Kindness / Caring
- Latinx / Latino / Hispanic
- Multiple Ethnicities Represented
- Optimism / Enthusiasm
- Overcoming Obstacles
- Peace
- Persistence / Grit
- Realistic Fiction
- Refugees
- Self Control / Self Regulation
- Siblings
- Similarities and Differences
- YA interest
- English
- Spanish
Books in This Collection
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A House by the River
By William Miller, Ying-Hwa Hu, Cornelius Van WrightA House by the River
By William Miller, Ying-Hwa Hu, Cornelius Van WrightView DetailsA young girl learns her rickety, old house by the river is stronger than the fiercest storm because it is fortified by love and family.
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A Shelter in Our Car
By Monica Gunning, Elaine PedlarA Shelter in Our Car
By Monica Gunning, Elaine PedlarView DetailsZettie and her Mama left their warm and comfortable home in Jamaica for an uncertain life in the United Sates, and they are forced to live in Mama's car.
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A Song for Cambodia
By Michelle Lord, Shino AriharaA Song for Cambodia
By Michelle Lord, Shino AriharaView DetailsThe true story of Arn Chorn-Pond, Cambodian American musician and human rights activist, who as a young boy survived Khmer Rouge work camps by learning to play a musical instrument.
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Alicia Afterimage
By Lulu DelacreAlicia Afterimage
By Lulu DelacreView DetailsA story of remembrance as well as an exploration of teen grief and healing, recounting the life and death of the author's sixteen-year-old daughter, as told through her parents' and friends' recollections, thoughts, feelings, and memories. For YA and adults.
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Amelia's Road
By Linda J. Altman, Enrique O. SanchezAmelia's Road
By Linda J. Altman, Enrique O. SanchezView DetailsA girl from a migrant worker family overcomes the hardship of moving by creating a special place for herself.
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DeShawn Days
By Tony Medina, R. Gregory ChristieDeShawn Days
By Tony Medina, R. Gregory ChristieView DetailsIn this uplifting story told in verse, a young boy living in the inner city projects tells about his hopes, fears, and dreams.
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From North to South / Del Norte al Sur
By René Colato Laínez, Joe CepedaFrom North to South / Del Norte al Sur
By René Colato Laínez, Joe CepedaView DetailsBilingual English/Spanish. This nuanced picture book tackles the difficult and timely subject of family separation and deportation.
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Gettin' Through Thursday
By Melrose Cooper, Nneka BennettGettin' Through Thursday
By Melrose Cooper, Nneka BennettView DetailsA young African American boy experiences the love and support of his family as they try to make ends meet each week.
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Grandfather's Story Cloth
By Linda A. Gerdner, Sarah Langford, Stuart LoughridgeGrandfather's Story Cloth
By Linda A. Gerdner, Sarah Langford, Stuart LoughridgeView DetailsChersheng feels sad and helpless when he learns that Grandfather has Alzheimer's Disease, but then Chersheng's mother presents him with a story cloth stitched by Grandfather himself, embroidered in the Hmong tradition.
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Grandma's Purple Flowers
By Adjoa J. BurrowesGrandma's Purple Flowers
By Adjoa J. BurrowesView DetailsAn African American girl who cherishes her frequent visits to her favorite Grandma finds a way to remember her grandmother with hope and joy after she passes away.
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Janna and the Kings
By Patricia Smith, Aaron BoydThis product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageJanna and the Kings
By Patricia Smith, Aaron BoydView DetailsSaturdays are special for Janna. That's when she and Granddaddy spend the whole day together.
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Joshua's Masai Mask
By Dakari Hru, Anna RichJoshua's Masai Mask
By Dakari Hru, Anna RichView DetailsA magical Masai mask takes an African American boy on a series of adventures, and he discovers the joy of being himself.
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Prietita and the Ghost Woman / Prietita y la llorona
By Gloria Anzaldúa, Maya GonzalezThis product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagePrietita and the Ghost Woman / Prietita y la llorona
By Gloria Anzaldúa, Maya GonzalezView DetailsBilingual English/Spanish. Gloria Anzaldúa uniquely reinterprets the famous Mexican legend of la Llorona.
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Rattlesnake Mesa
Stories from a Native American ChildhoodBy Ednah New Rider Weber, Richela RenkunView DetailsA true account of a spirited Native American girl's experiences growing up on a reservation and attending Phoenix Indian School in the 1920s, written in an engaging, unconventional style and accompanied by 38 dramatic photographs.
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Raymond's Perfect Present
By Therese On Louie, Suling WangRaymond's Perfect Present
By Therese On Louie, Suling WangView DetailsWhen he tries to surprise his sick mother with flowers that he grew, a Chinese American boy receives a nice surprise of his own.
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Rent Party Jazz
By William Miller, Charlotte Riley-WebbRent Party Jazz
By William Miller, Charlotte Riley-WebbView DetailsAn African American boy living in New Orleans in the 1930s raises money to pay the rent with the help of a popular jazz musician.
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Rise!
From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya AngelouBy Bethany Hegedus, Tonya EngelView DetailsIn celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, this beautiful biography of Maya Angelou describes how she rose above a childhood of trauma and emotional pain to become one of the most inspiring voices of our lifetime.
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Selvakumar Knew Better
By Virginia Kroll, Xiaojun LiSelvakumar Knew Better
By Virginia Kroll, Xiaojun LiView DetailsThis true story of a courageous and clever dog who saved a boy's life during the devastating tsunami of 2004 is sure to touch the hearts of readers of all ages.
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Singing with Momma Lou
By Linda J. Altman, Larry JohnsonSinging with Momma Lou
By Linda J. Altman, Larry JohnsonView DetailsA young African American girl helps her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, regain some of her memories.
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Soledad Sigh-Sighs / Soledad suspiros
By Rigoberto González, Rosa IbarraSoledad Sigh-Sighs / Soledad suspiros
By Rigoberto González, Rosa IbarraView DetailsBilingual English/Spanish. A picture book about eight-year-old Soledad, a latchkey child whose friends come up with an imaginative solution to make Soledad feel less lonely when she gets home from school.
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The Blue Roses
By Linda Boyden, Amy CórdovaThis product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe Blue Roses
By Linda Boyden, Amy CórdovaView DetailsA modern-day Native American girl learns to understand the cycle of life after her grandfather dies.
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The Road to Santiago
By Danilo Figueredo, Pablo Torrecilla PueblaThe Road to Santiago
By Danilo Figueredo, Pablo Torrecilla PueblaView DetailsA fictional story about a boy and his family in Havana who overcome obstacles to reach their relatives in Santiago to celebrate Christmas during the Cuban revolution in the 1950s.
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The Upside Down Boy / El niño de cabeza
By Juan Felipe Herrera, Elizabeth GomezThe Upside Down Boy / El niño de cabeza
By Juan Felipe Herrera, Elizabeth GomezView DetailsBilingual English/Spanish. The Upside Down Boy is award-winning poet Juan Felipe Herrera's engaging memoir of the year his migrant family settled down so that he could go to school for the first time.
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The Wishing Tree
By Roseanne Greenfield Thong, Connie McLennanThis product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageThe Wishing Tree
By Roseanne Greenfield Thong, Connie McLennanView DetailsWhen Ming and his grandmother visit the wishing tree on the Lunar New Year, his wishes always seem to come true. But one year the tree does not help, and Ming alone must make peace with the loss of his grandmother and the spirit of the tree.
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When the Horses Ride By
Children in the Times of WarBy Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey GilchristThis product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pageWhen the Horses Ride By
Children in the Times of WarBy Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey GilchristView DetailsThrough these graceful and eloquent poems, written from the child's perspective, readers will experience this resilience, this optimism, and understand that it is possible to get through difficult and unsettling times while holding onto one's hopes and dreams for a better, more peaceful future.