The ABCs of Women's HistoryRio Cortez, illustrated by Lauren SemmerThis alphabet-format picture book traces women’s history in the United States through artists, activists, allies, freedom fighters, librarians, and other changemakers. It gives particular attention to Black women, brown women, trans women, and others whose work helped create change. Historical touchstones include the Seneca Falls convention, Title IX, the Riot Grrrl movement, and Kamala Harris’s swearing-in as vice president. The book presents women’s history through persistence, pride, challenge, and progress.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book detailsNCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2026
The 2026 edition contains 138 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.
2026 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young PeopleSee the original list
Selections138
Published byNational Council for the Social Studies
Sections7 sections
Browse sections7 sections
Kindergarten to Second Grade
55 selections
The ABCs of Women's HistoryRio Cortez, illustrated by Lauren SemmerThis alphabet-format picture book traces women’s history in the United States through artists, activists, allies, freedom fighters, librarians, and other changemakers. It gives particular attention to Black women, brown women, trans women, and others whose work helped create change. Historical touchstones include the Seneca Falls convention, Title IX, the Riot Grrrl movement, and Kamala Harris’s swearing-in as vice president. The book presents women’s history through persistence, pride, challenge, and progress.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Ablaze: The Story of America's First Female SmokejumperJessica Lawson, illustrated by Sarah GonzalesDeanne Shulman’s love of the outdoors led her to work on Forest Service wildland and hotshot crews fighting fires. She wanted to become a smokejumper, a firefighter who parachutes from aircraft to reach wildfires quickly. Although she passed an initial test, height and weight requirements kept her from continuing. Deanne filed a formal complaint under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, later passed the tests, and became the first female smokejumper in the United States. Her effort also changed the requirements for other women.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure AD620LView book details
All the Stars in the SkyArt Coulson, illustrated by Winona NelsonClay wants to be his school’s star of the week, so he asks his Cherokee grandmother, Elisi, for help. Her response introduces him to gadugi: the responsibility to work together and support the whole community instead of elevating one person. Clay wonders what this means for his own importance. Traditional beadwork appears in the artwork as the story considers community, individualism, and responsibility from an Indigenous perspective.Kindergarten to Second GradeWord Count 863View book details
America Gives ThanksBob McKinnon, illustrated by Thai My PhuongAmerica is looking forward to a class trip to Washington, DC, but is puzzled when classmates complain rather than share that excitement. Their teacher explains that voicing complaints can be useful when it is done thoughtfully. During visits to the Supreme Court, the National Mall, and the Lincoln Memorial, historical figures come alive and recount ways complaints have contributed to lasting change. The trip links speaking up with hope for a better world.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 780LView book details
Are We There Yet?: The First Road Trip Across the USAStacy McAnulty, illustrated by Elizabeth BaddeleyIn 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson wagers that he can drive a horseless carriage from California to New York in under three months. He cannot drive, highways do not yet exist, and previous attempts have failed. Jackson hires bicycle racer Sewall Crocker as a mechanic, and they leave in the Vermont with Bud the bulldog. Their cross-country trip requires getting through streams, mud, rocky ground, and delays for replacement parts.Kindergarten to Second GradeATOS Book Level 4.4AR Interest Level LGView book details
Are You a Friend of Dorothy?: The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She HelpedKyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi HastingsThis picture-book history explores the coded phrase “friend of Dorothy,” used by LGBTQ+ people in the years after World War II. It considers several possible Dorothys, including a neighborhood woman, a writer who hosted open dancing, and the Kansas girl from a famous story. The answer is that this Dorothy was imaginary, yet the name gave people a way to recognize one another, seek safety, and build connection while hiding their identities.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 669LATOS Book Level 4.3View book details
The Atlas of Languages: Words Around the WorldRachel Lancashire, illustrated by Jenny ZemanekAn illustrated exploration of languages around the world examines their history, variety, and connections. Maps, sidebars, language-family trees, infographics, and short facts show how languages have developed, been spoken, whistled, or signed. The book considers questions such as where the word “banana” came from, what a secret language might be, and which word is understood universally. It offers a global view of words and communication.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
A Banquet for Cecilia: How Cecilia Chiang Revolutionized Chinese Food in AmericaJulie LeungThis biography follows Cecilia Chiang from a childhood shaped by the food, sounds, and smells of her family kitchen to her life as a restaurateur. After escaping China during the Communist Revolution, she travels to the United States, carrying memories of home-cooked meals with her. Her regional Chinese cooking introduces American diners to new food traditions and changes how Chinese cuisine is understood in the United States.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Becoming a Ballerina: The Story of Michaela Mabinty DePrinceLaura ObuobiThis nonfiction picture-book biography tells of Michaela Mabinty DePrince’s path from childhood in Sierra Leone to a career in ballet. After being adopted and moving to the United States, she finds joy and direction in dance and pursues her wish to become a professional dancer. The story also addresses the exclusion and discrimination she faces in the American ballet world because of her skin color and vitiligo before becoming a prima ballerina.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Binna's DalgonaSojung Kim-McCarthyBinna is proud that she can read long books in English, win word games against her older sister, and make dalgona on her own. Yet when she wants to tell classmates about her weekend and the sweet Korean treat, she struggles to find the English words. With encouragement from her sister and support from classmates, Binna is able to share both the snack and part of her life in Korea.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Bittersweet: Based on the True Tale of the Berlin Candy BombersChristy Mandin, illustrated by Christy MandinDuring the Berlin Airlift, U.S. Air Force pilot Gail Halvorsen delivers supplies to West Berlin while the city is blockaded by the Soviets. After sharing two sticks of gum with children waiting outside the airport, he sees them pass the wrappers around so each child can smell the mint. Halvorsen begins dropping candy from his plane with tiny parachutes, using his own rations and signaling children below by wiggling the wings.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Black Hair Can: The Roots of Our RootsSylvia Rodriguez, illustrated by Sylvia RodriguezThis nonfiction picture book traces Black hair from African kingdoms to contemporary communities in the United States. It considers hair as a source of expression, beauty, pride, and identity across the African diaspora. It also addresses how enslavement involved stripping Black people of their hair in an effort to deny their humanity, placing the subject within a longer historical context.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 770LView book details
BraveWeshoyot Alvitre, illustrated by Weshoyot AlvitreEach morning, a Native American boy’s father brushes and braids his long hair. The braiding can hurt, and classmates tease him at school, but he remembers family stories about his father and grandfather being forced to cut their hair and forbidden to practice their traditions. They fought so that he could wear his hair long. Through the father-son routine, the boy finds strength and pride in his braid and Native identity.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Brown Girl in the SnowYolanda T. Marshall, illustrated by Marianne FerrerAfter moving from the Caribbean to a snowy new home, Amina misses the foods she once grew, including coconuts, sweet potatoes, and callaloo. Ice and snow surround her instead of the gardens she knows. Looking from a frosted window, she adapts a traditional children’s song from home. Determined to grow favorite plants in a different climate, Amina discovers a possible answer in a library book about gardening and greenhouses.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
The Camel Library: A True Story from PakistanMarzieh AbbasThis true story follows Roshan the camel and Murad in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, Roshan carries firewood with Murad to help support their family. When schools and public libraries close, an organization offers them a different job: bringing books to children in rural villages. Roshan’s load changes from firewood to books, and the pair travel day after day to lend them to children in different communities.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
CeeCee: Underground Railroad CinderellaShana Keller, illustrated by Laura FreemanCeeCee recasts elements of Cinderella in the story of a girl enslaved on a Maryland plantation. She is made to serve the plantation owners’ two daughters, who treat her cruelly, while she secretly learns by listening to their lessons. A caring cook, Binty, offers help. After dreaming of Moses leading enslaved people to freedom, CeeCee resolves to escape north, risking everything for the possibility of a different life.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 650LATOS Book Level 4.0View book details
The Cookie VoteDaniel Bernstrom and Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian KarasMr. Tiffin’s class is learning how a bill becomes a law and brainstorming ways to improve their state. The student with the strongest idea will present a bill to Representative Noor during a class trip to the state capitol. Jeremy proposes an official state cookie, but arguments over flavors split the class into sides. A vote settles the disagreement, and the students discover that even a good legislative idea may require compromise.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Diyas at Circle Time : A Celebration of South Asian Festivals Around Diwali TimeAnjali Joshi, illustrated by Tim PalinHarini plans to tell her class about her family’s Diwali traditions. At circle time, she finds friends ready to share, and learns about Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, and Jain Deepavali, along with stories connected with each festival. As the children compare lighting diyas, giving gifts, and other practices, they notice both common ground and differences. When Anna is left out, the group includes her in the celebration.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Down on the BayouGlenda Armand, illustrated by Alleanna HarrisDuring a Louisiana vacation, Troy goes on a boat trip through the bayou with his grandfather and Uncle Joe. His grandfather explains that a bayou is a shallow, slow-moving, muddy river, but Troy discovers that it is more than that description. Their journey brings up the bayou’s environment and history, as well as his grandfather’s recollections and Troy’s imagination. Facts and pieces of a poem appear alongside the story.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Dream a Dress, Dream a Poem: Dressmaker and Poet, Myra Viola Wilds (A Picture Book)Nancy Johnson James, illustrated by Diana EjaitaThis picture-book biography follows Myra Viola Wilds from rural Kentucky to the city, where she learns to read and write and becomes a dressmaker. She creates hand-stitched gowns but loses her sight through her work. Drawing on remembered colors and scenes, she begins writing poetry and eventually collects poems in Thoughts of Idle Hours, published in 1915. The book also provides context on the Great Migration and Jim Crow segregation.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Fanny's Big Idea: How Jewish Book Week Was BornRichard Michelson, illustrated by Alyssa RussellThis biography follows Fanny Goldstein, who arrived in America from Russia at age six and found free library books and activities at the Saturday Evening Girls Club. Her curiosity led to work at the Boston Public Library, where she later became the first Jewish director of a branch library. Seeing few Jewish families borrow books about their own history, Fanny organized a weeklong celebration of Jewish books and culture that grew into a national event.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 920LView book details
A Festa for LuanaJoana Pastro, illustrated by Duda OlivaLuana travels to Brazil to see her grandparents just as Festa Junina begins. Amid the festival's dancing, food, and colorful clothing, comments about her American accent and plain outfit make her feel apart from her cousins. With her family’s help and a new tradition, Luana comes to see her Brazilian and American experiences as parts of who she is.Kindergarten to Second GradeATOS Book Level 2.6AR Interest Level LGView book details
Fierce Aunties!Laurel Goodluck, illustrated by Steph LittlebirdAn Indigenous child reflects on the aunties who are there for everyday needs: advice, support, adventure, and encouragement. These aunties may be a parent’s sister, an older cousin, or a family friend, and they differ in age, skills, stories, and laughter. What unites them is their fierce love, protection, humor, and guidance.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Frida Kahlo's Flower Crown: A Picture BookNydia Armendia-Sánchez, illustrated by Loris LoraThis picture-book biography tells Frida Kahlo's life through Mexican flowers and plants. The flora in the book includes flowers she grew in her garden, bought in her hometown market, painted in portraits, and wore in a crown. It follows her physical challenges, Mexican heritage, and development as an artist, using flower imagery to portray hardship, survival, and growth. The result connects Kahlo's artistic voice with the plants that surrounded her.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
The Gift of the Great BuffaloCarole Lindstrom, illustrated by Aly McKnightRose, a young Métis-Ojibwe girl, travels with her family and hundreds of other Métis families for their biannual buffalo hunt. The hunt has supported the community for generations and must provide enough for the coming six months. But buffalo have become scarce, and after days of searching, no herd appears. Rose wants to be useful and ultimately helps when the animals remain elusive. The historical story centers Indigenous life on the prairie in the late nineteenth century.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Girls on the RiseAmanda GormanThis original poem celebrates girls and girlhood in many forms. It presents girls as strong individually and as people who can support and uplift one another. The poem also looks to girls who came before and describes girls shaping history while moving toward the future. Its focus is collective voice, courage in the face of fear, and standing together.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure AD610LView book details
Giving Thanks with Halmoni: Celebrating Chuseok, The Korean Harvest FestivalKathleen Choi, Sook Nyul ChoiAs the moon becomes full, Su-Jin and her friends Maddy and Keisha join her Halmoni, or grandmother, in preparing for Chuseok, a Korean harvest festival. They help make traditional food, prepare gifts in colorful cloth, and play holiday games. The children also learn about gratitude, remembering ancestors, Korean Chuseok greetings, and connections between Chuseok and American Thanksgiving.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
The History of WeNikkolas Smith, illustrated by Nikkolas SmithThis nonfiction picture book looks to Africa as the place of humanity’s origins. It imagines the ingenuity and accomplishments of early human ancestors, connecting those beginnings to modern civilization. By tracing a shared human past, the book presents the earliest achievements in Africa as part of a history that links people everywhere on Earth.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 680LFountas & Pinnell Text Level RView book details
A Hug Like Michelle's, a Voice Like Beyoncé’s: A Picture BookCarole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Savanna DurrThis picture book celebrates Black history and the influence of prominent Black women. Inspired in part by photographs of Michelle Obama's hugs, it connects qualities such as care, creativity, strength, and voice with a group of seventeen women. The figures include Misty Copeland, Rosa Parks, Nina Simone, Oprah, Katherine Johnson, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Through these examples, the book links cultural legacy with a child's own abilities and self-expression.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure AD500LView book details
I am Sally RideBrad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher EliopoulosThis picture-book biography follows Sally Ride from a childhood drawn to science, mathematics, speedy rides, and the night sky to her work at NASA. Her parents encouraged her interests, and her commitment eventually made her the first American woman to travel into space. The account presents Ride as an astronaut whose achievement prompted later young people to imagine space exploration.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 630LATOS Book Level 4.1View book details
Imogen: The Life and Work of Imogen CunninghamElizabeth Partridge, illustrated by Yuko ShimizuThis picture-book biography follows photographer Imogen Cunningham from her childhood near Seattle to her pioneering career. A close observer of light, color, and shadow, Imogen first tries to capture what she sees with pencils before discovering photography. Her father encourages her artistic work and turns a woodshed into a darkroom. Despite limited equipment and few female role models, she makes prints, stages portraits, and photographs artists including Frida Kahlo and Ruth Asawa.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
The InterpreterOlivia Abtahi, illustrated by Monica ArnaldoCecilia loves soccer, but she also translates between Spanish and English for her parents during appointments and errands. Her interpreting takes her to places such as the doctor, DMV, auto repair shop, hairdresser, and restaurants. The responsibility grows exhausting and leaves less time to play with friends. When Cecilia explains that she wants to help but not constantly, her family recognizes her work and arranges support so she can have breaks.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure 530LATOS Book Level 2.4View book details
The Juneteenth AlphabetAndrea Underwood Petifer, illustrated by Ana LateseUsing an alphabet format, this picture book presents words and ideas connected with Juneteenth, including ancestors and Black history. It introduces the holiday’s origins, traditions, history, and celebrations as a commemoration of freedom. A glossary defines important terms, and a further-reading list directs readers to websites for more information.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Kente for JojoBernard Mensah, illustrated by Elizabeth ZunonA big brother wants a special Kente cloth for new baby Jojo. With the rest of the family, he travels to choose one, looking for a cloth that feels right for the baby. A passing rainbow and help from a skilled weaver guide the process. Alongside the family's preparation for Jojo, the book shares a legend about Kente's origin and introduces the varied patterns of traditional Kente cloth as a symbol of love.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Let's Fly!: Barrington Irving's Record-Breaking Flight Around the WorldBarrington Irving and Chana Stiefel, illustrated by Shamar Knight-JusticeThis true story follows Barrington Irving from his move from Jamaica to Miami to his record-setting solo flight around the world. As a child, he expected football to be his path until Captain Gary Robinson showed him a jet, a cockpit, and flying. Irving worked to become a pilot, then flew around the world alone, becoming both the youngest person and the first Black man to do so. The book is co-authored by Irving and Chana Stiefel.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins—The First Lady of Children's MusicTraci N. ToddThis biography follows folk singer Ella Jenkins from her musical childhood in Chicago through a career spent performing and creating music for children. She listens closely to music from many places, including call-and-response, Moroccan and Indian records, and harmonica blues. As an adult, she learns conga drums, develops her own approach, and shares old songs and newly made ones with children. The book also includes her participation in freedom marches and her travels to learn and share musical traditions.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Mariam's Dream: The Story of Mariam Al-Shaar and Her Food Truck of HopeLeila Boukarim, illustrated by Sona AvedikianThis biography follows Mariam Al-Shaar, a Palestinian refugee who was born and raised in Lebanon. Living in Beirut’s Bourj Al-Barajneh refugee camp, Mariam decides to build a food business but faces the need for money and paperwork as others tell her the idea is impossible. Supported by women in the camp, she works to establish Soufra, a women-run kitchen, bringing food and hope to her community.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Marjory's River of Grass: Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Fierce Protector of the EvergladesJosie JamesThis picture-book biography tells of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a journalist, author, and conservationist who spent her life protecting Florida’s Everglades. Although many people once dismissed the wetlands as a swamp, Douglas recognized them as a river-like habitat filled with distinctive species. The book follows her writing and campaigning to safeguard those connected wetlands, and includes material about water and ways to preserve it.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Maya Angelou Finds Her VoiceConnie Roop and Peter Roop, illustrated by Noa DenmonInspired by an episode from Maya Angelou's childhood, this picture book follows young Maya's connection to words, songs, stories, and poetry in a segregated world. After a traumatic assault, she stops speaking for years and shares words only with her brother. Her family worries, but the wise and patient Mrs. Flowers eventually helps Maya return to language and self-expression. The story centers on poetry, mentorship, silence, and the recovery of her voice.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Maybe Just Ask Me!Katie Mazeika, illustrated by Katie MazeikaMazie begins at a new school wearing an eyepatch and head scarf. Her classmates wonder about her disability but do not ask her directly; instead, they circulate imaginative rumors about pirates and dragons. Mazie is willing to explain, but must decide whether she can tell the other children to speak with her openly about it.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
The Music Inside Us: Yo-Yo Ma and His Gifts to the World (A Picture Book Biography)James Howe, illustrated by Jack WongThis picture-book biography follows cellist Yo-Yo Ma from his early years in a musical family in Paris to performances in New York. At four, he chooses the cello and soon plays Bach from memory; later, he works to play with personal feeling rather than technique alone. As a teenager, he considers who he is beyond others’ expectations and studies anthropology in college. His interest in people and cultures leads him to learn musical traditions around the world and make music with strangers.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
My Home Is In My BackpackEugenia PerrellaClara and her family have had to leave their country and travel on foot. Along the way, they sometimes talk and joke, but at other times they must hide in silence. At night, Clara visits friends in a tent village and hears what each of them carries as a reminder of home. As her journey continues, Clara hopes to find a secure place where her family can finally settle.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Prince Among Slaves: The Remarkable True Story of an African Prince Enslaved in Mississippi, and His Journey HomeN. H. SenzaiThis biography recounts the life of Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori, born in 1762 in Futa Jallon, West Africa. He grew into a scholar fluent in five languages, as well as a warrior, husband, father, and leader in his father’s court. After an ambush, he was sold to English traders, transported across the Atlantic, and enslaved in Mississippi. The narrative follows his emancipation and return to West Africa.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Remember Who You AreLeona Prince and Gabrielle Prince, illustrated by Sara GeneralThis lyrical picture book offers page-by-page affirmations about identity, respect, love, and truth. It invites children to reflect on their cultural roots, ancestors’ wisdom, personal gifts, and potential. Centering Indigenous heritage, the book presents children as connected to their communities and able to show leadership and kindness while recognizing their own strength.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure AD420LView book details
The Sacred Stone CampRae Rose, illustrated by Aly McKnightA young girl arrives at Sacred Stone Camp as her Unci LaDonna, Lala Miles, and other Water Protectors gather to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline. The group seeks to safeguard land and water threatened by the pipeline, including rivers relied on by millions of people. Nervous about what lies ahead, the girl looks to her family and to the people joining the camp, finding strength in their shared purpose.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
The Six Triple Eight: A True Story of the Black Woman Battalion of World War IITonya Abari, illustrated by Lance EvansDuring World War II, millions of letters and packages for U.S. troops sat undelivered in warehouses. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, made up of Black women who had pressed for the right to enlist, received the task of sorting and sending that mail. This account follows the battalion as it took on the difficult backlog and its wartime work.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for PenniesMargi Preus, illustrated by Jaime ZollarsThis picture-book biography tells the story of Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb, who cared for patients in rural northern Wisconsin when hospitals were far away and winter roads could be impassable. Families could signal for her with a red cloth tied to a tree, and she traveled by snowshoes when necessary. Dr. Kate wanted a nearby hospital for her community. Children later began collecting pennies to help make that goal possible, writing letters, counting donations, mapping where they came from, and sending thank-you notes. Their campaign helped fund a hospital.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
That Swingin' Sound!: The Musical Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis ArmstrongRekha S Rajan, illustrated by Ken DaleyThis picture-book biography traces the early musical lives of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. As a child in New York City, Ella loves dancing to jazz, while young Louis in New Orleans loves singing. Ella becomes known for singing and Louis for trumpet playing. After hearing about each other, the two musicians finally perform together, beginning a lasting friendship shaped by jazz.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the SaharaElizabeth ZunonWhen Malik is old enough to join his father’s camel caravan, he travels across the Sahara carrying salt along the route to Timbuktu. On his first difficult desert crossing, the caravan trades its precious salt for needed goods. Malik learns that salt has uses beyond preserving and flavoring food: it matters in trade, ritual, civilizations, and human bodies. The journey also asks him to take on responsibility and discover confidence in his future role with the caravan.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
To the Top of the World: Barbara Hillary, the First Black Woman to Reach the North and South PolesDeborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Anastasia Magloire WilliamsThis picture-book biography follows Barbara Hillary, the first Black woman to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole. As a child, she imagined a life filled with adventure. Despite childhood hardships and illness as an adult, she continued pursuing travel and exploration. At age seventy-five, she reached the North Pole, then reached the South Pole less than four years later. Her travels also revealed that remote places she cared about faced threats from climate change.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
The Traveling Taco: The Amazing and Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite FoodsMia Wenjen, illustrated by Kimberlie Clinthorne-WongThis nonfiction book follows the international histories of familiar foods, including pizza, pasta, ice cream, French fries, and tacos. It explores how dishes traveled far from their places of origin and changed through movement between places. Examples include al pastor tacos arriving in Puebla, Mexico, from Lebanon; French fries beginning in Belgium; and pasta reaching Italy before Marco Polo traveled to China. Rhyming text guides the food-history journey.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
Unstoppable John: How John Lewis Got His Library Card--and Helped Change HistoryPat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jerry JordanIn 1956, John Lewis wants a library card but is denied one because libraries are reserved for white people. The picture-book biography follows him as he devotes his life to challenging unfair laws. It connects his love of books with his civil-rights work and describes changes that let Black people use restaurants, attend movies, vote, and obtain library cards.Kindergarten to Second GradeLexile Text Measure AD520LFountas & Pinnell Text Level PView book details
We Are American, TooKristen Mei ChaseMei, a Chinese American child in Washington, D.C., investigates stories from her family’s past, including the life of her great-great-grandfather, born there in 1898. The stories of earlier generations connect her Chinese heritage with her life in America. When Mei attends a demonstration opposing anti-Asian hate, she draws on her family’s history and begins a chant affirming that Asian Americans belong.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
What Will I Do if I Miss You? A Picture Book for Separation AnxietyMelissa T. Shultz, illustrated by Lilia MiceliAlex is about to begin day school and worries about being away from his mother for so long. When he asks what he can do if he misses her, they make a plan together. His mother guides his hand to his heart, and they imagine a heart-to-heart connection that can help them feel close while apart. The story is based on an experience from the author's life.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book details
The World Entire: A True Story of Extraordinary World War II RescueElizabeth Brown, illustrated by Melissa CastrillónThis biography tells how Portuguese diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes helped refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied France during World War II. When his government instructs him to deny entry to Portugal, Mendes must decide whether to obey. He issues visas that allow many thousands of people to escape through Portugal, including both well-known figures and others whose names are less familiar. The book also recounts the cost of his decision to his family.Kindergarten to Second GradeView book detailsKindergarten to Fifth Grade
24 selections
Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la PapaSara Andrea Fajardo, illustrated by Juana Martinez-NealThis picture-book biography introduces Peruvian agricultural scientist Alberto Salas as he travels through Peru’s Andes searching for wild potato varieties. He collects potatoes before climate change and urban development can endanger them. Scientists study the potatoes’ useful traits to develop new varieties suited to places such as salty swamps and icy mountains. The book includes material about Alberto Salas, potatoes, and the importance of preserving plant diversity.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeATOS Book Level 3.6AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
Ballet Brown (An Original Picture Book)Bellen Woodard, illustrated by Fanny LiemBellen loves ballet, but she sees that the pink shoes and tights commonly linked with the dance are meant to match only some dancers’ skin. When her studio does not respond, she acts herself, introducing “ballet brown” to make room for brown dancewear as well. Her experience centers on challenging an exclusionary convention and seeking a dance space where many colors are visible.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Bread DaysHannah Chung, illustrated by Hannah ChungNara shares bread-making days with Papa, mixing, folding, scoring, and waiting for dough to rise. After Papa is gone, those days feel empty and leave her with sad and confusing memories. When she begins caring for the sourdough starter that she and Papa once made, baking becomes meaningful again. With Mama, Nara continues their family bread-making tradition in remembrance of loved ones from the past.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
CLIMATE: How Wladimir Köppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate MapDarcy Pattison, illustrated by Peter WillisAs a teenager, Wladimir Köppen notices changing landscapes during travel from St. Petersburg to Crimea and makes understanding those changes his life’s work. In the late nineteenth century, he leads weather reporting at the German Marine Observatory in Hamburg, helps establish North Sea weather stations, and gathers information from around the world. Over time, Köppen develops the first climate map. Modified versions of his maps continue to be used.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Dad, Is It Time to Gather Mint?: Celebrating the SeasonsTyna Legault Taylor, illustrated by Michelle DaoJoshua loves spending time on the land with his dad near Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek in northeastern Ontario. In warm weather, they gather mint from the shore, and Joshua keeps asking when the season will be right. He considers changing leaves, snowfall, and budding flowers as he watches the year unfold. The story includes Omushkegomowin and Anishinaabemowin words, with a glossary and pronunciation guide at the back.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Fortune Cookies for Everyone!: The Surprising Story of the Tasty Treat We Love to EatMia Wenjen, illustrated by Collen Kong-SavageDuring a takeout meal, Grandma Miyako gives fortune cookies to her grandchildren and begins telling them about the treat's disputed past. She says she knew its true inventor, but the history proves less certain than it first appears. Organized with fortunes as section headings, the book explores competing accounts of where and when fortune cookies began. California is identified as the location, while the question of which city housed the original baker remains open.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Fred FlipsFrederick Richard with Ryan G. Van Cleave, illustrated by Darcie OlleyFred Richard's picture book recounts his early path in gymnastics. He loved flipping from a very young age, but training with other children made him feel conspicuous as a Black boy in a sport where most gymnasts around him were girls. Fred encounters racist jokes and bullying while learning to compete. His story follows how he faced those experiences, developed confidence in standing out, and treated his differences as a source of strength.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
The Gift of EidShifa Saltagi Safadi, illustrated by Aaliya JaleelSet in Damascus, this retelling of The Gift of the Magi follows Yasmine as Eid approaches while her father is away. She has too little money to buy her mother a gift and cannot decide what she herself wants when her mother asks. An idea comes to her while her mother bargains with a baker. After the two exchange gifts at the Umayyad Masjid, Yasmine discovers that being together brings Eid joy.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Grandmother MoonWunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, illustrated by Trisha B. WatersDuring regular drives from the city to the reservation, a Native girl watches the moon, which seems to travel alongside her and her grandmother. She looks forward to her grandmother’s songs and stories. On one evening ride, her grandmother explains Grandmother Moon, why she is honored, and her place in the family’s Indigenous community.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Hopeful Heroes: More Poems about Amazing LatinosMargarita EngleThis collection presents poems about Latino figures from varied backgrounds across Latin American history. Its subjects include activists, artists, athletes, scientists, and political leaders from the early 1500s to the present. Among those profiled are Anacaona, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Gabriela Mistral, Pelé, and Rigoberta Menchú Tum. Short biographies appear in the back matter, alongside colorful watercolor illustrations.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
The House on the CanalThomas Harding, illustrated by Britta TeckentrupA tall, narrow house with a green door on an Amsterdam canal tells its four-century history. Built in 1635, it has been home to a stonemason, a woman raising twelve children during plague, a merchant and his wife, and many later families. It has also served as a stable and a chemist’s workplace, survived a fire, and stood empty at the start of World War II. Later, it became the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeATOS Book Level 4.5AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
How the U.S. Government Works: A Kid's Guide to CivicsSyl Sobel J.D.An updated civics guide gives a broad overview of the many parts of the U.S. federal system. It describes the system’s origins, outlines the responsibilities of the executive branch, and explains the separate duties of the legislative and judicial branches. The discussion relates American democracy to the lives people live today, showing how government functions and the wider federal system connect to daily experience.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 840LView book details
I Love Salmon and LampreysBrook Thompson, illustrated by Anastasia KhmelevskaBrook Thompson connects her upbringing in the Yurok and Karuk Tribes with the salmon and lampreys of Northern California’s Klamath River. She describes how dams made it difficult for these fish to live and how Tribal people and their allies organized to remove four dams. The Native-led effort succeeded in restoring fish habitat and pursuing environmental justice. Thompson also tells how these experiences motivated her to become a scientist.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
A Line Can Go AnywhereCaroline McAlister, illustrated by Jamie GreenThis picture-book biography tells of sculptor Ruth Aiko Asawa, who was known as Aiko by some people and Ruth by others. Growing up on a Southern California farm, she later faced the incarceration of her family alongside other Japanese Americans during World War II. At Santa Anita and the Rohwer Relocation Center, she drew the landscapes, guard towers, and barbed wire around her. Those lines later informed art that made her an influential twentieth-century artist.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 830LATOS Book Level 5.3View book details
Love Your NeighborChris Singleton with Ryan G. Van Cleave, illustrated by Jayri GomezThis book asks who counts as a neighbor and encourages acts of love toward people nearby and far away. Its idea of neighbor includes people already known, people not yet met, and people who see the world differently. The text offers concrete action words as a guide for putting that care into practice. It also considers how small actions can affect a community and presents love as extending to everyone, one person at a time.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Muzoon: From Refugee to LeaderMuzoon Almellehan, illustrated by Asma EnayehThis biography follows Muzoon Almellehan from her early life in Dara'a, Syria, where she lived with her family, through a wartime journey to build a new life elsewhere. It describes her later work as an international advocate for refugees, education, and the rights of girls and women. Muzoon also became UNICEF’s first refugee goodwill ambassador. The account portrays the path from refugee experience to public leadership.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Nainai's MountainLivia Blackburne, illustrated by Joey ChouA Taiwanese-American girl makes her first trip from California to Taiwan with her parents and paternal grandmother, Nainai. Uneasy about the long flight, unfamiliar signs, and insects, she begins the visit with worries. Nainai leads her up a favorite mountain, shares memories of life in Taiwan, and helps her see the country differently. At the summit, the girl encounters people who know and remember her grandmother.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Oh No! Chinese School!Crystal Murakami, illustrated by Jon Kenzo OkeyaCrystal resents spending Saturdays at Chinese school while her friends are free to have fun. She finds the classes difficult and dull and questions why she needs Chinese when she already speaks English. Her view changes when a new boy at school is bullied and Crystal's ability to speak two languages becomes useful. The experience leads her to reconsider learning Chinese.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
The Peanut ManCarmen Agra DeedyCoqui leaves Cuba with her family for Decatur, Georgia, and misses Emilio, the peanut vendor she greeted each evening from her Havana window. Before she goes, he encourages her to remember their friendship and tells her she may enjoy baseball in the United States. Years after the move, a baseball game stirs familiar scents and brings back memories of Emilio and the home she left behind.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Rap It Up!Carole Boston Weatherford & Jeffery Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ernel MartinezA narrator introduces the process of creating rap, from putting words on a page to performing rhymes with a microphone. The book explores the feelings, literary devices, patterns, and recurring ideas that shape rap. It follows a creative voice through writing and performance, with an emphasis on using language and rhythm to express oneself.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Rise Up!: 25 Powerful Protests in American HistoryRachel C. Katz, illustrated by Sophie BassThis nonfiction picture book surveys 25 episodes of protest, resistance, and revolution in United States history. Its range begins with the Boston Tea Party and reaches the Capitol Crawl. The book shows Americans responding to unfairness or seeking expanded rights by marching, cheering, writing songs and speeches, volunteering, campaigning, voting, and challenging tradition. Background notes, a map, and a timeline are also included.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
Ruby Bridges: A Talk with My TeacherRuby Bridges, illustrated by Trudy TranRuby Bridges recalls Mrs. Henry, the first-grade teacher she had when she integrated William Frantz Elementary School as the first Black child to attend it. Ruby and Mrs. Henry become close friends, but Ruby is distressed when Mrs. Henry is not her teacher the following year. The story follows their separation and their eventual reunion, while looking at the lasting place a teacher can hold in a student’s life.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book details
To Walk the Sky: How Iroquois Steelworkers Helped Build Towering CitiesPatricia Morris Buckley, illustrated by E.B. LewisThis history follows generations of Native workers known as skywalkers, who helped shape city skylines across North America. High above the ground, they balanced on narrow beams while building landmarks and facing dangerous heights and loss. The book traces the legacy of these workers, including Native Americans who continue this work today. It centers their skill, courage, and resilience in the construction of towering cities and in the continuing story of the trade.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 870LATOS Book Level 5.6View book details
What Color Is the Baby? A Celebration of Skin TonesHarshini Vankineni, illustrated by Neha RawatKundana is delighted when she meets her newborn sister, Kuku, and sees her as beautiful. As relatives welcome the baby, however, they repeatedly focus on the shade of Kuku’s skin, comparing it with flowers and looking closely at her brown skin. Kundana questions why that detail should matter and resists the way her sister is being judged. The story follows her as she finds loving words of her own to describe and stand up for the baby she adores.Kindergarten to Fifth GradeView book detailsThird to Fifth Grade
24 selections
At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for FreedomErin Entrada KellyThis biography tells the story of Josefina “Joey” Guerrero, a Filipino woman whose life included work as a World War II spy, guerrilla fighter, teacher, and peacemaker. Diagnosed with leprosy, also called Hansen’s disease, as war spread through Europe and Asia, Joey lived under Japanese occupation in the Philippines. Believing she might die soon, she joined the guerrilla movement and carried intelligence for the Philippine resistance, using her freedom of movement to support covert Allied missions.Third to Fifth GradeATOS Book Level 7.3AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
Dedushka: Memories of My Grandpa and UkraineKaterina Spaeth, illustrated by Katerina SpaethA narrator looks back on growing up in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in the 1990s with her grandfather, whom she calls Dedushka. Short scenes show his lessons: speaking, keeping their groceries safe, and putting flowers in her hair. Together, these moments portray practical care and affection, showing how a grandfather’s presence shapes everyday family life. The book is framed as an homage to that shared childhood.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Dig!Ruth Hatfield, illustrated by Sophia WattsThis nonfiction guide explains how archaeology reveals what people know about the past, from ancient Roman central heating to giant sloths that once shared the planet with humans. It follows archaeologists on excavations and introduces notable finds from hundreds, thousands, and millions of years ago. Written by archaeologist Ruth Hatfield, the book presents archaeology as a field that continually changes knowledge of the ancient world through new evidence and discoveries.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Dreams to Ashes: The 1871 Los Angeles Chinatown MassacreLivia BlackburneThis picture-book history introduces Chinese immigrants living in nineteenth-century Los Angeles and recounts anti-Chinese violence in 1871. Racist newspaper commentary helped intensify xenophobia toward Chinese Americans before a mob attacked Chinatown and killed eighteen Chinese men. Earth-toned illustrations, made with ink and digital techniques, accompany this account of the massacre.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Faye and the Dangerous Journey: An Ojibwe Removal Survival StoryKim Sigafus, illustrated by Soia Di Chiara ManettiIn fall 1850, Faye and her family travel with thousands of Ojibwe people to Minnesota to collect money owed by the U.S. government. They must walk and canoe through harsh weather instead of receiving payment in Wisconsin. At their destination, Faye's mother becomes ill and the promised money is absent. The historical-fiction story addresses the traumatic Sandy Lake Ojibwe removal and includes nonfiction backmatter, an author's note, and discussion questions.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 660LView book details
A Flea For Justice: Marian Wright Edelman Stands Up for ChangeValerie Bolling, illustrated by TeMika GroomsThis picture-book biography traces Marian Wright Edelman's response to injustice from childhood into her work for civil rights and children. As a child, Marian switches the signs on segregated water fountains that tell Black and white people where they may drink. She learns about Sojourner Truth and takes inspiration from her example. The book uses the image of a flea to describe Marian's determination to press for change even when doing so makes others uncomfortable.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 690LView book details
The Friendship Train: A True Story of Helping and Healing after World War IIDebbie Levy, illustrated by Boris KulikovAfter World War II, many people in Europe did not have enough food. In the United States, people organized the Friendship Train, which crossed the country collecting supplies for hungry Europeans. Children took part by giving allowances, selling newspapers, gathering food from neighbors, and helping load packages onto trucks and railcars. Set in 1947, this true story follows a collective effort to send essential food across the ocean and the gratitude it inspired.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles: The Glasses That Saved AmericaSelene Castrovilla, illustrated by Jenn HarneyAfter the Revolutionary War, George Washington’s officers have gone unpaid by the Continental Congress for years and plan to confront Congress. Washington learns of the plan and speaks to the officers, but they are not persuaded. When he struggles to read a letter from Congress and puts on his glasses, they recognize the sacrifices he has made alongside them. The incident helps calm the crisis.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 530LView book details
Hiding in Plain Sight: Kate Warne and the Race to Save Abraham LincolnBeth Anderson, illustrated by Sally Wern ComportKate Warne, described as America’s first female detective, works for the Pinkerton Detective Agency as Abraham Lincoln travels from Springfield to his inauguration in Washington. She discovers a plan to assassinate the president-elect in Baltimore, a stop on his rail route. Lincoln will not cancel his commitments, leaving Kate and the other detectives little time. Using disguises, false names, and nighttime cover, they devise a way to move Lincoln through Baltimore without alerting the people watching him.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 580LATOS Book Level 3.8View book details
If You Were a Kid at the March on WashingtonAaron Talley and Josh Gregory, illustrated by Ana LateseIn 1963, amid the Civil Rights Movement, activists from across the United States organized a major protest in Washington, D.C. Fictional young participants Eugene and Lori join thousands of people seeking equal rights, experiencing a day marked by unity and celebration. Their imagined perspective is paired with factual information about the demonstration. Illustrations and photographs accompany this account of children taking part in a pivotal moment in U.S. history.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 750LView book details
Jella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams: The Woman Who Rescued a Generation of Children and Founded the World's Largest Children's LibraryKatherine PatersonIn 1945, Jella Lepman, a Jewish woman who escaped the Nazis, was assigned to create a place of imagination and joy for German children affected by war. She turned to children's books in an effort to restore a sense of childhood after conflict. Her work led to the International Youth Library and IBBY. Retro-style color illustrations and archival photographs accompany the account.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the DesertMichaela MacCollThis nonfiction account follows Maria Reiche after she travels to Peru in 1941 and encounters the Nazca Lines, enormous images made in the desert by the Nazca people. Using brooms, she clears sand and rocks from the markings, measures them, and sketches their shapes because they cannot be viewed whole from the ground. Her work brings attention to the lines, and she later joins efforts to protect them when irrigation threatens the desert.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Leyendas/Legends: 60 Latine People Who Changed the WorldMónica Mancillas, illustrated by Isadora ZeferinoThis illustrated collective biography profiles sixty Latine people whose work affected their communities and fields. Its subjects include artists, engineers, activists, athletes, entertainers, scientists, and public figures, such as Frida Kahlo, Roberto Clemente, Sonia Sotomayor, Shakira, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Jharrel Jerome. Individual entries include a Colombian singer who began writing songs as a child, a Mexican chemist connected to research on the ozone hole, and a Puerto Rican congresswoman.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
The Library in the WoodsCalvin Alexander RamseyAfter storms ruin the family farm, Junior moves to Roxboro, North Carolina, in 1959. As he adjusts to town life in the segregated South, new friends introduce him to books they borrow for enjoyment. Public libraries are segregated, but Junior discovers a log-cabin library in the woods serving the Black community. There he finds books by Black authors and checks out books for himself and both parents.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Make Good TroubleJamia Wilson, illustrated by Devon Blow and Ashley LukashevskyThis illustrated nonfiction collection examines more than 70 protest movements and other acts of activism that shaped history. Its accounts range from the 1899 newsboys’ strike to climate demonstrations and efforts opposing book bans. Inspired by John Lewis’s call to confront injustice, the book explores significant moments of global activism. It also includes dates, a glossary, and practical suggestions for taking action.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Max in the Land of LiesAdam GidwitzIn 1940, twelve-year-old Max Bretzfeld enters Nazi Germany after parachuting in as a British spy. His assigned task is to penetrate the Funkhaus, a hub for Nazi radio broadcasting and propaganda, even as Nazi intelligence keeps watch. Against orders, he also tries to locate the parents he left in Berlin during his escape on the Jewish Kindertransport. His connection with a radio personality’s lonely son gives him access to the Funkhaus, where he encounters unsettling brutality.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 660LFountas & Pinnell Text Level YView book details
One Girl's Voice: How Lucy Stone Helped Change the Law of the LandVivian KirkfieldThis nonfiction picture book follows Lucy Stone, a nineteenth-century abolitionist and early advocate for women’s rights. As a girl, she lives in a world where public speech belongs largely to men. After hearing a minister condemn women who spoke in public, she resolves to speak when she has something to say. She secretly learns debating and public speaking, then uses those skills in support of women’s rights and the end of slavery. Acrylic-ink and colored-pencil illustrations accompany the account, which also includes back matter.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Returning the Sword: How a Japanese Sword of War Became a Symbol of Friendship and PeaceCaren StelsonAfter World War II, Captain Orval Amdahl returned to Minnesota with a Japanese sword given to him as a military souvenir. He had witnessed the devastation in Nagasaki and continued to wonder about the sword and its owner. Decades later, a researcher helped identify the family of the Japanese soldier who had owned it. Letters led to a 2013 ceremony in which Amdahl returned the sword to the owner’s son, Tadahiro Motomura.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
The Sandy Lake Tragedy: Following in the Footsteps of the OjibweEmily Faith JohnsonThis book recounts the 1850 forced journey of 5,000 Ojibwe people across the Midwest to receive treaty payments owed by the U.S. government. When the payments do not arrive, they must make the return trip through dangerous winter conditions without the promised money or supplies. More than 400 Ojibwe people die in the event known as the Ojibwe Trail of Tears. The account examines its causes, consequences, and Ojibwe responses.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
She Persisted: Kamala HarrisRaakhee Mirchandani with introduction by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger and Jessica W. ClarkThis chapter-book biography follows Kamala Harris from a childhood interest in helping people and solving problems to work as a lawyer and senator. It describes how she helped bring change to her community as a girl and continued that work as an adult. The book covers her becoming the first woman vice president of the United States and her efforts to help others.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure NC1170LATOS Book Level 6View book details
The Spy in the Museum: How Rose Valland Saved Art from the NazisErin McGuireDuring World War II, Rose Valland remains at the Jeu de Paume after the Nazis turn the French museum into a holding place for stolen art. Overlooked by the occupiers, she uses her knowledge of German to listen and record which works are taken, where they are sent, and by what train. She later works with the French Resistance to locate a trainload of art moved from the museum.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
This Skirt Won't WorkJennifer Cooper, illustrated by Eva ByrneWomen athletes challenged restrictive clothing expectations in order to move freely in sports. The examples include cyclist Kittie Knox and swimmer Annette Kellerman, as well as Albertine LePensee and her Canadian hockey teammates. They made knickerbockers, wore streamlined swimsuits, or chose shorter skirts despite social disapproval. These decisions shifted ideas about women’s and girls’ clothing and participation in sports. Back matter profiles the athletes and considers contemporary campaigns for more comfortable, inclusive clothing.Third to Fifth GradeView book details
Where Are the Women?: The Girl Scouts' Campaign for the First Statue of Women in Central ParkJanice Hechter, illustrated by Janice HechterIn 2016, New York City Girl Scouts discover that Central Park has no statues of women. They organize a campaign, collect funds, raise public awareness, give testimony, and persuade city officials to build the park’s first monument honoring women. The account follows their effort from a field-trip discovery through four years of continued work. The Women’s Rights Pioneers statue was inaugurated in 2020.Third to Fifth GradeLexile Text Measure 810LView book details
Who Discovered How to Breathe Underwater?: Jacques CousteauNed Wolfe, illustrated by Caroline HuThis graphic novel follows French naval officer Jacques Cousteau as he helps develop the Aqua-Lung, described as the first modern scuba device. The device enables diving that is safer, longer, and deeper. Cousteau's story brings together his interests in tinkering, filmmaking, and the sea, alongside friendship, experimentation, and invention. It explores the work behind a new way of experiencing underwater life.Third to Fifth GradeView book detailsThird to Eighth Grade
12 selections
El NiñoPam Muñoz RyanKai Sosa wants to regain the swimming ability he once had on an elite team, but his times have changed since his sister Cali disappeared while surfing two years earlier. He is still haunted by dreams of Cali and by her request that he find her missing gold cuff. The magic of El Niño brings him visions of a mythical Amazonian queen, where myth, memory, and reality begin to meet as Kai confronts grief and hope.Third to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 740LATOS Book Level 5.3View book details
Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading EqualityJeff Gottesfeld and Michelle Y. Green, illustrated by Kim HoltThis book recounts Tucker’s life from his childhood in the segregated South through his work as a lawyer who loved reading. In 1939, he organized a sit-in at a segregated library to demand public access to reading. His effort continued through court cases and years of legal struggle, as he pressed for everyone to be able to read in a public library.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
It's About Time!: Big Ideas That Changed the World #6 (A Nonfiction Graphic Novel)Don Brown, illustrated by Don BrownAlbert Einstein guides this graphic nonfiction exploration of time and the ways people measure it. Beginning with ancient stone circles and pyramids, it moves through sundials, hourglasses, early timepieces, watches, standardized time, and atomic clocks. The book considers why the calendar has twelve months and the day has twenty-four hours, as well as Greenwich Mean Time, Deep Time, and the role of time in smartphone GPS satellites.Third to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure GN940LView book details
The Lost Women of ScienceMelina Gerosa Bellows and Katie Hafner, illustrated by Karyn LeeThis collection tells the stories of ten women scientists whose work and lives were overlooked in historical accounts. Their contributions include conducting experiments, identifying diseases, and deciphering codes that affected World War II. Drawing on the Lost Women of Science podcast, the book presents these STEM pioneers through illustrated sketches, photographs, and accounts of their achievements and the barriers they faced.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
One Wrong StepJennifer A. NielsenTwelve-year-old Atlas Wade has climbed mountains since his mother died, trying to escape his memories of her. He joins his father on an expedition to Mount Everest, where an avalanche leaves members of the party stranded. Atlas, Maddie, and the injured Sherpa Chodak continue into dangerous conditions in search of survivors. Their journey is shadowed by the possibility that a Nazi spy is among them.Third to Eighth GradeATOS Book Level 4.8View book details
Outsider Kids: A Parachute Kids Graphic Novel (Parachute Kids #2)Betty C. Tang, illustrated by Betty C. TangAfter spending seven months alone as undocumented immigrants, the Lin siblings have begun to establish lives in California. Their hard-won stability is put at risk when a privileged cousin enters the picture. This companion graphic novel follows the three siblings as they face a threat to the happiness and security they have managed to build in their new home.Third to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure HL190LATOS Book Level 2.4View book details
Putin vs Zelensky: The Russo-Ukranian WarBen ThompsonThis nonfiction book examines the Russo-Ukrainian War through the histories and public roles of Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. It traces Ukraine’s past and the developments that preceded Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The account describes Russia’s invasion and Ukraine’s response under Zelensky’s leadership, including the country’s effort to defend its homeland, people, history, language, and independent customs. Putin and Zelensky provide the framework for explaining the continuing conflict.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Refugee: The Graphic NovelAlan Gratz, illustrated by Syd FiniThree young people seek safety in different eras and places. In 1930s Germany, Josef and his Jewish family leave under the threat of concentration camps. Isabel’s family departs Cuba amid the unrest of 1994, while Mahmoud and his family flee violence in Syria in 2015 and travel toward Europe. Their dangerous journeys unfold across decades and continents, with links between their stories emerging by the end.Third to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 800LATOS Book Level 5.3View book details
A Sea of Lemon TreesMaría Dolores ÁguilaIn 1929 Lemon Grove, California, fifth grader Roberto Alvarez learns after Christmas break that Mexican students can no longer attend their grammar school. Roberto and his friends from la colonia are ordered to a converted barn instead. As families organize against the segregation order, children face consequences for staying home, and Roberto’s friend David faces deportation despite being a U.S. citizen. Roberto, who loves school, becomes lead plaintiff in the community’s case against the school board.Third to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 800LATOS Book Level 5.1View book details
Under Attack (Kidnapped From Ukraine #1)Marsha Forchuk SkrypuchTwin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova are living with their family in Mariupol when Russia attacks the city in February 2022. The attack divides the family, leaving Rada with their father and Dariia with their mother. Russian officials then take Dariia from her mother, give her a new Russian identity, and place her with a Russian family. Amid the invasion and its hardships, the sisters and their relatives struggle to reunite.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Vanished: Seven Women Magicians Who Simply DisappearedAnna Hays, illustrated by Mary Kate McDevittVanished profiles seven American women who performed magic between 1860 and 1930. Through portraits, archival images, and illustrations, it traces figures including a mind reader, a levitation act, and a magician associated with showers of gold coins. These performers toured internationally despite Victorian-era limits on women’s public lives, gained fame, and were later largely forgotten. Back matter expands on their stories and the period in which they worked.Third to Eighth GradeView book details
Where Only Storms GrowAlyssa ColmanDuring the 1930s in Oklahoma, the Stanton twins face years without rain and growing strain between them. Howe wants to leave their dust-covered farm, while Joanna, who has scoliosis and near-constant pain, wants to remain. After their father departs to look for work in California, the twins must help keep the farm from failing. Joanna works at a local hospital, and Howe cares for his father’s horse. Then a dangerous dust storm threatens their family and town.Third to Eighth GradeView book detailsSixth to Eighth Grade
13 selections
Allyship as Action: 7 Ways to Advocate for OthersTanya Boteju, illustrated by Bithi SutradharThis book presents allyship as continuing work that combines learning with action in support of people who do not share the same privileges. It discusses recognizing privilege, distinguishing allyship from performative allyship, and responding to mistakes. Seven approaches and realistic scenarios give readers tools for considering how to take a stand for others when fitting in can feel especially important.Sixth to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 970LView book details
Black Girl Power: 15 Stories Celebrating Black GirlhoodLeah Johnson (editor)This collection brings together fifteen stories and poems by contemporary Black women writers about Black girlhood. Its pieces include a first sleepover with a stuffed animal, an escape from an eerie dollhouse, new friendships made through magical baked goods, and finding the nerve to dance independently. Across these varied everyday and fantastical situations, the collection reflects joy, strength, imagination, friendship, courage, and the experiences of Black girls today.Sixth to Eighth GradeWord Count 66673View book details
A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight over Science in SchoolsDebbie LevyThis account of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial examines a Tennessee law banning the teaching of evolution in classrooms. After teacher John Scopes mentioned evolution in a science lesson, the case prompted a nationwide debate over what young people should be taught. William Jennings Bryan argued from the Bible, while Clarence Darrow defended Charles Darwin’s books on evolution. The book follows their courtroom clash and connects the controversy to continuing arguments about science, education, and public policy.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
The Daughter of Auschwitz: The Girl Who Lived to Tell Her StoryTova FriedmanAdapted from Tova Friedman’s memoir, this account follows Tola Grossman after she is sent to a Nazi labor camp at five during World War II. She and her parents strive to survive while she faces repeated dangers at Auschwitz, including escape from a gas chamber and hiding during Nazi roundups. The narrative recounts the atrocities she sees while also describing the hope and courage that help her family continue.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
Fighter in the Woods: The True Story of a Jewish Girl who Joined the Partisans in World War IIJoshua M. GreeneThis true story centers on Celia, a Jewish girl living in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II. Her ordinary life is destroyed as the Nazi campaign against Jewish people reaches her community. Celia faces starvation, forced labor in ghettos, hiding, and the loss of much of her family. After escaping into the forest, she joins Soviet partisans fighting the Nazis and is assigned to help destroy a cache of Nazi weapons.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
Game Changers: Stories of Hijabi Athletes from around the WorldCharlene SmithThirteen Muslim women and girls share their experiences as athletes, including runners, basketball players, beach volleyball players, hockey players, soccer players, and more. Many are the first competitors in their sports to wear a hijab. Their profiles describe obstacles ranging from traditions that restrict girls’ sports participation to institutional anti-hijab rules, as well as efforts to change those rules so Muslim girls can compete.Sixth to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 1100LView book details
How the Word Is Passed (Adapted for Young Readers): Remembering Slavery and How it Shaped AmericaClint Smith, adapted by Sonja Cherry-PaulAdapted for young readers, this narrative travels to historical sites across the United States to examine slavery's enduring legacy. Beginning in New Orleans, it considers monuments and landmarks that confront the past as well as those that conceal it. The book also looks at places, holidays such as Juneteenth, and neighborhoods whose histories have been shaped by enslavement and the trade in enslaved people. Its account includes both southern locations and New York City.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
Never Silent: A Hiroshima Survivor's StorySetsuko Thurlow, Kathy LowingerSetsuko Thurlow recounts her life as a girl in Hiroshima, including surviving the atomic bombing in 1945 when she was thirteen. The memoir begins with memories of her earlier life, describes the devastating effects of the bombing that she witnessed, and follows her efforts to rebuild afterward. It also traces her lifelong work to educate people about the catastrophe and oppose nuclear weapons. Thurlow later spoke for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons when the organization accepted the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. Michelle Theodore illustrated the book.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and LuliKarina Yan GlaserTwo stories unfold across time in this historical novel. In Chang’an in 731, Han Yu sells steamed buns in a crowded market while people whisper that he can summon tigers. In Depression-era New York Chinatown, Luli lives above her parents’ restaurant and dreams about dim sum and Chinese art. Both young people leave familiar lives on perilous journeys to protect their families, facing plague and financial crisis. Their adventures connect danger, art, and a touch of magic.Sixth to Eighth GradeATOS Book Level 6.0AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb: Young Readers Edition of AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert OppenheimerKai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Adapted by Eric S. SingerThis adapted edition follows physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who directed the American project to create the atomic bomb during World War II. It traces his childhood, his confidential work on the weapon, and his role in the Cold War. The account also considers the moral consequences Oppenheimer faced after helping to develop the bomb and recounts his subsequent downfall. Dozens of photographs and updated material accompany this biography of a major twentieth-century scientific figure.Sixth to Eighth GradeView book details
Rebellion 1776Laurie Halse AndersonIn spring 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper is alone in Boston after her father disappears. Cannons signal the Siege of Boston, and the city becomes a war zone as Patriots press Loyalists to leave. Seeking work to avoid an orphanage, Elsbeth becomes a maid for a wealthy family. At the same time, a smallpox epidemic spreads and people seek inoculation while she searches for her father.Sixth to Eighth GradeATOS Book Level 5.8AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
Safe HarborPadma VenkatramanIn this novel in verse, Geetha moves with her mother from India to Rhode Island following her parents’ divorce. She misses the people, dog, and familiar life she left behind, while at school other students target her clothing, food, and English. Playing the flute and writing poems offer Geetha comfort. She becomes friends with Miguel, who shares some of her concerns, and together they help an injured harp seal on the beach. As Geetha’s anger grows, she must also confront pollution that harms the sea and animals, her difficult move, and the challenges affecting her new friend.Sixth to Eighth GradeATOS Book Level 5.1AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
Women Who Dared: 52 Stories of Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, and RebelsLinda Skeers, illustrated by Livi GoslingThis second collection contains fifty-two short biographies of women who took risks in pursuit of adventure. Its subjects include adventurers, athletes, inventors, pilots, sailors, and performers from different times and places. Among them are Katherine Cheung, the first Chinese woman to earn an international flying license; Laura Dekker, who sailed around the world alone at a young age; and Katharina Paulus, a parachute performer and inventor of the first collapsible parachute.Sixth to Eighth GradeLexile Text Measure 950LATOS Book Level 6.7View book detailsSixth to Twelfth Grade
4 selections
Hick: The trailblazing journalist who captured Eleanor Roosevelt's heartSarah MillerThis biography traces Lorena “Hick” Hickok from a difficult childhood in the upper Midwest into a career in journalism. Supporting herself as a teenager, she later worked in newspapers and gained a reputation for reporting both news and feature stories in male-dominated newsrooms. By thirty-five, she had become a leading Associated Press reporter. Assigned to cover Eleanor Roosevelt during Franklin Roosevelt’s presidential campaign, Hick formed a close friendship and romantic relationship with the future first lady that lasted into the 1940s.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Origin: An Illuminating Look at Indigenous Peoples and Their Connection to the Natural WorldNat Cardozo; translated by Layla Benitez-James/Ian Farnes, illustrated by Nat CardozoThis nonfiction book presents first-person portraits of Indigenous children and communities across five continents. Through twenty-two portraits, it considers connections to land, community traditions, and languages, as well as efforts to safeguard territories. Each spread introduces a contemporary Indigenous people from around the world. The book centers a shared human origin while depicting communities whose lands face threats from those seeking to profit from them.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details
The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults): Five Black Ballerinas, a Legacy of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking HistoryKaren ValbyThis young-adult adaptation tells the history of five Black ballerinas connected with the early Dance Theatre of Harlem, including founding members. At a time when racism excluded Black dancers from major classical dance companies, the women built professional careers and helped make Black classical dancers more visible. The account includes Lydia Abarca, Shelia Rohan, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells, and follows their later reunion to record their shared history.Sixth to Twelfth GradeView book details
A World Worth SavingKyle LukoffAfter A comes out as transgender, his parents bring him to an anti-trans group that seeks to “fix” young people like him. He attends the meetings with friends Sal and Yarrow while their parents use their former names and worry about a supposed transgender trend. A fears being sent away for more intensive treatment. At the same time, pain-eating demons threaten the world. Drawing on Jewish mythology, this fantasy places A’s danger and his parents’ lack of acceptance alongside a larger fight against demons.Sixth to Twelfth GradeLexile Text Measure 840LFountas & Pinnell Text Level ZView book detailsNinth to Twelfth Grade
6 selections
Arm in Arm: The Grimké Sisters' Fight for Abolition and Women's RightsAngelica Shirley CarpenterSarah and Angelina Grimké grow up wealthy in early nineteenth-century Charleston, South Carolina, surrounded by enslavement and its violence. Unable to accept what they see, the sisters leave for the North, guided by their religious convictions and compassion. They speak publicly against slavery despite threats and violence from pro-slavery mobs. At a time when women were expected to remain silent at home, they also become advocates for women’s rights.Ninth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Black History Is Your HistoryTaylor Cassidy, illustrated by Adriana BelletTaylor Cassidy combines history and memoir to introduce twelve Black historical figures whose contributions helped shape the United States. The book ranges across activists, writers, film stars, Olympic gold medalists, fashion designers, astronauts, and other icons. Cassidy connects their achievements with personal reflections, humor, and pop-culture references. The result is a collection of biographical portraits that places Black history alongside the author’s own perspective and the lives of young people.Ninth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Girls with GoalsClelia Castro-MalaspinaThis history follows women's soccer from its beginnings in nineteenth-century England to its worldwide presence today. It recounts how girls and women continued to play despite bans, rules, challenges, and attitudes that opposed their participation. The book situates the sport's early development in working-class England and traces its expansion into a global game with players, supporters, and viewers around the world. Historical and contemporary imagery accompanies the account.Ninth to Twelfth GradeView book details
I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You ThisEugene Yelchin, illustrated by Eugene YelchinIn Cold War-era Leningrad, young artist Yevgeny pursues creative work under KGB scrutiny. After an encounter with an American student named Libby, he falls in love and sees a possibility of leaving the Soviet Union. The threat of conscription to fight in Afghanistan drives him to avoid the military draft by taking a theater-set-design job in Siberia. Punished for draft evasion, he is sent to a psychiatric hospital. This graphic memoir follows his fear and lack of freedom under an authoritarian regime.Ninth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Rosa by Any Other NameHailey AlcarazIn 1955 Phoenix, Mexican American student Rosa Capistrano passes as white while attending a newly desegregated high school to improve her chance of studying journalism in college. Though Brown v. Board of Education permits her enrollment, the school remains unsafe for Mexican Americans. Rosa plans to keep a low profile until her white friend Julianne and longtime friend Ramón pursue an interracial relationship. After Julianne’s sheriff father kills both of them, Rosa is the sole eyewitness who can challenge his account of what happened.Ninth to Twelfth GradeView book details
Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide: A Graphic NovelPablo Leon, illustrated by Pablo LeonThis intergenerational graphic novel connects a family in Maryland in 2013 with Guatemala in 1982. Brothers Jose and Charlie know little about their mother Clara’s earlier life until Jose asks about a genocide trial. Clara eventually recounts her childhood during the Guatemalan Civil War, when violence reached her village and separated her from her sister Elena. The story draws on historical research and the creator’s experiences as a Guatemalan immigrant.Ninth to Twelfth GradeATOS Book Level 3.9AR Interest Level Upper Grades (UG 9-12)View book details