Social Justice Books

Critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

Selecting, Rating, and Reviewing Titles for Social Justice Books

A frequently asked question is, “How do we select titles for the book lists at Social Justice Books and assess books in our reviews?” There is no one single article nor checklist that any of us can rely on. The Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books is a good start. However, there are many more articles about bias […]

Council on Interracial Books for Children (CIBC)

Social Justice Books draws inspiration from the work of the Council on Interracial Books for Children (CIBC) formed in 1965 with the objective “to promote a literature for children that better reflects the realities of a multicultural society.” The impetus to create the council came from Mississippi Freedom School teachers concerned by the racist portrayal […]

Developing Critical Literacy

We share here articles and ideas that parents and teachers can use to help children develop critical literacy skills that will help them as citizens and consumers for years to come. Critique the Scholastic Catalog #StepUpScholastic is a campaign for teachers, parents, and students to tell Scholastic to publish and distribute children’s books that reflect and affirm the […]

Creating an Anti-Bias Library

In addition to selecting books that reflect the criteria of the Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books, consider the balance of books in your library or classroom as a whole. All books should portray people who are real and distinctive without stereotyping or tokenism. Find books that represent groups who are often invisible. Look for […]

Countering Arab Stereotypes

Young children are very aware of the prejudiced attitudes of the adults in their family and community life.  They also are much more aware of widespread stereotypes than adults often realize. Be aware of prevailing stereotypes that young children tend to believe, such as the following: 1. All Arabs have the same culture. This misguided […]

Resources for Putting Our Visions into Practice

Adult Learning Alvarado, C., L. Burley, L. Derman-Sparks, L.I. Jiménez, J. Labyzon, P. Ramsey, et al. 1999. In Our Own Way: How Anti-bias Work Shapes Our Lives. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Cronin, S., Derman-Sparks, L., Henry, S., Olatunji, C., & York, S. (1998). Future Vision, Present Work: Learning from the Culturally Relevant Anti-Bias Leadership […]