Kids Book Index

NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2024

The 2024 edition contains 107 selections published by the National Council for the Social Studies. The source uses 7 audience or subject sections, including Kindergarten to Second Grade, Kindergarten to Fifth Grade, Third to Fifth Grade, and Third to Eighth Grade. It is one annual edition of the NCSS bibliography for social studies teaching and learning.

2024 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young PeopleSee the original list
About this book list
Selections107
Published byNational Council for the Social Studies
Sections7 sections
Browse sections7 sections

Kindergarten to Second Grade

32 selections

Cover of All Aboard the SchooltrainAll Aboard the SchooltrainGlenda Armand, illustrated by Keisha MorrisA young girl longs to ride a real train, but each morning she and her friends form a single-file “schooltrain” on their walk to school. Their chant marks the route to a school day that opens into adventures through the teacher’s books and the girl’s imagination. Her town changes during the Great Migration, while she confronts Jim Crow. The narrative draws inspiration from the author’s own family story.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 530LATOS Book Level 3.5View book details
Cover of All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown JacksonAll Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown JacksonCarole Boston WeatherfordThis biography follows Ketanji Brown Jackson from a childhood shaped by study and academic success to graduation from Harvard Law School. In 2016, while serving as a federal judge, she became the subject of a letter from her daughter Leila to President Barack Obama advocating for her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on that court.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of AncestoryAncestoryHannah SalyerThis illustrated nonfiction book explores ancient rock art found in places around the world, from North American deserts to caves in Papua New Guinea. It looks at paintings, drawings, and etchings made with materials such as charcoal and crushed clay, considering how people recorded stories across generations. Hannah Salyer’s art uses colored pencil, charcoal, and pigment. Back matter includes a site map, glossary, and timeline.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of CantoraCantoraMelisa Fernández NitscheThis picture-book biography tells the story of Latin American singer Mercedes Sosa. It follows her emergence as a voice associated with a people, tracing a journey from exile to triumph. Her singing becomes connected with freedom and justice as it rises against oppression. Told with a graphic visual style and musical language, the book presents Sosa’s life and voice as an expression of Latin American cultural and political experience.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure AD700LATOS Book Level 4.5View book details
Cover of The Carpet: An Afghan Family StoryThe Carpet: An Afghan Family StoryDezh Azaad, illustrated by Nan CaoThis story follows an Afghan refugee child through a day shaped by love, family, and a treasured carpet. The carpet links the child and family to their home, carrying a connection across displacement. Everyday moments, including sharing tea and talking together, unfold around this meaningful object. The book centers a family’s refugee experience and the ways home, memory, and affection remain present in their lives.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of ContendersContendersTraci SorellThis true story follows John Meyers and Charles Bender, two Native professional baseball players. In 1911, they became the first Native players to meet one another in a World Series. Their paths unfold amid media-created rivalry, racism, and a struggle for Native representation in sports. The book focuses on their historic matchup and the injustice they faced while pursuing baseball at the professional level.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 1040LATOS Book Level 5.7View book details
Cover of Dear YesteryearDear YesteryearKimberly Annece HendersonThis poetic tribute connects Black history with the present through archival photographs and handlettering. Its images portray everyday African Americans from the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Black-and-white and sepia photographs are arranged in the manner of a family album, creating a record of Black American lives across generations. The book brings together historical portraiture, family-photo-album presentation, and a message addressed from the past to the present.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of A Hero Like MeA Hero Like MeJen Reid, Angela Joy, illustrated by Leire SalaberriaThis picture book draws on the June 7, 2020, toppling of a statue of Edward Colston in Bristol, England. Colston was a seventeenth-century slave trader, and protesters pulled the statue down and threw it into Bristol Harbour during an anti-racism demonstration. The book also addresses the statue’s replacement, framing the real-life event through questions of who is honored as a hero and how communities respond to racist history.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of I'm an AmericanI'm an AmericanDarshana Khiani, illustrated by Laura FreemanA classroom of children from varied races, cultures, and backgrounds considers what being American means. Each child shares part of a family history and explains how that past shapes a personal experience of America. Their accounts include newly arrived immigrants, families that came to the country generations earlier, and other circumstances. Together, the children’s histories show a range of cultures and values within the nation’s identity.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of Jovita Wore PantsJovita Wore PantsAida SalazarSet in Mexico during the Cristero War, this true story follows Jovita Valdovinos. While her father and brother fight, Jovita feels powerless at home. She disguises herself as a man so she can fight for her rights, becoming a revolutionary. The account traces her path from being unable to participate to becoming known for her role in the conflict and finally being able to wear pants.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 800LATOS Book Level 5.1View book details
Cover of Kati's Tiny MessengersKati's Tiny MessengersMegan HoytKati’s Tiny Messengers tells the story of Katalin Karikó, a scientist whose determination guided her work with messenger RNA. Her research aimed to disrupt the spread of viruses and later contributed to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The book follows this long-running scientific effort, linking Karikó’s persistence to mRNA’s role in responding to the pandemic. Mixed-media digital illustrations accompany the account, which also includes extensive back matter.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of The Light She Feels InsideThe Light She Feels InsideGwendolyn Wallace, illustrated by Olivia DuchessMaya experiences a warm glow while picking strawberries in a community garden, listening to neighborhood music, and spending time with people she loves. Other moments bring a different feeling: she is pushed on the playground, hears worries about bills, and sees a cousin stopped by police. As these feelings grow difficult to carry, Maya learns to honor them, drawing on the example of Black women throughout history.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure AD860LATOS Book Level 5.5View book details
Cover of The Secret PocketThe Secret PocketPeggy Janicki, illustrated by Carrielynn VictorMary, a young Dakelh girl in western Canada, is taken from her home to the church-run Lejac Indian Residential School. Looking back as an older woman, she recalls hunger, cold, sadness, and separation from family, alongside humor, friendship, and ingenuity. Mary and her friends sew hidden pockets inside their petticoats to store food. Winter breaks and summers at home provide moments of joy amid an account of hardship and resilience.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of Swimming Toward a Dream: Yusra Mardini's Incredible Journey from Refugee to Olympic SwimmerSwimming Toward a Dream: Yusra Mardini's Incredible Journey from Refugee to Olympic SwimmerReem Faruqi, illustrated by Asma EnayehGrowing up in Damascus, Yusra Mardini finds her happy place in the swimming pool. She learns to swim before she learns to walk, making swimming part of her life from a very early age. That connection leads to a particular ambition: competing in the Olympic Games. The book links her Damascus childhood, early swimming, and Olympic dream as parts of her journey.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll)The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll)Winsome BinghamA young Black girl joins her grandmother for a walk without knowing where they are headed. As they move through their predominantly Black neighborhood, more people join them, and some remember earlier walks connected to speaking out. At the girl’s school, her grandmother reveals that their destination is the polls. The girl learns that voting is a shared community responsibility, set against concerns about efforts that make voting more difficult.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of The Yellow Áo DàiThe Yellow Áo DàiHanh Bui, illustrated by Minnie PhanNaliah practices a traditional Vietnamese Fan Dance for her school’s International Day while wearing her mother’s yellow áo dài, decorated with swans and water lilies. After she accidentally tears it, she hides the dress. Her mother shares the history of the dress, which Naliah’s grandmother wore in Vietnam, and explains that she once made a similar tear. Together, the family turns the new rip into part of the garment’s story.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Cover of Yukie's IslandYukie's IslandYukie Kimura, K–odo Kimura, Steve SheinkinIn 1943, six-year-old Yukie Kimura moves with her family to Bentenjima, an island off Japan’s coast, where her father is a lighthouse keeper. She remembers playing with her brother and sister before the war reaches their home and the family shelters from nearby bombing. After the war, empty classroom seats reveal losses in the community, while childhood play continues to shape Yukie’s memories.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details

Kindergarten to Fifth Grade

15 selections

Cover of AmazingAmazingMaia Shibutani, Alex Shibutani, Dane Liu, illustrated by Aaliya JaleelThis illustrated picture book presents thirty-six Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions to the world. It highlights their achievements across a range of experiences, including people with disabilities. The book is a collection of short introductions to individuals whose lives and work represent Asian American and Pacific Islander history, identity, and accomplishment.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure AD1020LATOS Book Level 6.9View book details
Cover of Brave Volodymyr: The Story of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Fight for UkraineBrave Volodymyr: The Story of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Fight for UkraineLinda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Grasya OliykoThis picture-book biography follows Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president. Born to Jewish parents, he grows up with love and pride for his country and enjoys making people laugh despite Ukraine’s conflicts. The book places his life in the context of war, freedom, and hope, focusing on his commitment to defending Ukraine and standing up for what he believes in.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of I Am My Ancestors' Wildest DreamsI Am My Ancestors' Wildest DreamsTanisia Moore, illustrated by Robert Paul JrA young child explores his place in a distinguished lineage while meeting ten Black men from history and the present day. Their achievements have helped create possibilities for his future. As he considers their lives, he recognizes his own potential and imagines reaching his dreams. The book presents Black boy joy and pride through a child's connection to heritage and accomplishment.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 301LATOS Book Level 2.29View book details
Cover of Loud and Proud: The Life of Congresswoman Shirley ChisholmLoud and Proud: The Life of Congresswoman Shirley ChisholmLesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by Kaylani JuanitaBorn in Brooklyn to immigrant parents who struggled to afford rent, Shirley Chisholm learned the limits of love in the face of financial hardship. Encouraged by her father to use her mind, she earned a full scholarship to Brooklyn College. There, she formed a club for Black women and began advocating for people like herself. A political-science professor’s advice led her to consider politics.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of Make WayMake WayAngela Burke KunkelThis picture-book biography links the lives and work of Robert McCloskey and sculptor Nancy Schön. McCloskey grew up in Ohio, studied art in Boston, observed ducks in the Public Garden, and created Make Way for Ducklings. Schön, who grew up near Boston and read about sculptors at the library, later made bronze duck sculptures in the Public Garden based on his story. Their connection includes her efforts to gain McCloskey’s approval for the sculptures.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure AD820LATOS Book Level 5.2View book details
Cover of Masked Hero: How Wu Lien-teh Invented the Mask That Ended an EpidemicMasked Hero: How Wu Lien-teh Invented the Mask That Ended an EpidemicDr. Shan Woo Liu, Kaili Liu GormleyThis biography introduces Dr. Wu Lien-teh and his efforts to stop an epidemic. Written by his great-granddaughter, an emergency physician, it highlights the use of masks and isolation in addressing disease outbreaks. It also connects Wu’s invention during the Manchurian plague with its use by his descendant during a pandemic roughly a century later, placing his life and work in a longer history of public health.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of That FlagThat FlagTameka Fryer BrownKeira and Bianca are close friends at school, but Bianca’s family displays a Confederate flag at home. The friends understand the flag differently, and those differences strain their relationship. After a tragedy affects their community, they confront what the flag represents, including its racist history and the harm it causes. The story follows their friendship as they grapple with a symbol that reaches beyond their school lives.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeWord Count 599View book details

Third to Fifth Grade

19 selections

Cover of Ajay and the Mumbai SunAjay and the Mumbai SunVarsha ShahAbandoned on Mumbai’s railways, Ajay grows up wanting to become a journalist. When he discovers an unused printing press, he and Saif, Vinod, Yasmin, and Jai start The Mumbai Sun. As they look for reports to publish, they learn of a proposal to demolish their slum, potentially leaving hundreds of people without homes. The friends set out to make the plan known, face the city’s powerful forces, seek justice, and protect their home.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 811LATOS Book Level 5.2View book details
Cover of The Ashe Brothers: How Arthur and Johnnie Changed Tennis ForeverThe Ashe Brothers: How Arthur and Johnnie Changed Tennis ForeverJudy Allen Dodson, illustrated by David WilkersonSet against racial tension and segregation in 1968, the book recounts Arthur Ashe’s rise to the top of tennis. His younger brother Johnnie plays a central role in Arthur’s breakthrough as the first Black man to overcome the color barrier in men’s tennis. Their relationship includes love, rivalry, and support, and the account reaches Arthur’s Grand Slam victory. The biography presents their sibling bond alongside Arthur’s athletic success.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of BoundlessBoundlessChaunté LoweChaunté Lowe recounts a journey from an impoverished childhood filled with large ambitions and major obstacles to becoming a U.S. Olympian who won an Olympic bronze medal. A world-champion high jumper, Lowe tells how a dream of athletic achievement developed amid the hurdles of her early life. The account connects her childhood circumstances, her high-jump career, and her place on the U.S. Olympic team.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure AD560LATOS Book Level 3.8View book details
Cover of CapeCapeKevin JohnsonA young Black boy attends his father’s funeral wearing a new suit, a new haircut, and a cape. He does not want to hear what people say or face the memories that surface during the day. At the cemetery and later at the gathering at home, he treats the cape as a shield from recollections of his father. But memories continue to arrive. Eventually, he recalls his father’s laughter, love, and the day he received the cape. Remembering helps him find his way back to a smile while he grieves.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure AD350LATOS Book Level 2.5View book details
Cover of Hispanic Star: Sonia SotomayorHispanic Star: Sonia SotomayorClaudia Romo Edelman, Nathalie AlonsoThis biography traces Sonia Sotomayor’s path from her childhood in a Bronx household with her brother and parents born in Puerto Rico. Her mother stressed the importance of education. Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University, earned a law degree at Yale Law School, and worked as an assistant district attorney in New York County. Her long career is presented as grounded in a commitment to justice.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of History Comics: Rosa Parks and Claudette ColvinHistory Comics: Rosa Parks and Claudette ColvinTracey Baptiste, illustrated by Shauna J. GrantPart of the History Comics series, this volume looks at Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin. It describes the two women opposing segregation and connects their actions to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The book frames their story as history, returning readers to the events that set the boycott in motion. Its subject brings together two civil-rights figures and a major protest against segregation.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling BeeHow Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling BeeCarole Boston WeatherfordThis account follows MacNolia Cox, an eighth grader who won her school and city spelling bees in Akron, Ohio, before traveling to Washington, D.C., for the 1936 National Spelling Bee. She was the first African American winner of Akron’s contest. The journey exposes the segregation facing MacNolia and her mother: they are made to change train cars in Maryland, cannot stay at the contestants’ hotel, and must use stairs rather than the banquet elevator. At the competition, MacNolia and another Black contestant sit apart from the white participants.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of Lift Every Voice and ChangeLift Every Voice and ChangeCharnaie Gordon, illustrated by Aeron CargillThis sound book presents clips from twelve Black leaders alongside illustrations and background information. The clips and contextual facts address pivotal moments in Black history in the United States. By combining leaders’ recorded words with historical material, the book gathers multiple voices connected to Black history and highlights the moments those voices address. Its format uses sound clips, illustrations, and factual background together.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of Parachute Kids: A Graphic NovelParachute Kids: A Graphic NovelBetty C. TangSet in 1981, this graphic novel follows Feng-Li and her siblings after their Taiwanese parents leave them in the United States to attend school. Their father returns to work in Taiwan, while their mother remains only until her visa expires. As the oldest sibling takes responsibility for the household, Feng-Li struggles with the language barrier, schoolwork, and making friends. Her brother, meanwhile, reacts angrily to their new circumstances and connects with other immigrant Asian children.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure HL250LATOS Book Level 2.5View book details
Cover of Stand as Tall as the Trees: How an Amazonian Community Protected the Rain ForestStand as Tall as the Trees: How an Amazonian Community Protected the Rain ForestPatricia Gualinga, Laura Resau, illustrated by Vanessa JaramilloThis true story follows Patricia (Paty) Gualinga, who grew up in a Kichwa village in Ecuador's Amazon. There, the forest is associated with Amazanga, mystical beings said to help protect it. As an activist, Gualinga joins with other Indigenous communities in work to protect sacred lands and forests. The account connects a community’s relationship with its forest to organized efforts to preserve it for the future.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech KindertransportStars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech KindertransportCaren StelsonAt the outbreak of World War II, a group of children leave Czechoslovakia, traveling from Prague to safety in England. Told from their collective point of view, the narrative traces their perilous departure from everything familiar and their search for family after the war. Decades later, the children learn the identity of a hero connected to their escape. Their journey is a matter of survival.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 530LATOS Book Level 3.5View book details
Cover of The Trail Blazing Life of Viola Desmond: Civil Rights IconThe Trail Blazing Life of Viola Desmond: Civil Rights IconRachel Kehoe with Wanda Robson, illustrated by Chelsea CharlesViola Desmond opposed racial segregation in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Her action occurred before Rosa Parks’s refusal to yield a bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama. The book presents the two events as comparable stands against segregation. Its title calls Desmond a civil rights icon. Rachel Kehoe with Wanda Robson wrote the 87-page edition of this book, published by Orca Book Publishers.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Cover of What Was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921?What Was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921?Caleb Gayle, Who HQ, illustrated by Tim FoleyThis book examines the destruction of Tulsa, Oklahoma's thriving Black community in 1921. Before May 31, the Greenwood District was home to 10,000 Black residents, with families, businesses, and professionals serving the neighborhood. Barbershops, clothing stores, jewelers, restaurants, movie theaters, doctors, dentists, and lawyers formed part of its life. In one weekend, that community was lost amid envy and racism.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 960LATOS Book Level 6.3View book details
Cover of When the Stars Came HomeWhen the Stars Came HomeBrittany Luby, illustrated by Natasha DonovanOjiig moves from the country to the city with his Anishinaabe mother and white father. In the unfamiliar urban environment, he misses the country landscape and its star-filled night sky. His mother makes a patchwork quilt while sharing stories about Ojiig’s ancestors. The completed quilt, with a large star at its center, offers comfort, and a visit from his grandparents helps Ojiig begin to feel warmer toward his new home.Third to Fifth GradeView book details

Third to Eighth Grade

13 selections

Cover of An American StoryAn American StoryKwame AlexanderA teacher tries to tell the history of American slavery in a society that avoids confronting its past atrocities. The narrative moves from fireside storytelling in an African village, across the Atlantic, to forced labor in Southern fields. It portrays the struggle, suffering, strength, and resilience of African American people under slavery. Mixed-media illustrations accompany the text. The story addresses a history that must be understood while also looking toward what the African American community may become.Third to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure NP0LATOS Book Level 4.5View book details
Cover of The Beautiful Something ElseThe Beautiful Something ElseAsh Van OtterlooSparrow Malone tries to be the perfect daughter by earning good grades and avoiding attention while her mother struggles to cope. After her mother is hospitalized following a serious breakdown, Sparrow moves in with unfamiliar relatives. On an estate filled with colorful neighbors, Sparrow begins to see that fitting in no longer feels right. The story follows her as she comes to understand and accept her nonbinary identity amid upheaval and uncertainty.Third to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 810LATOS Book Level 5.2View book details
Cover of Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC AuthorsCalling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC AuthorsAida Salazar, Yamile Saied MendezThis collection brings together short fiction and poetry about menstruation by Black, Indigenous, and other authors of color. Its pieces approach periods through a range of cultural and ethnic perspectives, making room for humor, joy, and the more serious feelings the experience can bring. One story begins when Angela gets her period while playing basketball on a boys’ team. Together, the entries present menstruation as a subject with many personal circumstances and voices.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of Eagle DrumsEagle DrumsNasuġraq Rainey HopsonPiŋa, a young Iñupiaq hunter, journeys up a mountain to gather obsidian for spearheads, as his older brothers once did without returning. A golden eagle transforms into Savik, an eagle god, and forces Piŋa toward the eagle community. There, Mother Eagle teaches him lessons in dancing, singing, storytelling, and the natural world. Piŋa must succeed to survive and eventually returns to help prepare a celebration.Third to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 910LATOS Book Level 5.9View book details
Cover of History Smashers: Christopher Columbus and the Taino PeopleHistory Smashers: Christopher Columbus and the Taino PeopleKate Messner, Jose Barreiro, illustrated by Falynn KochThis book examines claims about Christopher Columbus alongside the history of the Taíno people. It notes that Columbus's 1492 voyage did not take him to what is now the United States, but to Caribbean islands and the coast of South America. When he arrived, Indigenous peoples including the Taíno had already lived there for thousands of years, raising families, organizing societies, and trading with neighboring communities.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of Marvelous Maps: Our Changing World in 40 Amazing MapsMarvelous Maps: Our Changing World in 40 Amazing MapsSimon Kuestenmacher, illustrated by Margarida EstevesA collection of maps presents information about Earth and beyond through a wide range of subjects. Its maps cover the origins of dog and cat breeds, Earth’s appearance 170 million years ago, locations for solar panels, Christmas gift-bringing traditions across Europe, and how dolphins perceive the planet. A hidden scene also appears within its map of the United States.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of Songs of AmericaSongs of AmericaJon Meacham, Tim McGrawJon Meacham and Tim McGraw examine American history through songs and performers, moving from Revolutionary-era battle hymns to music of the twenty-first century. Meacham recounts the histories connected to the songs, while McGraw responds from the perspective of an artist and performer. The book considers music associated with the Civil War, women’s suffrage, the world wars, the Great Depression, civil rights, and Vietnam, alongside the cultural and political conditions in which those songs emerged.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of Voices of the PeopleVoices of the PeopleJoseph BruchacThis free-verse collection honors the lives, achievements, and legacies of 34 Indigenous Americans. Each biographical poem is paired with art by a contemporary tribally enrolled artist. Some artists share the featured person’s nation, while others come from another Native nation and connect their work to the subject’s biography. The artwork addresses present-day ideas and concerns, including concerns that resemble those faced by earlier generations. Mixed-media illustrations accompany the profiles.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of The Witness Trees: Historic Moments and the Trees Who Watched Them Happen (Includes a map to over 20 trees you can visit today)The Witness Trees: Historic Moments and the Trees Who Watched Them Happen (Includes a map to over 20 trees you can visit today)Ryan G. Van Cleave, illustrated by Đố m Đố mThe Witness Trees presents trees as observers of important moments in history. Its text uses verse to speak in a collective tree voice, describing wind moving over grass, rivers, bark, green leaves, stars, earth, gardens, and lives that are born, bloom, and are plucked. The trees describe themselves as survivors that remember and bear witness. The book frames their long lives alongside the history they have silently seen.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of A Year of Black Joy: 52 Black Voices Share Their Life PassionsA Year of Black Joy: 52 Black Voices Share Their Life PassionsJamia Wilson, illustrated by Jade OrlandoAn illustrated anthology brings together joyful contributions from 52 contemporary Black voices. Its contributors include chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley and a scientist identified as Dr. The collection focuses on the many dimensions of Black life and contributions beyond trauma. It presents these voices and their passions through illustrations and short contributions.Third to Eighth GradeView book details

Sixth to Eighth Grade

8 selections

Cover of Lei and the Fire GoddessLei and the Fire GoddessMalia MaunakeaTwelve-year-old Lei spends her summers in Hawaiʻi with her grandmother, who wants her to know the family’s moʻolelo. The stories and legends mean little to Lei’s friends in Colorado, but an insult to Pele, the fire goddess, changes that. Pele takes Lei’s best friend and curses her family, leaving Lei to confront the reality of the legends and seek a way to undo the curse. A cursed flower and mythical forces are part of her journey.Sixth to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 770LATOS Book Level 4.9View book details
Cover of MascotMascotCharles Waters, Traci SorellAt Rye Middle School, students debate whether their school's mascot should remain or be replaced. Some see the mascot as racist, while others disagree. The discussion brings out differing emotions, viewpoints, and cultural perspectives among the students. Told in free verse, the book presents six eighth graders considering the implications of a symbol tied to both school tradition and racial identity.Sixth to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 710LATOS Book Level 4.9View book details
Cover of More Than a DreamMore Than a DreamYohuru Williams, Michael G. LongThis account traces the 1963 March on Washington from its earliest concept through its planning and the day it took place. It follows debates over Bayard Rustin’s organizing role, Anna Arnold Hedgeman’s push for women speakers, and the response to John Lewis’s proposed remarks. The narrative also addresses friction with the Kennedy administration, practical planning challenges, and uncertainty over whether people would attend. Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long present the event’s complicated path to the march.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of The Presidents Decoded: A Guide to the Leaders Who Shaped Our NationThe Presidents Decoded: A Guide to the Leaders Who Shaped Our NationKatie Kennedy, illustrated by Monique SteeleThis guide introduces the forty-five people who had held the office of President of the United States when the book was described. It considers what the president’s job involves and how each officeholder led the country during a particular period. The book also draws on presidents’ own records, including documents, correspondence, diaries, and speeches, to present their thoughts and words.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of This Indian Kid: A Native American MemoirThis Indian Kid: A Native American MemoirEddie ChuculateThis Native American memoir by Eddie Chuculate includes a family history in which the author’s grandmother, Granny, is identified as full-blooded Creek. It is presented within Scholastic Focus, whose narrative nonfiction books are described as thoroughly researched and designed for middle-grade and young adult readers. The series description connects such books with learning about the world, examining the past, discussing the present, and helping shape the future.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
Cover of We Are Your Children Too: Black Students, White Supremacists, and the Battle for America's Schools in Prince Edward County, VirginiaWe Are Your Children Too: Black Students, White Supremacists, and the Battle for America's Schools in Prince Edward County, VirginiaP. O’Connell PearsonThis account follows African American students in a segregated Virginia school district who went on strike in 1951 to seek equal facilities. After Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the county’s all-White school board chose to close public schools rather than integrate them. The students’ campaign was followed by years of legal battles as the county continued to refuse integration. The book includes interviews, archival photographs, and back matter.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details

Sixth to Twelfth Grade

10 selections

Cover of MuzoonMuzoonMuzoon Almellehan with Wendy PearlmanIn this memoir, fourteen-year-old Muzoon and her family flee Syria. Told to take only essential belongings, she packs her schoolbooks. The book recounts her life in Syria, her family’s difficult decision to leave home, and the disruption of living in a refugee camp. As a Syrian refugee, Muzoon uses her voice to advocate for education, which she sees as important both for her own future and for helping her country.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Cover of America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic HistoryAmerica Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic HistoryAriel Aberg-Riger, illustrated by Ariel Aberg-RigerAmerica Redux presents twenty-one illustrated accounts that examine stories Americans have repeated about their national identity. Its chapters use familiar American phrases to consider overlooked and troubling parts of the past and their continuing effects. The subjects include celebrity and immigration policy, white women’s influence on education, the consequences of development for homes and the environment, and long-running traditions of collective action and mutual aid.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Cover of Colonization and the Indigenous American Story (Race to the Truth)Colonization and the Indigenous American Story (Race to the Truth)Linda CoombsThis book examines the familiar account of America’s “discovery” associated with Christopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Colonists, while naming that account as only one side of the story. Its title signals an Indigenous American perspective and a race toward a fuller understanding of the past. Linda Coombs is the author, Random House Children’s Books is the publisher, and this edition has 272 pages.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Cover of Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti, and the End of the American DreamDoomed: Sacco, Vanzetti, and the End of the American DreamJohn Florio, Ouisie ShapiroSet in post-World War I Boston during anti-immigrant hostility and fears of communism, this account follows Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Italian immigrants who identified as anarchists. After an armed robbery in Massachusetts left two people dead, the pair were accused. They maintained their innocence through a contentious trial, but were convicted and executed for murder. Their case prompted protests around the world and is accompanied by archival photographs.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Cover of Family StyleFamily StyleThien PhamThien’s earliest recollections are tied to food, including watermelon and fish eaten while his family fled Vietnam by sea. After reaching a refugee camp in Thailand, the Pham family struggles to survive before resettling in California. Food takes on different meanings through each stage of their lives: strawberries become connected with the parents’ search for work, while Thien’s journey through food is also a search for belonging in America.Sixth to Twelfth GradeLexile Text Measure 401LATOS Book Level 2.8View book details
Cover of Slavery and the African American Story (Race to the Truth)Slavery and the African American Story (Race to the Truth)Patricia Williams DockeryThis history tells the story of slavery in America from an African American perspective. It begins with the arrival of Africans on what became the United States and describes how their labor shaped the economy, government buildings, and American society. The book follows a struggle for freedom that began when enslaved Africans first arrived and continued long before the Emancipation Proclamation, signed roughly three centuries later. It also addresses slavery’s origins and the division of the country over ending it.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Cover of Stand Up and Speak Out Against RacismStand Up and Speak Out Against RacismYassmin Abdel-Magied, illustrated by Aleesha NandhraYassmin Abdel-Magied presents a conversational guide to racism, drawing on questions from children and occasionally on her own experiences. It traces the history of the idea of race and examines how race has been used to hold power over others. The book distinguishes race, nationality, and ethnicity; explains racism as prejudice combined with power; and addresses religious discrimination. Its final section considers ways to confront internalized, interpersonal, and institutional racism.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details

Ninth to Twelfth Grade

10 selections

Cover of A Long Time Coming: a Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack ObamaA Long Time Coming: a Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack ObamaRay Anthony ShepardUsing verse, the book profiles six Black Americans from different periods: Barack Obama, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Ona Judge, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ida B. Wells. It considers how each resisted racism and pursued justice, while comparing how much has changed for Black Americans since the country’s founding. One portrait concerns Judge’s escape from enslavement by America’s first president; another reaches Obama, the first Black president.Ninth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Cover of Warrior Girl UnearthedWarrior Girl UnearthedAngeline BoulleySixteen-year-old Perry Firekeeper-Birch spends the summer as an intern in a tribal museum, where she learns about NAGPRA and the failure to return Native ancestral remains and sacred items. Disturbed by what she sees at a nearby college, Perry takes impulsive action while local Indigenous women disappear. A trustee’s murder leads her to a devastating discovery involving ancestral remains, exposing further secrets hidden on the land.Ninth to Twelfth GradeLexile Text Measure HL720LATOS Book Level 5.09View book details