Grades
PreK - 12
12 Books on Diversity to Get the Conversation Flowing
Author Tami Charles recommends the best books for teachers to ignite a conversation about diversity and spark healthy student dialogue on race, equality, and inclusion.
It’s been a rough year for everyone, especially children. In March, the coronavirus pandemic spontaneously closed schools across the United States, giving children limited access to their teachers, friends, and daily life as they knew it. Suddenly, schools transitioned to a virtual learning experience filled with Zoom meetings, parent-lead instruction, or sadly, in some cases, the lack thereof.
The pandemic revealed challenges in American society across many sectors: employment, housing, health care, and law enforcement. The highly publicized cases of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd underscored generations of inequities rooted in racism. In turn, this has produced a reckoning of sorts, met with both peaceful protests and civil unrest across the globe.
This, all under the watchful and curious eyes of children.
As we approach the 2020-2021 school year, it is unclear how our nation will proceed in opening schools. Will classes be in-person, under strict social distance guidelines? Will we continue virtual learning indefinitely? Or perhaps a hybrid of both options?
No matter how schools will be conducted in the fall, students will certainly have questions about the issues that continue to plague our country. As teachers, we know the weight of our words when it comes to our students. How can we best help our students navigate these tough talks?
I reached out to a few trusted colleagues to gain their perspective:
“I think most educators will be proactive because we realize that kids have been exposed to many challenging topics recently. A book I plan to read aloud is Ron’s Big Mission. It handles the ideas of institutional racism and protest in a way kids can easily understand. It’s a great segue for us to discuss representation in the library collection.”
Julie Testa, Librarian, Vineland, NJ Public Schools
“As an early childhood educator, I will continue to create a safe space where all topics can be discussed with a focus on respect, reflection, and new learning.”
Jennifer Rinaldi, Kindergarten teacher, Stamford, CT Public Schools
“Without offering my personal opinion, I will make it a teachable moment, using books and resources to have students develop their own argument as it relates to hot topics around COVID19. I want my students to feel that they have an opinion and a voice, yet I’ll try to communicate those ideas in thoughtful, respectful ways.”
April Page-Coggins, 7th Grade ELA teacher, The School District of Palm Beach County, FL
As a former educator who spent fourteen years in the classroom, I wholeheartedly agree with my colleagues. Children will need something to make sense of all of this. And what better way to initiate tough conversations than with books? My recommendations below amplify a wide range of stories that spark healthy dialogue, joy, and a call to action.
Picture Books
A lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to black and brown children everywhere: reminding them how much they matter, that they have always mattered, and they always will.
Say hello to heroes! This book introduces preschoolers to 50 men and women of color who have changed the world! A perfect book for tomorrow's leaders, Little Heroes of Color educates and inspires by showing readers 50 trailblazers from a range of races and ethnicities.
Follow along with two young girls as they find themselves in the middle of a civil rights demonstration and find out how the fight for equality changed the country forever.
Fifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed.
Middle Grade
This is the amazing true story of four African-American female mathematicians at NASA who helped achieve some of the greatest moments in our space program.
In January of 1963, Sharon Robinson turned 13 at the start of one of the most pivotal years in the history of America. This memoir follows Sharon, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, as she goes through that incredible year of her life.
In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy's grief takes him beyond the bayous of his backyard, to learn that there is no right way to be yourself.
Marley Dias, the powerhouse girl-wonder who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign, speaks to kids about her passion for making our world a better place, and how to make their dreams come true!
Young Adult
Profiles the late African American leader, providing a startling picture of the life of the controversial and important historical figure.
This anthology features fictional stories—in poems, prose, and art—that reflect a slice of the varied and limitless ways that readers like you resist every day.
Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay -- Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.
About the Author:
Tami Charles is a former teacher and full-time author of multiple books including the forthcoming picture books All Because You Matter and the YA novel Muted. Tami’s mission is to introduce students to all types of literature, but especially diverse books. This mission has reignited her passion for writing.
Check out this guide to using All Because You Matter at home and in the classroom.
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