Books for a Culturally Relevant Classroom

A rhythmic, whimsically illustrated celebration of Black and brown babies and the joy, tender moments, and boundless love shared between children and their caregivers, from New York Times best-selling and award-winning duo Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney.

With charming illustrations and a sweet, bouncy text that begs to be read aloud, this padded board book is a joyous reminder to little ones to love their whole selves, just as they are. 

This simple counting book brings together—one by one—a remarkably diverse and wonderfully colorful crowd. 

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, from powerhouse rising star author Tami Charles and esteemed, award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier.

For most children these days it would come as a great shock to know that before 1967, they could not marry a person of a race different from their own. That was the year that the Supreme Court issued its decision in Loving v. Virginia.

This book is a beautiful celebration of our humanity and diversity invites readers of all ages to imagine a world where there is no you or me, only we. 

An incredible memoir from Sharon Robinson about one of the most important years of the civil rights movement.

Lety Munoz sometimes has trouble speaking her mind. Her first language is Spanish and she likes to take her time putting her words together. Lety loves volunteering at the Furry Friends Animal Shelter because the dogs and cats there don't care if she can't find the right word.

A stunning reflection in prose and pictures of the last months of Dr. King and how in death he remains a constant source of inspiration.

Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common, but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.

Alex Gino, the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of George, is back with another sensitive tale based on increasingly relevant social justice issues.

This is the story of a pivotal event in history as Ruby Bridges saw it unfold around her. Ruby's poignant words, quotations from writers and from other adults who observed her, and dramatic photographs recreate an amazing story of innocence, courage, and forgiveness. Ruby Bridges' story is an inspiration to us all.

Dr. Julia López-Robertson makes a case for infusing our classrooms with literature by a range of Latinx authors and illustrators- voices that reflect our students' experiences and provide a window into the cultures of people from Spanish-speaking countries and communities.

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad presents a four-layered equity framework-one that is grounded in history and restores excellence in literacy education. 

Dr. Vu presents the research-informed six conditions of culture-Commitment, Collection, Clock, Conversation, Connection, and Celebration-that create a school environment where immigrant and refugee students can thrive. 

When educators place love at the center of their work, they change lives—and that is precisely what the authors of this remarkable book aim to do.