Social Justice Books

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

Puerto Rico

Elementary | Middle School | Young Adult | Adult Fiction | Adult Nonfiction | Educators

In addition to the books below, read Puerto Rican Children’s Literature for Social Justice: A Bibliography for Educators by Marilisa Jimenez and follow #prsyllabus. To provide direct support to people in Puerto Rico, this article in The Nation provides good recommendations: “Puerto Rico Still Needs Our Help. Here’s What You Can Do“.

We also have a list of films and organizations key to teaching and learning about Puerto Rico.

See more recommended titles here: Latinx and Latin America, Afro-Latinx, Spanish/Bilingual.

Titles with reviews on this site are noted with an asterisk(*).

Elementary

Alicia and the Hurricane / Alicia y el huracán: A Story of Puerto Rico / Un cuento de Puerto Rico *
By Leslea Newman, Elizabeth Erazo Baez (Illustrator), and Georgina Lazaro (Translator)

Beauty Woke
By Nonieqa Ramos and Paola Escobar (Illustrator)

Clemente!
By Willie Perdomo, Bryan Collier (Illustrator)

Coquí in the City
By Nomar Perez

The Coquíes Still Sing: A Story of Home, Hope, and Rebuilding *
By  Karina Nicole González and Krystal Quiles (Illustrator)

Grandma's Gift
By Eric Velasquez

Grandma's Records
By Eric Velasquez

Hooray, It's Three Kings Day! A Picture Book for Epiphany
By Annette M. Clayton and Jone Leal (Illustrator)
Spanish: ¡Genial, Llegó El Día de Reyes!

Mother of Sharks
By Melissa Cristina Márquez and Devin Elle Kurtz (Illustrator)

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré *
By Anika Aldamuy Denise and  Paola Escobar (Illustrator)

Por ahí viene el huracán*
By Laura Rexach Olivencia

Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library
By Carole Boston Weatherford

She Persisted: Pura Belpré
By Meg Medina with Marilisa Jiménez García

Middle School

Call Me Maria
By Judith Ortiz Cofer

Felita
By Nicholasa Mohr

Going Home
By Nicholasa Mohr

In Nueva York
By Nicholasa Mohr

In The Shade Of The Nispero Tree
By Carmen T Bernier Grand

Show and Prove
By Sofia Quintero

Sonia Sotomayor: Supreme Court Justice
By Bernier-Grand, Carmen T.

Young Adult

Caribbean Connections: Puerto Rico
Edited by Naomi Ayala, Rashida Welbeck and Lynora Williams

Down These Mean Streets
By Piri Thomas

El Bronx Remembered
By Nicholasa Mohr
Juliet Takes a Breath *
By Gabby Rivera

Nilda
By Nicholasa Mohr

Puerto Rico Mio
By Arturo Carrion

Puerto Rico Strong: A Comics Anthology Supporting Puerto Rico Disaster
By Vita Ayala, Hazel Newlevant (Editor), Desiree Rodriguez (Editor)

Revolution of Evelyn Serrano
By Sonia Manzano

The Season of Rebels and Roses
By Virginia Sanchez-Korrol

Shadowshaper *
By Daniel Jose Older

When We Make It: A Nuyorican Novel
By Elisabet Velasquez

Adult Fiction

The Line of The Sun
By Judith Ortiz Cofer

Adult Nonfiction

Aftershocks of Disaster
By Yarimar Bonilla, Marisol LeBron

Arrancando mitos de raíz
By Isar Godreau, Mariluz Franco, Hilda Lloréns, María Reinat, and Canabal y Jéssica Gaspar

Educators

Caribbean Connections: Moving North
By Keith Warner, Catherine Sunshine

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 Bookshop.org (an indie bookstore platform) or Powells.com, (an independent, union labor bookstore).

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