Primary Books

 

 

 

Berenstain Bears and Too Much Teasing

Author: Stan and Jan Berenstain

This book has great examples of teasing and how children can deal with it.

 

 

One Green Apple

Author: Eve Bunting

The book follows the exeprience of an immigrant Muslim girl who doesn’t speak English, on her second day of school in a new country.

 

The Other Side

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

This book deals with the issues of race and discrimination.

 

The Librarian of Basra

Author: Jeanette Winter

Based on the true story of a woman in Iraq who risks her life and defies the government to save thousands of books. 

 

Skin Again

by bell hooks

This book offers new ways to talk about race and identity.

The Name Jar

by Yangsook Choi

The Name Jar explores how a new student feels nervous and timid on their first day of school.  Unhei, the main character, moves with her family from Korea to America and, afraid that she will not fit in, decides to change her name.  This book touches on the integration of cultures and self-love.

 

It's Okay to Be Different 

by Todd Parr

This book celebrates our differences, and that it's okay to be different. It's illustrated in a way that is colourful and unique and does not depict any cultural group. Although it is posted in the primary section it would be suitable for all grades.

 

 

by Michael Foreman

Illustrated by Michael Foreman

This book relates a variety of social issues such as war, the importance of sharing, and the effects of a bad diet. 

 

There for You

By Annette Aubrey

This book deals with a young boy going through his parents divorce.  It talks about children not blaming themselves and how a child can still be happy in a family of divorce and that the parents still love that child just as much.

 

My Travelin' Eye

By Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

This is a great book that deals with the issue of a child having to overcome living with a  difference(lazy eye) and dealing with bullying because of this difference.  The chid is able to look at the brighter side and turn an uncomfortable situation into something positive.  Although this is a picture book and is more focused on the primary grades, it would work well in the junior grades as well.

 

One Green Apple

By Eve Bunting

Illustrated by Ted Lewin

 

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type

 By Doreen Cronin

Deals with issues about standing up for something that you believe in, and deals with forms of communication and how you can get your message across

 

The Sneetches

By Dr. Seuss

Deals with discrimination, exclusion and differences

 

Monkey Business

By Wallace Edwards

This is a beautiful picture book. Monkeys are hidden in the drawings on every page.  Introduces idioms. (bull in a china shop, can of worms, etc.)

 

 Am I a Color Too?

By Heidi Cole and Nancy Vogl

Beautifully illustrated picture book.  Great for cultural diversity.

 

Amazing Grace

By Mary Hoffman

Primary picture book grade 3,

Deals with gender and skin colour prejudices 

 

The Remarkable Maria

By Patti McIntosh

Illustrated by Tara Langlois

This book deals with the topis of HIV/AIDS and discrimination. The illustrations include drawings done by children. 

 

The Tunnel

By: Anthony Browne

This is a great suspense picture book which many young children can relate to, as it targets the issue of sibling rivalry. The concept can also be explored at the marco level when discussing the issue of countries at war. It extends the message of "family love" and can help children to see the world through a different view.

 

Lily and the Paper ManRebecca Upjohn 

By:

This book is a primary picture book. 

It is an excellent resource for teachers when teaching students about homelessness in critical literacy.

 

The Hard-times Jar

By: Ethel Footman Smothers

This is a beautiful story about a little girl named Emma who is living in poverty. She loved to read and wanted to buy her own book, but she could not afford it. Its a great book to teach students about the issue of poverty.  

 

Somewhere Today: A Book About Peace

By: Shelley Moore Thomas

This book describes the many ways that children are able to make a difference not only in their lives but also in the lives of others.

 

 

And Tango makes three

By: Richard, J., & Parnell, P.

This book is about different types of families and homosexuality

 

The Black Snowman

Written By: Phil Mendez

This book addresses issues of poverty and race.

 

My Secert Bully

Author: Trudy Ludwig

This is a book that discusses relational agression. The book is targeted for children aged 5 - 11 years old.

 

Under the Quilt of the Night

by Deborah Hopkinson

This is a ficticious book about the underground railroad. It is appropriate for grade 3 and 4.

 

My Family's Changing

Author:  Pat Thomas

This is a good book that takes a look at divorce.  It shows how divorce may change a family and lets children know that they can talk to someone about it.  It would be appropriate to use this book with students in the primary grades.

 

 Remarkable Maria

Author: Patti McIntosh

This is an awesome book teaching students about HIV/AIDS.

 

The Berenstain Bears and The Bully

 

 Great book on bullying

 

 

Junior Books

 

Riding the Tiger

Author: Eve Bunting

This book deals with social justice issues related to peer pressure and growing up. This book specifically is related to gangs and drugs, but there is many different ways that you could read and interpreted.

 

Just Juice

By Karen Hesse (Newbury Medalist)

Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker

Just Juice is a wonderful junior novel that incorporates many social justice issues such as poverty and struggles with illiteracy.

This novel is appropriate for grades 4-6.

 

‘Fly Away Home’

By Eve Bunting

Illustrations by Ronald Himler

The story is a junior picture book that deals with social justice topics surrounding homelessness, poverty, and living within a single parent family

 

Exploring Tough Issues: Why are people prejudiced?

By: Cath Senker

Juvenile Literature relevant to social justice and inequity

 

Rules

by Cynthia Lord

(A Scholastic book, Newbury Honor Award)

 

This book deals with a young girl, Catherine, having difficulty fitting in with classmates or making new friends because of her autistic brother.    She compiles a list of rules for her brother to follow in order to decrease public embarrassment for her.

 

 December

By Eve Bunting

 

The Island

By: Armin Greder

 

The Maestro

by Tim Wynne Jones

Junior novel suitable for grade 5-6

Deals with the issue of child/adolescent abuse

 

Hiding Edith

Junior Novel, grades 4-6

By Kathy Kacer

Second Story Press: This is a book in the Holocaust Remembrance Series.  It tells the story of Edith Schwalb, a young Jewish girl, and her story of survival during World War II. An entire town works together to hide Edith and other Jewish children.

 

So Far From the Sea

by Eve Bunting

A beautifully illustrated piece of historical fiction designed for children. It tells a striking story of a family visit to the Manzanar National Historic Site (a former War Relocation Centre). During this visit, the

children learn the harsh realities of war and the everlasting impact of Japanese Internment as the family visits the grave of the grandfather they never knew. “So Far From the Sea” tells not only the story of the family’s visit, but tells of the memories it stirs. Vivid watercolour paintings represent scenes from the present and alternate with black and white drawings of scenes from the past. The text and illustration combine to create a mood reflective of the topic.

 

 

 

It could be used as a compliment to history and social studies curriculum.

 

War and Peas

 

Harriet`s Daughter by M. NourbeSe Philip

"How does a young black teenager manage to take control of her life? Like heroine Harriet Tubman, Margaret, the spunky young woman of Harriet's Daughter takes control with imagination, determination and a lot of help from older women in her community"

 

Novel (grade 5 and up) about race, identity, african american culture, materialism, culture, male and female relationships (hierarchy btw husband/wife and the "place" and "role" of women in society).

 

 

Mrs. Katz and Tuss

Written and Illustrated by Patricia Polacco

Deals with discrimination and differences

 

How I Learned Geography

Written and Illustrated by Uri Shulevtz

 

It is an autobiographical story.  Mr. Shulevitz describes a difficult time in his life, when he was a child of 7 or 8 years old, and had to flee his home in Poland to settle in desperate poverty in another country.  The story celebrates the power of imagination in prevailing over lamentable circumstances, and is in a growing genre of memoirs being created as picture books.

 

Use this book to introduce the Language Arts strand ‘Writing’. Students work towards publishing their own memoir.It can be used to introduce geography and an exploration of the many places Uri may have gone to in his imagination, as well as the actual countries he had lived in.  It can be used to introduce history and the world wars.  It can be used to introduce current events in the world that compare to the story.  Because of the rich illustrations, it can be used in art classes and across grade levels as it is a visually appealing book

 

 

What I Like About Me!

Written by Allia Zoble-Nolan, Illustrated by Miki Sakamoto.

Great book to introduce the concept of differences and/or diversity in the classroom.

Jim

 

The Important Book

Written by: Margaret Wise Brown

Great book for any grade. Could be used regarding patterning, nature, weather, etc. I used it in Kindergarten and I was able to ask more challenging and thinking questions, as well, I used it to introduce patterning. :) 

- Alexandra Brown  

 

Author:Jan and Stan Berenstain

 The Giving Tree

Author:  Shel Silverstein

This book is a good example of the selfless gift of giving and gets students to think about people in their lives that are always giving to us.  Students also learn an appreciation for our natural resources and the importance of nature in our everyday lives.