Here is a selection of books from our collection about activism, including civil rights, environmentalism, and other movements, as well as local and personal actions initiated by children. We strive to include as much varied racial/cultural representation as possible, but these lists also reflect what is available on the market.
These titles are only a sample of what you can find in our full collection. To see more, go to Search the Collection and use the “Content” filter on the left-hand menu for “Activism/Social Justice Movements.”
Enough!
From Samuel Adams to the students from Parkland, march through history with the heroic revolutionary protesters who changed America. These heroic protesters were not afraid to stand up for what they believed in. They are among the twenty change-makers in this book who used peaceful protests and brave actions to rewrite American history.–Jacket
Hands around the library
In January 2011, in a moment that captured the hearts of people all over the world, thousands of Egypt’s students, library workers, and demonstrators surrounded the great Library of Alexandria and joined hands, forming a human chain to protect the building from vandalism during government protests. They chanted "We love you, Egypt!" as they stood together for the freedom the library represented
I walk with Vanessa
An elementary school girl witnesses the bullying of another girl, but she is not sure how to help.
IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All
IntersectionAllies isn’t just a book. It’s a mirror in which kids of all genders, races, sexualities, abilities, cultures, and origins can see their whole selves reflected, respected, and celebrated. In a world increasingly fractured by xenophobia, racism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia, and other forms of injustice, IntersectionAllies teaches the meaning of “community” to kids and parents alike, along with rhyming strategies to support and celebrate each other’s differences.–from Publisher’s website
Let the children march
Under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, children and teenagers march against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.
Lillian’s right to vote
As an elderly woman, Lillian recalls that her great-great- grandparents were sold as slaves in front of a courthouse where only rich white men were allowed to vote, then the long fight that led to her right–and determination–to cast her ballot since the Voting Rights Act gave every American the right to vote
Magic trash
This picture book biography of Tyree Guyton, an urban environmental artist, shows how he transformed his decaying, crime-ridden neighborhood into the Heidelberg Project, an interactive sculpture park. The story spans from Tyree’s childhood in 1950s Detroit to his early efforts to heal his community through art in the 1980s. Tyree’s awards include Michigan Artist of the Year and International Artist.–publisher
Maybe something beautiful
"Mira lives in a gray and hopeless urban community until a muralist arrives and, along with his paints and brushes, brings color, joy, and togetherness to Mira and her neighbors"–|cProvided by publisher
New shoes
"In this historical fiction picture book, Ella Mae and her cousin Charlotte, both African American, start their own shoe store when they learn that they cannot try on shoes at the shoe store"–|cProvided by publisher
One plastic bag
"Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred. … Something had to change. Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community"–Dust jacket
Our heroes
"True stories of children who opened up their hearts and minds to the unfairness of the world and decided to try and make a difference, because everyone deserves to be happy"–Dust jacket
Peaceful fights for equal rights
"Every voice matters, no matter how small. It’s time to make a difference."–Page 2 of cover
Rice from heaven
In South Korea, Yoori and her Appa, who grew up in North Korea, work with other villagers to send special balloons to carry rice over the border into North Korea, where people are starving.
Seeds of freedom
Mention the Civil Rights era in Alabama, and most people recall images of terrible violence. But something different was happening in Huntsville. For the citizens of that city, creativity, courage, and cooperation were the keys to working together to integrate their city and schools in peace. In an engaging celebration of this lesser-known chapter in American and African-American history, author Hester Bass and illustrator E. B. Lewis show children how racial discrimination, bullying, and unfairness can be faced successfully with perseverance and ingenuity
Sit-in
"This picture book is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the momentous Woolworth’s lunch counter sit -in, when four college students staged a peaceful protest that became a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality and the growing civil rights movement"– Amazon.com
Sofia Valdez, future prez
When her abuelo is injured at the local landfill, second-grader Sofia is determined to transform the dangerous Mount Trashmore into a park, taking on City Hall in the process.
We are Water Protectors
Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption — a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade. Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all. When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people’s water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource. – Publisher
We march
Illustrations and brief text portray the events of the 1963 march in Washington, D.C., where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a historic speech
We shall overcome
Traces the history of the inspiring anthem and explains how it has come to represents the right for equality and freedom around the world.
