Multicultural Children's Books about the Power of Community; Diverse Picture & Chapter Books about community; Preschool, Elementary & Middle School

Travel the world with your children or students with these beautiful picture books about West Africa: Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger!

Whether in class, at home, teachers and parents can use multicultural books to stimulate kids,encourage pride, and increase our cultural awareness.

These nine children's books teach diversity and illustrate how multicultural our world is. Topics covered include food, shelter, religion, and possesions.

The Barefoot Book of Children is a beautiful book to share with children, encouraging discussion about diversity and inclusivity.

25+ multicultural chapter books for kids in upper elementary and middle school, to highlight the perspectives from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Teach children about Colombia with these children's books, craft activities, interesting facts, and a recipe. Includes a free Biblioburro craft template.

This summer, we are going to take a trip around the world by reading these multi-cultural books. This list covers preschool through elementary school.

Asian & Asian American Children's Books for ages 0 to 18; Picture Books & Contemporary Fiction Novels; Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Lunar New Year kicks off on February 10th this year. In the spirit of celebration, here are some festive books to share with young readers.

More than 100 carefully selected lists of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators. When you find a book at this site, please purchase it here. Our titles are linked to Bookshop. A portion of your book purchase helps sustain our work. New Releases Activism and Organizing Africa Afro-Latinx American Indians Arabs […]

Take children on a global book journey with this list of the best picture books set in North America and Central America.

Children from 11 different countries share what the first day of school is like for them - a great read aloud for kicking-off your school year!

This list of stories demonstrates names and cultural identities of immigrant children. Pick a book to read the first week of school to foster empathy!

Whether in class, at home, teachers and parents can use multicultural books to stimulate kids,encourage pride, and increase our cultural awareness.

Picture books about protest are a great way to start conversations about social justice. This list of books put civil disobedience in an historical context.

A list of social justice books for kids. Picture books to teach about global issues and encourage activism and compassion.

The "I See the Sun in..." series of books takes us to Nepal, China, Afghanistan, Russia, Mexico, and Myanmar to follow a child through their day.

Activities to help kids learn about Russia. Multicultural and geography lessons for children in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school.

Do the characters and stories in your children's books represent the diversity in your world? Here's how to build diverse books in your home library.

Take children on a book journey across Asia with this list of the best picture books set in Asian countries.

As part of our study of world geography and world cultures in third grade, we also spend some time learning about immigration to the United States and talking about our own family histories. There are many great resources to help children understand some of the complexity and history behind immigration. This first post provides an overview to some of my favorite nonfiction resources for introducing the history of immigration to young and intermediate-aged elementary students. The next posts in this series with cover historical fiction and memoir about Ellis Island and turn-of-the-century America and then modern immigrants and immigration. (Even more posts: Picture Books by René Colato Laínez, New Immigration Books, part 1: Syrian and Central American immigrants, and part 2: picture books and anthologies.) Nonfiction Immigration Resources The Story of Immigration (2002) by Robert Charles, Reading A-Z. This short nonfiction text introduces many important topics in US immigration including a history of immigration, background on immigration laws and reforms, and introduces three major symbols of immigration: the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Angel Island. Immigrant Kids (1980) by Russell Freedman. This fantastic resource introduces children to the photographic work of Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine and juxtaposes photographs from the late 1800s and early 1900s with chapters describing what life was like for kids back then, including their homes, schools, work, and play. My students get so much out of reading this book, analyzing the photographs, and comparing and contrasting their own life experiences. Ellis Island (2004) from Kids Discover magazine. This magazine focuses on the history and experience of coming to Ellis Island and includes many interesting side notes and small stories about actual experiences of individuals. Immigration (2004) from Kids Discover magazine. This magazine explains about the history and impact of immigration to the United States with some focus on the turn-of-the-century immigrant experience. There are also brief interviews with recent immigrants and a section on immigration in other countries. Tenement: immigrant life on the lower east side (2002) by Raymond Bial. I use this book mainly for the photographs, which include both historic photographs as well as modern ones from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. This book is a detailed and informative look at tenement life for immigrants from the 1880s-1930s. We Came Through Ellis Island: the immigration adventures of Emma Markowitz (2003) by Gare Thompson. This nonfiction book is told mainly through the diary entries and letters of the Markowitz family who left Russia in 1883 and went through Ellis Island on their way to tenement life on the Lower East Side of New York City. Stay tuned! The next posts in this series with cover historical fiction and memoir about Ellis Island and turn-of-the-century America and then modern immigrants and immigration. Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday Challenge is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and is a weekly roundup of educator blogs that are sharing nonfiction picture books. Click the link to check out other nonfiction posts.

What in the world do YOU do with your tooth? Learn about some of the interesting tooth traditions from children around the globe.

Teaching our kids about diversity is crucial but not always easy. These resources will help.

An incredible list of the 50 best children's books published from 1950 to the present day that celebrate cultural and ethnic diversity is released today

Cinderella around the world stories appear in many cultures, with more than 500 different versions! Here are our favorites, with discussion questions.

Picture books about empathy, respecting differences, and navigating difficult or sad life events.

Want to raise a bookworm? Fill your shelves with these engaging stories for toddlers to teens.

Hooray, it's time for Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10! Get your library card out, because this is a great opportunity to find out about new nonfiction books. I had a lot of different themes bouncing around in my head this year (most inspired by the current political situation), but I finally settled on Ten People Who Stood Up & Made a Difference, especially when facing unfair or discriminatory situations. Now in its fifth year, Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 (#nf10for10) is co-hosted by Mandy Robek of Enjoy and Embrace Learning, Julie Balen of Write at the Edge, and Cathy Mere of Reflect & Refine. This year all activity is collected on the Picture Book 10 for 10 Community. Previous #pb10for10 Top 10 Picture Books Featuring Diverse Characters (in books that are not just about diversity) #pb10for10 Top 10 Diverse Picture Book Biographies of Artists #nf10for10 Top 10 Must Have Picture Books to Read Aloud #pb10for10 Top 10 Nonfiction Folktales for Reading Aloud #nf10for10 Top 10 Picture Books for Middle School #pb10for10 10 Folks Who Stood Up and Made a Difference 1840s: Sarah Roberts. The First Step: how one girl put segregation on trial (2016) by Susan E. Goodman and illustrated by E.B. Lewis [long listed for the Jane Addams Award]. Sarah was the only African-American girl in her all-white Boston school ... until she was thrown out. She and her parents fought all the way to the Supreme Court, becoming the very first case to challenge the legality of segregated schools (and the first case argued by an African-American lawyer before the Supreme Court). They may have lost the case, but it was the "first step" on the road towards Brown vs. the Board of Education. 1903: Mother Jones. On Our Way to Oyster Bay: Mother Jones and her march for children's rights (2016) by Monica Kulling and illustrated by Felicita Sala. This book focuses on Mother Jones and her children's march - her effort to draw attention to the plight of child laborers at a time when newspapers were in the pockets of the factory owners. Although the march was unsuccessful, in that president Teddy Roosevelt refused to meet with them, it succeeded in its goal of bringing the rights of children into the national dialogue. 1909: Clara Lemlich. Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 (2013) by Michelle Markel and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Clara may have come to the US from Ukraine without a knowledge of English or her rights under the US Constitution, but she proved a quick learner. Not satisfied with the long hours and working conditions, she helped organize the largest walkout of female workers the country had ever seen and paved the way for fairer labor practices. 1939: Marian Anderson. When Marian Sang (2002) by Pam Muñoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick [a Caldecott Honor book]. I knew the story of singer Marian Anderson performing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, but this picture book biography does a great job of setting the context. Plus, those incredible illustrations! 1940s: Vivien Thomas. Tiny Stitches: the life of medical pioneer Vivien Thomas (2016) by Gwendolyn Hooks and illustrated by Colin Boolman. As a research assistant, Vivien Thomas pioneered the procedure for saving the lives of "blue babies" through the first-ever successful open-heart surgery on infants. But due to the racism and discrimination of the time, these findings were published without his name attached, leading to Nobel Prize nominations - for his colleagues. This picture book and a longer academic work are seeking to bring him the credit he deserved. 1947: Sylvia Mendez. Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation (2015) by Duncan Tonatiuh [a Pura Belpré Honor book and a Siebert Honor book]. This is an important book that sheds light on a lesser known side of the Civil Rights Movement: the segregation of children of Mexican and Hispanic descent, especially on the West Coast. I think it is critical for kids today to understand that discrimination is not just a white/black issue and that many groups have been treated differently for many "reasons." The Mendez case led to the desegregation of California and helped pave the way for Brown vs. the Board of Education. 1960: David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, and Ezell Blair Jr. Sit-In: how four friends stood up by sitting down (2010) by Andrea Davis Pickney and illustrated by Brian Pickney. The Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in was one in a long string of important moments in the Civil Rights Movement, and this book is one of my favorites. Told in a rolicking poetry style, the Pickney's infuse the story with a call to action that the reader can't help but hear. 1967: Richard and Mildred Loving. The Case for Loving: the fight for interracial marriage (2015) by Selina Alko and illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko. The story of Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter and their fight for interracial marriage is presented very much from today's point-of-view but also offers children background about how this fight came to be. The author's note draws the natural connection between the history of this fight and the current battle for recognition of same sex marriages and also shares some of the authors' backstory as an interracial couple. (You can read my review of the new documentary novel about the case here.) 1970s: Wangari Maathai (2004 Noble Peace Prize). Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson and illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivola, and Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter. These three biographies focus on the incredible work on Noble Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. I used to prefer sharing Planting the Trees of Kenya with my students because it goes a little more in-depth about her actions and some of the difficulties she faced, but Seeds of Change is my new favorite. They are all great books and emphasize the same lesson that one committed person can make a difference in their environment. 1995: Iqbal, 2012: Malala Yousafzai. Malala: a brave girl from Pakistan and Iqbal: a brave boy from Pakistan (2014) by Jeanette Winter. This book masterfully combines the stories of Malala Yousafzai and Iqbal Masih, by letting you read either story, depending on which cover you choose, and having them both meet up in the middle. This device works especially well to introduce children to Iqbal, a former child laborer, who was killed for speaking out against child slavery and debt bondage. The continuation of Malala's work and mission lend a feeling of hope to his story as well. What will YOU stand for?

19 Diverse Starting School Picture Books. Use this book list to get children ready to start school.

Multicultural Picture Books About Strong Female Role Models: Picture Book Biographies about famous women of African/Asian/Hispanic/Native American heritage.