Fight AIDS!: How Activism, Art, and Protest Changed the Course of a Deadly Epidemic and Reshaped a Nation
AUTHOR: Michael G. Long
PUBLISHER: Norton Young Readers (Jun.)
ISBN: 9781324053538
AGES: Michael G. Long
From the Stonewall Riots to the LGBTQ+ protests of the 1980s and 90s, this humane narrative traces the AIDS epidemic through the eyes of the people most affected and those who fought for justice.
Prisons Must Fall
AUTHOR: Mariame Kaba and Jane Ball
ILLUSTRATOR: Olly Costello
PUBLISHER: Haymarket Books (Apr.)
ISBN: 9798888904411
AGES: 5– 9
From Mariame Kaba, New York Times-bestselling author of We Do This ‘Til We Free Us, and social worker Jane Ball comes a powerful book showing the harm that prisons cause and exploring alternatives, gorgeously illustrated by Olly Costello.
Rainbow Cookies
AUTHOR: Lesléa Newman
ILLUSTRATOR: Z.B. Asterplume
PUBLISHER: Levine Querido (2026)
ISBN: 9781646146314
AGES: 5– 9
When her special Pride cookie creates controversy, bakery owner Ms. Madeleine fears her business is doomed. But her best customer, a girl named Cookie, rallies the community to show that love and cookies can overcome hate.
Rising from the Ashes
AUTHOR: Paula Yoo
PUBLISHER: Norton Young Readers (2024)
ISBN: 9781324030904
AGES: 12 and up
Learn what happened before, during, and after the 1992 Los Angeles uprising that resulted from the "not guilty" verdicts delivered in the trial of police officers charged in the beating of Rodney King.
Snake in the Grass
AUTHOR: Kitty Felde
PUBLISHER: Chesapeake Press (Apr.)
ISBN: 9798989493432
AGES: 8– 12
Partisanship is so bad in Washington, someone's dumping snakes in trash cans of lawmakers who cross the aisle. Can Fina Mendoza, the savvy daughter of a congressman, find the real snake in the grass?
A Kids Book About Gender
AUTHOR: Dale Mueller
PUBLISHER: DK (2023)
ISBN: 9780744085792
AGES: 5– 9
Gender can be difficult to define, but it's something that's a part of all of us and who we are. This book helps to start those discussions with kids and form understandings about identity.
Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel
AUTHOR: Jewell Parker Rhodes
ILLUSTRATOR: Setor Fiadzigbey
PUBLISHER: LB Ink/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Dec.)
ISBN: 9780316279673
AGES: 8– 12
Experience Jewell Parker Rhodes’s award-winning storytelling in this tender yet visceral graphic novel adaptation of her New York Times bestselling novel, with poignant illustrations by Setor Fiadzigbey.
2024 Listings
A Kids Book About Racism
AUTHOR: Jelani Memory
ILLUSTRATOR: Setor Fiadzigbey
PUBLISHER: DK (2023)
ISBN: 9780744085679
AGES: 5– 9
It’s never too early to start talking about racism. Inside this book, you’ll find a clear description of what racism is, how it makes people feel when they experience it, and how to spot it when it happens.
A Kids Book About Voting
Next Up; Foreword by Jamia Wilson. DK, Oct. ISBN 9780593957172
Ideal for parents and educators wishing to explain voting and elections, this book introduces children to the democratic process in the West and empowers them to use their voices for change. Ages 5-9
Losing Is Democratic: How to Talk to Kids About January 6th
Kitty Felde. Chesapeake Press, July. ISBN 9798989493449
A Latina protagonist of spunk and smarts worries about her congressman father on January 6, 2021. Her DC teacher calms student fears and, the next day, turns the event into a teaching opportunity. Ages 8-12
Momma's Going to March
Jennifer Maruno. Vivian Rosas, illustrator. Groundwood Books, Aug. ISBN 9781773065519
Momma’s Going to March follows several children as they accompany their mothers to different peaceful protest marches, where they advocate for the environment, freedom, equality, and peace. Ages 3-8
Talking to Children About Race
Loretta Andrews and Ruth Hill. SPCK, Apr. ISBN 9780281086825
The authors provide a history of race and explore white privilege, unconscious bias, and systematic racism, sharing how to empower and raise anti-racist children today. Ages 12 and up
Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide
Jayme Peta, Deb Coolhart, and Rylan Jay Testa. New Harbinger Publications, May 2025. ISBN 9781648484193
This evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed guide teaches teens skills to stay emotionally healthy and positively connect in a world that is increasingly hostile toward them. Ages 12 and up
Two Pieces of Chocolate
Kathy Kacer. Gabrielle Grimard, illustrator. Second Story Press, Apr. ISBN 9781772603682
Inspired by a remarkable true story. Francine, a Jewish girl, survives in the Bergen-Belsen Nazi concentration camp with her maman. When Francine meets a pregnant prisoner, she tries to give her hope. Ages 8-12
Understanding Politics and Government
Rosie Hore, Alex Frith, Louie Stowell. Kellan Stover, illustrator. Usborne, May. ISBN 9781805074779
An informative guide to political systems, elections, voting, and government, as well as issues ranging from feminism and human rights to freedom of speech and fake news. Ages 12 and up
This article was first published on October 18, 2024, and updated on October 17, 2025 to include new listings.
