Social Justice Books

The best selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, YA, and educators.

Graphic Novels

Teaching for Change carefully selects the best multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators. Learn about our criteria for selecting titles. Feedback on these lists and suggestions for additional titles are welcome. Most of the books on these lists are linked for more information or purchase to Powells, an independent, union labor bookstore. Titles with reviews on this site are noted with an asterisk(*).

Abina and the Important Men
By Trevor R. Getz, Liz Clarke

 

AD New Orleans After The Deluge
By Josh Neufeld

 

American Born Chinese
By Gene Luen Yang

 

The Arrival
By Shaun Tan
Aya
By Marguerite Abouet

 

Aya: Love in Yop City
By Marguerite Abouet, Clement Oubrerie

 

Barefoot Gen 01 New Translation
By Keiji Nakazawa

 

Beats A Graphic History
By Harvey Pekar

 

The Boondocks
By Aaron McGruder

 

Bound by Law?: Tales from the Public Domain
By Keith Aoki, James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins

 

The Breadwinner
By Deborah Ellis, Cartoon Saloon & Melusine Aircraft Pictures
Che: A Graphic Biography
By Spain Rodriguez, Paul Buhle (Editor)

 

Graffiti Coloring Book
By Uzi (Editor)

 

Hey, Kiddo
By Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Holler If You Hear Me, Comic Edition
By Gregory Michie and Ryan Alexander-Tanner

I Am Alfonso Jones*
By Tony Medina
Incognegro
By Mat Johnson

 

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation*
By Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy (Adapted by)

 

King Shaka *
By Luke W. Molver
Macedonia
By Harvey Pekar, Heather Roberson, Ed Piskor (Illustrator)

 

Manuelito
By Elisa Amado
March, Book One
By John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (Artist)

 

Maroon Comix: Origins and Destinies
Edited by Quincy Saul, Songe Riddle (Illustrator), Seth Tobocman (Illustrator), and Mac McGill (Illustrator)

Maus: A Survivor's Tale
By Art Spiegelman

 

Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book
By The Nelson Mandela Foundation, Umlando Wezithombe (Illustrator)

 

Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
By Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy (Adapted by), John Jennings (Illustrator)
A People's History of American Empire: A Graphic Adaptation
By Howard Zinn, Mike Konopacki, Paul Buhle

 

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
By Marjane Satrapi

 

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
By Marjane Satrapi

 

The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocals of the Elders of Zion
By Will Eisner, Umberto Eco (Introduction by)

 

Puerto Rico Strong: A Comics Anthology Supporting Puerto Rico Disaster
By Vita Ayala, Hazel Newlevant (Editor), Desiree Rodriguez (Editor)
Race to Incarcerate: A Graphic Retelling
By Marc Mauer, Sabrina Jones

 

The Real Cost of Prisons Comix
By Kevin Pyle, Craig Gilmore

 

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow*
By James Sturm, Rich Tommaso (Illustrator)

 

Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology
By Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow

 

Speak: The Graphic Novel
By Laurie Halse Anderson, Emily Carroll
Studs Terkel's Working: A Graphic Adaptation
By Harvey Pekar, Paul Butler, Paul Buhle (Editor)

 

They Called Us Enemy
By George Takei and Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott and Harmony Becker

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty*
By Greg Neri, Randy Duburke

Vietnamerica
By G B Tran
Waltz With Bashir A Lebanon War Story
By Ari Folman, Polonsky

This Place: 150 Years Retold
By Alicia Elliott (Foreword by), Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (Contribution by), Sonny Assu (Contribution by)

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