How can I explain all this to a Little Blue Bunny who only wants to be a Secret Agent of Good? I can't. I can only say what Mr. Rogers quoted his mother as saying. "Look for the Helpers, Little Blue Bunny."
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| Can that Panda be a helper? |
I can also share lists of books on the fight for equal rights, on kindness, and on diversity. Here are those lists.
In December of 2016, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch posted an article titled 1. "New Books for Young Readers Tackle Kindness and Friendship. THIS LIST IS AWESOME. The list is a wild mix of stories, history, slice-of-life, coming-of-age, novels, graphic novels that tackle every aspect of kindness. From something as ordinary as the day to day life of a cowboy, to different species combining resources to survive the wild, to learning how to fit in, every title increases the readers understanding of the complexity of human problems and the simplicity of being kind. LOVE 💖
(Warning: You might have to fill out a short survey to read the entire article. My survey was on what kind of cheese sauce I buy.)
Social Justice Books put together 2. this 2017 summer reading list for readers of all ages. The titles are 2016 and 2017 copyrights. Check out the other booklists on this website. There are dozens of lists.
Brightly offers a list of 3. "Books To Help Kids Understand the Fight for Racial Equality". The list is a good place to start. From picture books, through memoirs the list traces voting rights, the "separate and equal" myth, and biographies of influential rights workers. This list is too short. Add to it, please.
NNSTOY (Nation Network of State Teachers of the Year) produced a lovely illustrated and annotated 4. booklist on Social Justice. The list is 42 pages long and covers racism, sexism, different abilities, gender bias, abuse, slavery, war, apartheid, the Holocaust, religious freedom. Print it out and carry it with you the next you take your children to the library.
Today's Parent (a Canadian parenting magazine) offers 5. 12 Kids' Books That Combat Anti-Semitism. This slide show offers short descriptions of 12 books that explain Jewish holidays, culture and most importantly, history. Books about the Holocaust and more recent acts of anti-semitism (although not all that recent) allow children of all faiths to see models of kindness and character.
The Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin developed this bibliography of children's books on social justice in 2003 and updated it twice, most recently in 2016. 6. 50 Books about Peace and Social Justice.
Back in November, less than a week after my birthday, the day after the 2016 elections (sigh), I put together this little list of booklists about diversity. Diversity and Stuff.
Little Blue Bunny and I will continue to spread joy and kindness where we can. You are loved. Pass it on.
Thank you so much for sharing the NNSTOY Social Justice Booklist! We asked Teachers of the Year from all over the country to tell us what books they use to teach social justice. The Booklist has over 200 titles, by grade level, that are being used by our most recognized teachers. Thank you!
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