Social Justice Books

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

Grandparents and Elders

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(*).

Abuela's Weave *
By Omar S. Casteneda, Enrique O. Sanchez (Illustrator)
Recommended with caveat. See review: Abuela's Weave Review
Abuelita and I Make Flan
By Adriana Hernández Bergstrom

Abuelita and Me
By Leonarda Carranza and Rafael Mayani (Illustrator)

All Around Us*
By Xelena Gonzalez

All from a Walnut
By Ammi-Joan Paquette and Felicita Sala (Illustrator)
Berry Song
By Michaela Goade

As Brave As You
By Jason Reynolds
Babu's Song
By Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, Aaron Boyd
The Beeman
By Laurie Krebs and Valeria Cis (Illustrator)

Being Mindful Like Grandpa
By Sheri Mabry and Ilaria Urbinati (Illustrator)

Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border *
By Mitali Perkins and Sara Palacios (Illustrator)

Bird
By Zetta Eliot

Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers?
By Junauda Petrus and Kristen Uroda (Illustrator)

Dance Like a Leaf
By AJ Irving and Claudia Navarro (Illustrator)
Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps
By Srividhya Venkat and Kavita Ramchandran (Illustrator)

Darius the Great Is Not Okay*
By Adib Khorram

A Day with Yayah *
By Nicola I. Campbell and Julie Flett (Illustrator)

Demetri Makes a Memory Quilt
By Renee Menart and Candice Bradley (Illustrator)
Don't Call Me Grandma
By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Drawn Together
By Minh Le, Dan Santat

Finding Junie Kim
By Ellen Oh

Finding Om
By Rashmi Bismark and Morgan Huff (Illustrator)
The First Blade of Sweetgrass
By Suzanne Greenlaw, Gabriel Frey, and Nancy Baker (Illustrator)

Freedom Soup
By Tami Charles

A Gift from Abuela
By Cecilia Ruiz

Going Down Home with Daddy
By Kelly Starling Lyons
Grandfather's Journey
By Allen Say

Grandma Comes to Stay
By Ifeoma Onyefulu
Grandma's Gift
By Eric Velasquez

Grandma's Purple Flowers
By Adjoa J. Burrowes

Grandma's Records
By Eric Velasquez
Grandmama's Pride
By Becky Birtha and Colin Bootman (Illustrator)

Grandmother's Visit
By Betty Quan

Grandpa Across the Ocean
By Hyewon Yum
Grandpa
By Debbie Bailey, Susan Huszar (Photographer)

Grandad's Camper
By Harry Woodgate
Grandpa's Corner Store
By DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan

Hundred Years of Happiness
By Thanhhà Lai and Nguyen Quang (Illustrator)  Kim Lien (Illustrator)

Jayden's Impossible Garden
By Mélina Mangal and Ken Daley (Illustrator)

I Dream of Popo
By Livia Blackburne and Julia Kuo (Illustrator)

I'll Go and Come Back
By Rajani Larocca and Sara Palacios (Illustrator)
Indian Shoes
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Jim Madsen (Illustrator)

Johnny's Pheasant*
By Cheryl Minnema

Just Like Grandma
By Kim Rogers and Julie Flett (Illustrator)

The Katha Chest
By Radhiah Chowdhury and Lavanya Naidu (Illustrator)
Kiyoshi’s Walk *
By Mark Karlins and Nicole Wong (Illustrator)

Economic ClassLast Stop on Market Street*
By Matt De La Pena, Christian Robinson (Illustrator)

 

Mango, Abuela, and Me
By Meg Medina

Mariana and Her Familia
By Mónica Mancillas and Erika Meza (Illustrator)

Miss Tizzy
By Libba Moore Gray, Jada Rowland (Illustrator)

A Morning with Grandpa*
By Sylvia Liu, Christina Forshay (Illustrator)
My Abuelita
By Tony Johnston, Yuyi Morales (Illustrator)

My Dadima Wears A Sari
By Kashmira Sheth

My Grandma and Me *
By Mina Javaherbin

My Grandma's Photos
By Özge Bahar Sunar, Senta Urgan (Illustrator), and Amy Marie Spangler (Translator)
My Hands Tell a Story
By Kelly Starling Lyons and Tonya Engel (Illustrator)

Mystery Bottle
By Kristen Balouch

nipêhon / I Wait

nipehon / I Wait*
By Caitlin Nicholson, Leona Morin-Nelson (Translator)
No Mirrors in My Nana's House [With CD]
By Ysaye M. Barnwell, Synthia Saint James (Illustrator)
Nothing Special
By Desiree Cooper and Bec Sloane (Illustrator)

Octopus Stew
By Eric Velasquez

Ojiichan's Gift
By Chieri Uegaki, Genevieve Simms (Illustrator)

The One Day House
By Julia Durango and Bianca Diaz (Illustrator)
Also available in Spanish: La Casa de Algún Día

Our Favorite Day
By Joowon Oh
Our Granny
By Margaret Wild, Julie Vivas (Illustrator)

Playing Loteria /El Juego de La Loteria (Bilingual)
By Rene Colato Lainez, Jill Arena (Illustrator)
Punky Aloha
Written and illustrated by Shar Tuiasoa
Singin' with Momma Lou
By Linda Jacobs Altman, Larry Johnson

Singing with Elephants
By Margarita Engle

Sofia Valdez Future Prez
By Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

A Song of Frutas
By Margarita Engle and Sara Palacios (Illustrator)
Soul Food Sunday
By Winsome Bingham and C. G. Esperanza (Illustrator)

Swashby and the Sea *
By Beth Ferry and Juana Martinez-Neal (Illustrator)
Tea Cakes for Tosh*
By Kelly Starling Lyons

 

Ten Beautiful Things
By Molly Griffin and Maribel Lechuga (Illustrator)

Ten Ways to Hear Snow
By Cathy Camper and  Kenard Pak (Illustrator)
Spanish edition available: Diez maneras de escuchar la nieve

 

Grandparents and Elders

These Hands
By Margaret H. Mason, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

Time for Bed, Old House
By Janet Costa Bates and A. G. Ford (Illustrator)

Tofu Takes Time
By Helen H. Wu and Julie Jarema (Illustrator)

The Turtle of Oman
By Naomi Shihab Nye
Violet the Snowgirl: A Story of Loss and Healing
By Lisa L. Walsh and Wendy Leach (Illustrator)
We Dream Medicine Dreams
By Lisa Boivin
When Lola Visits
By Michelle Sterling and Aaron Asis (Illustrator)

Where Three Oceans Meet *
By Rajani Larocca and Archana Sreenivasan (Illustrator)
Where Wonder Grows
By Xelena Gonzalez
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
By Mem Fox, Julie Vivas (Illustrator)

The Year We Learned to Fly *
By Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López (Illustrator)

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