Educate Your Kids About Social Justice With These Books
As parents, the list of things we want to teach and instill in our children is endless. We want them to grow up to be people who brush their teeth twice a day and use dental floss . We want them to clean up after themselves and try their best at school (without being too hard on themselves). We want them to surround themselves with people of high character and replace the roll when the toilet paper runs out.
Oh, and we want them to be good people. This means teaching tolerance and inclusion. This means teaching them sexism, racism, homophobia and all the bad things in the world so that they choose the good. How could we do all this?
It’s not easy, but you can start with books. And luckily, the Anti-Defamation League is here to help .
The ADL has compiled a list of over 750 books on a wide range of social justice issues, including eilism, bullying, LGBTQ issues, anti-Semitism, race and religion. On its website, the organization states:
Books can make a lasting impression. They have the ability to evoke empathy, enhance children’s self-esteem, teach others, move to new places, and inspire action for social justice.
Here are a few highlights:
Abilities, disabilities and avism
Benny doesn’t like being hugged (4-8 years old). “A little girl uses rhyming poetry to describe the unique traits of her autistic friend.”
Prejudice, Discrimination and Hatred
We are like clouds / Somos Como las Nubes (7-12 years). “Why do young people leave their country to travel to the United States in search of a new safe home? More than 100,000 of these children left Central America. This bilingual (English and Spanish) collection of poetry helps us understand why and how it feels to be one. “
Bullying Awareness and Prevention
Yaki Delgado wants to kick your ass (14-17 years old). “One morning in front of school, a girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaki Delgado hates her. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaki is, let alone what she did to anger her.
Gender and sexism
Sparkle Boy (4-8 years old). “Casey loves to play with his bricks, puzzles and dump truck, and he also loves things that sparkle, shimmer and shine. When his older sister Jessie shows off her new shiny skirt, Casey wants to wear a shiny skirt too. “
Genocide and Holocaust
Refugee (9-12 years old). “Josef is a Jewish boy living in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Faced with the imminent threat of concentration camps, he and his family board a ship sailing to the other side of the world. Isabelle is a Cuban girl in 1994. Because of the unrest and unrest that gripped her country, she and her family went on a raft in hopes of finding safety in America. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. When his homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family embark on a long journey to Europe. “